BUILDING SAFETY: LSMTL HOLDS MEETING WITH STAKEHOLDERS, CONSULTANTS 

 
The General Manager of the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory Agency (LSMTL), Engr. Olayinka Abdul has charged Technical and Non-Technical Consultants to uphold ethics and professionalism bereft of shortcuts and dishonest practices which could compromise the safety of buildings and lives in the State.
 
Speaking at an inaugural meeting held on Wednesday at the Agency office in Ikeja, Engr. Abdul disclosed to a team of registered Non-Technical and Technical Consultants that stricter protocols and elevated standards of testing building materials are underway to uphold the integrity of the LSMTL’s certified results on building materials being scrutinised for the safety of properties across  Lagos State.
 
She said, “It has come to our notice that there had been unscrupulous activities posing threats to the credibility and integrity of our testing processes, hence, there is going to be a total form of rebranding requiring you to revalidate your contract with us, using another means of identification, mode of operations and representation with prospective clientele seeking certification of materials used in building projects”.
 
“As a certified Civil Engineer with longstanding experience, I am committed to ensuring the highest standards of quality and safety in the construction of projects across our State, thus, any actions that undermine such validity of test results endanger the lives of countless individuals. That is why we need to revamp our processes and operations to ensure we safely  protect lives and properties vested upon us as the Mandate of this Agency”, she added 
 
While recounting the processes involved in collecting samples for tests of building materials, the General Manager emphasised that such materials will now be directly extracted without prior notifications from sites, in the form of concrete cubes,  soil, water and steel, particularly at every stage of the construction processes.
 
She averred that in determining the integrity of buildings across Lagos State, there is a need to increase awareness and education on materials used for construction, especially at the grassroots, even as it concerns building block industries through pegging standards and specifications of the various materials used in moulding blocks to quality instruments that are safe for structures.
 
Speaking further, Engr. Abdul reiterated that aggressive change is paramount as every form of laxity,  will be adequately curbed particularly in the Standard Operations Procedure (SOP) which will ensure the turnaround time of tests being conducted for obtaining results that are credible and professionally guided.
 
She said, “The demographics are vast, requiring optimal performance level on certification of materials for quality assurance of all construction materials used on sites, which I publicly declare as the new inspiration of the Agency”.

“This is towards qualitative collaboration with other Government MDAs to ensure that all properties in Lagos State are safe for residents. I implore you at this juncture, to foster this vision by reporting any suspicious activity or instances of impersonation to our Agency at every instance”, she added.
 
The occasion afforded independent registered laboratories to reiterate their commitments to ensuring better productivity and safety of lives and properties, across Lagos State.