FRSC commends Dangote Industries for implementing road safety standards

*Dauda Biu, Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Corps, applauds Dangote Industries Limited for impact of the company’s Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme on significant reduction in road crashes achieved through collaboration with the Commission

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Mr. Dauda Biu, Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has commended Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) for the adoption and implementation of safety standards in the Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme (RTSSS) in the company’s operations.

Biu, who stated this in Abuja, FCT, when he hosted a team from the Dangote Cement Plc, Transport Division, said the significant reduction in crashes was made possible through the collaboration with his agency and the implementation of some mutually agreed safety standards by the conglomerate.

Mr. Ajay Singh, Divisional Director of Transport, led the Dangote team.

The Management of DIL, Monday, April 10, 2023, in a statement noted the FRSC commendation was an outcome of several strategies the company had executed to ensure Dangote truck drivers adhere strictly to safety standards, as prescribed by the FRSC across the country.

The Corps Marshal also said: “Notable among this is the reduction of road traffic crashes involving Dangote Transport Trucks through the implementation of minimum safety standards in the Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme (RTSSS).”

Biu stated in order to effectively achieve this success, the FRSC collaborated with the Technical Committee, comprising the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) on speed limiting device implementation in Nigeria.

He further disclosed the establishment of an Outpost at Dangote Cement Plant Plc, Obajana, had contributed tremendously to the reduction of road traffic crashes along the ever-busy Obajana – Kabba Road in Kogi State.

Other areas of partnership

The FRSC Chief said other areas of collaboration with Dangote Group include the establishment of standard and functional driving schools, partnership in conducting professional Road Assessments (Road Safety Audit) for issues of safety concerns on the roads, as well as collaboration on the Dangote Drivers’ Training Centre (Driving Range).

Speaking on the company’s various efforts at reducing accidents involving Dangote Trucks,

Mrs. Ebere Okonkwo, Group Head of Transport, Health, Safety & Environment Nigeria & Pan Africa of Dangote Cement, stated that the company adopted several strategies to ensure compliance with the country’s road safety standards.

Okonkwo listed the strategies to include improvement of drivers’ and journey managers’ competence in both HSE and job skills in order to achieve line ownership of safety and safe delivery.

She said: “Plans were put in place to improve our maintenance management.

“Actions were developed to improve and embed an effective journey management system with a focus on supervision.”

The company’s Group Head of Transport, Health, Safety & Environment Nigeria & Pan Africa also stated: “We introduced compliance monitoring and reporting, such as performing check-ins on drivers while on trips, random alcohol, and drugs tests, etc.

“We increased the sphere of influence by showcasing visibly-felt safety leadership at the frontlines through engagements, campaigns, general empowerment to stop unsafe work, behaviours, etc.”

According to her, other measures include consequence management (reward and sanctions); reward for compliance and sanctions for non-compliance and behaviours monitored based on criteria, to determine who gets rewarded as a result of safety performance and who gets sanctioned.

Okonkwo as well disclosed that the HSE team embarked on HSSE competence development training for all staff across categories to improve their competence on safety and their influence/supervision skills to the frontline workers (drivers) of DIL.

Internal behavioral-based safety trainings, safety stand-downs to cascade learnings from internal and industry incidents, safety campaigns covering different prevailing risk areas, pep talks by “HSE teams and transport trainers across locations, engagement of shop floor workers by various categories of management, e.t.c., were carried out, she stated.

The Group Head of Transport, Health, Safety & Environment noted: “The FRSC carries out recertification training exercise for our drivers, operations staff, and trucks in Nigeria every six months.

“Across our Pan-Africa locations, engagements, and competence development training are deployed internally and externally, based on risks using our experienced and well-recognised internal resources and approved government resources. “Where available, simulators are used for defensive driving trainings; for example in Cameroon, the training is facilitated by the Safe Way, Right Way Foundation, etc.”

Earlier in his speech during the visit, Singh, Divisional Director of Transport at Dangote Cement Plant, Obajana, said the collaboration between the Dangote Group and the FRSC was paying off.

On behalf of the company, he congratulated the Corps Marshal his elevation and appointment.

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