From Lagos
As cases of Coronavirus wind down in Nigeria,the Director-General, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr Lanre Mojola, has stressed the need for operators of saloons to upscale their hygiene practises in line with the COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Mojola said this during a one-day training for 100 saloon operators, including hair dressers, barbers and cosmetologists in Lagos organised by the commission, with the theme: “Health And Safety Hygiene Management for Saloon Operators.”
Reepresented by the Technical Adviser to the Commission, Mr Seun Awojobi, Mojola said that the training was part of the continuous enlightenment,by the commission, for saloon operators to adhere to COVID-19 hygiene protocols.
He expressed that the exercise would support the Lagos State Government in curbing the spread of COVID-19 pandemic to the barest minimum.
“The training is in line with Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s directive and requirements for lifting the ban on event centres and businesses of which saloons are part.
“It is important to the operators to upscale hygiene practices on their different types of equipment, and to ensure adherence to all other safety protocols in their daily operations.
“We have been able to increase our capacity to engage in daily monitoring of the compliance level of the saloon operators and other artisans operating in all the 20 local government areas.
“We are also monitoring the compliance level of artisans in the 37 Local government development areas to the bylines set up by the State Government.
“We have apprehended some offenders and they are going to face the full wrath of the law,” Mojola said.
He urged the participants to increase resolve in keeping to hygiene standards by improving on safety compliance,in line with the regulations of Gov. Sanwo-Olu.
The Head of Training of the Commission, Mrs Adeola Adebowale, said the commission trained 100 saloon operators from various national bodies for them go and train other saloon operators.
Adebowale added that safety kits would be given to them to protect them against COVID-19.
“We trained them to be familiar with their terrain, and to apply safe health guidelines in their various local governments.
“They are trained to be conscious of health because they deal with many people and different kinds of chemicals, and they need to follow the COVID-19 protocols as well as maintain personal hygiene in their work tools,” Adebowale said.
She advised them to always read instructions before applying chemicals on customers to avoid hazardous effects on customers.
The President, Nigerian Association of Saloon, Barbers and Cosmetologists (NASHCO), Mrs Surat Ajibola, commended the state government for its continuous enlightenment of saloon operators to enable them improve on their hygienic practices to customers and in working environment.
Ajibola said that having trained all the representatives in the 57 local government and LCDAs, that the levels of compliance would improve positively.
A participant, Mr Yusuf Ogundare, representing Lagos Island NASHCO, commended the efforts of the Lagos State Government and the commission for enlightening them on COVID-19 health protocols.
Ogundare, who is the Chairman, EKO NASHCO, said that no knowledge was lost, adding that although many barbers usually operate differently from what they had been taught but that with the training, they would adjust positively.
Highpoint at the occasion was the distribution of safety kits, comprising towels,soaps, sanitizers, face masks among others.
