Everywhere and Everyone in Nigeria is a bundle of accidents waiting to happen. The pothole-ridden road, the irregular medical check-up, the careless attitude, the unplanned building, the tiled bathroom, the unlit highways, the abandoned nail on the ground seen but not removed, the impatient mechanic that fixes the car, the driver ogling bums beside the road etc. 98% of all accidents are caused by human error. If we can consciously try to be safe, we can avert 50% of daily accidents.
Yesterday, a guy left the office for an official meeting. At the meeting, he was usually active and full of life. Getting to the office this morning, his colleagues were told he slumped and died in the bathroom. The first thought would be "we saw him yesterday just so full of life".This explains the concept of wellness and healthiness.
Healthiness is a state of complete well being physical, mental and social, not only absence of diseases. While wellness is the active comport of a person to attain a healthy lifestyle. Our friend above appeared to us well and full of life but his sudden death due to a possible heart failure revealed his un-healthiness. If it wasn't a slump but a slip on the tiles that killed him, it means how well you live--your choice of environ, what you drink, wear or bathe in--can abet, or aid your healthiness.
Thus, we need to be extremely conscious of our habits, consumption, environ etc as they all in total affect our health. Health is key to safety and security just as the two are also essential in sustaining health. To talk about safety, we need to quickly understand these concepts (hazard, danger, risk,) through the next illustration:
At work, Tola spilled some water on the tiles while getting some from the dispenser. He called the cleaner to mop it. Before the cleaner could get the mop, Shola, who has changed from her high heel into a comfy flip flop, slipped on the water, hit her head against a nearby half-opened drawer of an iron cabinet, before hitting the tiles with a deafening thud.
Safety is as well embedded in security. While safety is the freedom from harms and dangers, security is putting in place measures that ensure people are free from harms and dangers. In the absence of both, we have an accident which is defined as a sudden event, which is not planned nor intended, that causes harms, damages or injuries. It is noteworthy to mention again that 98% of accidents are caused by human error and 2% other factors.
How can we ensure safety and security and avert accidents? There are chains of concept that linked up before accidents can occur. At each level of the chain, safety and security measures can be emplaced: from hazard to danger to risk before translating to the accident.
*Hazard-- is the source of danger. An object or a situation from which danger may emanate e.g. the spilled water, which Tola identified but was late to rectify. The open drawer is a hazard too but wasn't discovered.
*Danger--is the possibility or perception that you will be hurt or harmed by something ( often by the hazard). Tola was aware of the danger that's why she called for the cleaner. But she didn't put a sign to warn others or stand there till the hazard was removed. No one noticed the danger of the open drawer.
*Risk--is the possibility that something harmful or bad will happen or not (similar to danger but danger often is attached to a feeling around hazard). Taking risk is bathing on a tiled bathroom without a bathing rug. The opened drawer that can cause trips, overuse of electric socket etc.
The environ in the scenario was quite unsafe thus not secured. A safe environ will employ less security. While in an unsafe environ, conscious security should be put in place to assure safety. Security demands in Oyo town cannot be as heavy as what is needed in Boko Haram-affected states. But as an individual, we all have a stake in safety and security.
Therefore to avert accidents, we need to assess the environment, identify the hazards, remove it or warn others of the hazard to prevent the danger. Yes, govt should fix roads to remove the risk of an accident occurring. Highways are well lit, and drivers more focused. Building planned. Sharp objects are removed when seen. We can all live better than those lucky accidents.
Peace through the yuletide.
-toonday
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