13th July, 2011
The Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC) on Tuesday advised PHCN to conduct a thorough check on its installations in the state to ascertain their level of safety in the rainy season.
Mrs. Domininga Odebunmi, Director-General of the commission, made the call in Lagos at a seminar on event risk and safety management organised by Event Basics Limited.
She said the check became imperative as many PHCN electric poles with high tension cables were vulnerable to damage during the rainy season and could pose a threat to lives.
“Electricity poles and cables are vulnerable at this time of the season. They get weakened and so need repair.
“The rain is not going to add value to them but make them dilapidate faster.
“The rains have destroyed some PHCN‘s outdated cables, making them hanging on the streets, just metres above mini-buses and these may fall on residents any moment,†she said.
Odebunmi urged the authorities to order the checks a matter of urgency and effect the necessary repairs to damaged cables to avoid loss of lives.
She also urged contractors handling construction projects in the state to hasten their pace of work, saying abandoning projects during this season was risky.
Odebunmi charged residents to be safety conscious, especially as the state was experiencing heavy rain.
She further called on parents and teachers to monitor the movement of their children and pupils, warning that they were more vulnerable during the rainy season.