As industries across the world face growing concerns around supply chain pressure, operational risk and workforce safety, one area continues to determine how well organisations cope under uncertainty. It is the ability to detect danger before it leads to disruption. Safety specialist, Vera Oghenefejiro Idiareh, has built her career around this idea, combining data intelligence with practical field systems to strengthen industrial resilience in Nigeria and abroad.
One of the clearest tests of her approach came at Karbak Ventures where she led the safe dismantling and re erection of a collapsed 40 metre wheat silo. The operation involved heavy machinery, elevated work platforms and structural uncertainty. Any miscalculation could have resulted in severe injury or large scale loss. The project was completed without major incidents, an outcome she credits to the digitisation of critical safety controls.
For the project and all contractor work, Idiareh introduced a fully digital Permit to Work system. The platform provided real time visibility of who was on site, what work was being carried out and whether required approvals had been completed. Barcode based access and strict review of risk assessments ensured that no activity was carried out without documentation and traceability.
Speaking on the approach, she said the goal was not to create more administration but to improve accountability. “The digital trail was important because it removed guesswork. Everyone operated from the same information. When you have clarity, coordination becomes stronger and risks reduce.”
Her work at Chivita Hollandia further demonstrated how data can be used to anticipate harm. Instead of focusing only on past incidents, Idiareh developed leading indicator dashboards that highlighted potential triggers for serious injuries. The system enabled her team to identify and correct more than one hundred precursor events every month. By treating early signals as urgent interventions, the company shifted attention to the conditions that often lead to serious incidents if ignored.
She explained that the intention was to move safety conversations forward. “We had to stop measuring performance only after something had gone wrong. Once we started tracking the risks we intercepted, people understood that prevention has measurable value.”
Beyond her field assignments, Idiareh is also concerned about the shortage of skilled safety professionals across many industries. She believes that building a pipeline of data fluent analysts is essential to strengthening industrial operations in the long term. She is currently working on partnerships aimed at developing specialised training programmes that will equip professionals with predictive safety skills relevant to modern workplaces.
According to her, the gap is wider than most people realize. “There is a growing demand for safety practitioners who can read data, interpret patterns and recommend solutions before accidents occur. We need to train more people who understand this type of work and can apply it confidently.”
Across her various projects, Idiareh maintains that resilience is not accidental. In her view, whether dealing with a production line, a storage structure or a community market, the principle remains the same. “Risk does not respect boundaries. What matters is how early you detect it and how quickly you act. Predictive safety gives organisations that advantage.”
Her work continues to demonstrate how structured analysis and practical field experience can support both human safety and operational continuity. At a time when many companies are searching for ways to reduce losses and strengthen productivity, Idiareh’s model offers a tested approach rooted in early detection, digital structure and disciplined execution.
