NISAFETYE SAFETY ENGINEERING AWARDS TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE AWARDS JUDGING PANEL

Document Reference: NISafetyE/SEA/GUIDELINES/2026/001
Date: September 1, 2026

1. INTRODUCTION
The Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers (NISafetyE) Safety Engineering Awards have been established to recognise outstanding contributions, achievements, innovation, leadership, and professional excellence in safety engineering and occupational safety practice.
The awards provide a platform to acknowledge individuals, organisations, government institutions, and industry stakeholders that have demonstrated exceptional commitment towards improving safety performance, advancing safety engineering practice, and promoting safer workplaces and communities.
To ensure credibility, transparency, and professional integrity of the awards process, NISafetyE shall appoint an independent Judging Panel comprising experienced safety engineering professionals and recognised experts within the safety profession.

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE AWARDS
The objectives of the NISafetyE Safety Engineering Awards are to:
• Recognise excellence and outstanding achievement in safety engineering.
• Promote innovation and continuous improvement in safety management.
• Encourage organisations and professionals to adopt best practices in safety engineering.
• Celebrate individuals contributing to professional development, advocacy, training, and mentoring.
• Promote the advancement of safety engineering as a recognised professional discipline.

3. PURPOSE OF THE JUDGING PANEL
The purpose of the Judging Panel is to independently evaluate nominations submitted for the NISafetyE Safety Engineering Awards and recommend deserving recipients based on approved award criteria.
The Judging Panel shall ensure that all submissions are assessed fairly, objectively, consistently, and professionally.

4. COMPOSITION OF THE JUDGING PANEL
The Judging Panel shall comprise recognised professionals with expertise in areas including:
• Safety engineering.
• Occupational health and safety.
• Risk management.
• Industrial safety.
• Safety leadership.
• Professional education and development.
• Regulatory and industry safety practice.

5. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE JUDGING PANEL
Members of the Judging Panel shall:
• Review all submitted nominations and supporting evidence.
• Assess applicants against the approved award criteria.
• Verify the quality and relevance of evidence submitted.
• Apply professional judgement when evaluating achievements and contributions.
• Score submissions using approved assessment criteria.
• Participate in judging discussions and moderation meetings.
• Recommend award recipients based on merit.
• Maintain confidentiality and integrity throughout the judging process.

6. AWARD CATEGORIES AND EVALUATION AREAS
The NISafetyE Safety Engineering Awards shall evaluate excellence across the following categories:
A. GOVERNMENT CATEGORY
1. Excellence in Safety Regulatory Authority
This category recognises government institutions demonstrating excellence in safety regulation, enforcement, governance, and improvement of public safety.
Evaluation considerations include:
• Effectiveness of safety regulatory activities.
• Development and implementation of safety standards.
• Improvement in compliance and safety outcomes.
• Innovation in regulatory approaches.

2. Excellence in Safety Advocacy
This category recognises organisations demonstrating exceptional contribution to safety awareness, advocacy, and promotion of safety culture.
Evaluation considerations include:
• Safety campaigns and awareness programmes.
• Community and industry engagement.
• Influence on safety improvement.

3. Excellence in Safety Emergency and Recovery
This category recognises excellence in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.
Evaluation considerations include:
• Emergency planning capability.
• Crisis response effectiveness.
• Recovery and resilience improvement.

B. INDUSTRY CATEGORY
1. Oil and Gas
Evaluation considerations include:
• Process safety management.
• Major hazard control.
• Operational risk management.
• Safety leadership.

2. Manufacturing
Evaluation considerations include:
• Workplace risk management.
• Engineering controls.
• Injury prevention initiatives.
• Safety performance improvement.

3. Construction
Evaluation considerations include:
• Construction safety management.
• Contractor management.
• High-risk activity controls.
• Project safety performance.

C. INDIVIDUALS – SAFETY ENGINEERS CATEGORY
1. Innovation and Contribution to Safety Engineering
Evaluation considerations include:
• Development of innovative safety solutions.
• Technical contribution to safety engineering.
• Improvement of safety practices.

2. Distinguished Service and Advocacy
Evaluation considerations include:
• Professional service.
• Contribution to safety advancement.
• Safety advocacy activities.

3. Impact, Training and Mentoring
Evaluation considerations include:
• Development of safety professionals.
• Training contributions.
• Mentoring activities.
• Knowledge transfer.

D. INDIVIDUALS – SAFETY ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS CATEGORY
1. Leadership Commitment to Safety Engineering
Evaluation considerations include:
• Demonstrated safety leadership.
• Organisational safety improvement.
• Influence on safety culture.

2. Positive Influence in Advocacy, Collaboration and Promotion of Safety Engineering
Evaluation considerations include:
• Professional collaboration.
• Industry influence.
• Promotion of safety engineering principles.

3. Professional Development of Safety Engineers and Safety Engineering Professionals
Evaluation considerations include:
• Development of future professionals.
• Contribution to professional education.
• Support for competence development.

7. JUDGING PROCESS
The judging process shall include:
1. Review of submitted nominations.
2. Assessment against approved criteria.
3. Scoring and evaluation.
4. Panel moderation and discussion.
5. Final recommendations.
All decisions shall be based on evidence provided by nominees and professional judgement of the Judging Panel.

8. CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY
All members of the Judging Panel shall:
• Maintain confidentiality of submitted information.
• Declare any potential conflicts of interest.
• Conduct assessments objectively and independently.
• Maintain professional integrity throughout the process.

9. RECORD KEEPING
Records maintained for the awards process shall include:
• Nomination submissions.
• Judging evaluation sheets.
• Panel deliberation records.
• Final recommendations.
• Awards outcome documentation.

10. APPROVAL
This Terms of Reference establishes the framework for the NISafetyE Safety Engineering Awards Judging Panel and supports a transparent and professionally credible evaluation process.

Yours faithfully,

Engr. Francis Etafo, FNSE, FNISafetyE
National Vice Chairman, International Conference & Annual General Meeting
Chairman, NISafetyE Safety Engineering Awards Central Planning Committee
Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers (NISafetyE)
Date: 1st September, 2026