GRIDCo CEO urges workers to be concerned with work safety environment
Mr. Ebenezer Essienyi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), has urged workers and management of the Company to participate in securing a safe and healthy working environment.
He said securing a safe and healthy working environment must be done through a system of defined rights, responsibilities, and duties with the principle of prevention being accorded the highest priority.
He gave the advice during GRIDCo’s 2022 annual Safety Durbar to climax a weeklong safety celebration at its head office in Tema, which was on the theme; “Act together to build a positive safety and health culture.”
He encouraged staff to strive and know GRIDCo’s safety rules and abide by them, follow safety procedures, and learn to use safety equipment such as fire extinguishers and others that could be lifesaving.
The CEO also reminded them to respect the safety controls in place to protect life and GRIDCo’s facilities, adding that compliance with the safety principles was key due to the nature of the Company’s operations and business.
He said its operations which involved construction activities to extend or upgrade the network, and regular maintenance of assets must be done with sound safety practices.
Mr. Essienyi gave the assurance that the management on its part would do its best to ensure that GRIDCo creates and sustain a health and safety culture by providing the needed tools, equipment, and training to meet its mandate as stated in the Company’s core values.
“Safety Week Celebrations reminds us of our individual and collective responsibility to remain in good health, and, to collectively act in a manner that promotes a safety culture which inevitably keeps the business operating for the benefit of all,” he added.
He commended GRIDCo’s Safety Management Team for the good safety performance recorded during the third quarter of 2021 to the second quarter of 2022 adding however that it was regrettable that one major accident was recorded at its Esiama Substation in the Western Region.
He added that to prevent any future recurrence, management has approved the implementation of the recommendations in the investigations report of the incident.
Mr. Benard Gyan, Director of Technical Services, GRIDCo said the durbar and the safety week celebration were part of the Company’s strategy to deepen safety awareness and compliance among staff and stakeholders.
Mr. Gyan said staff participated in a health walk, safety quiz completion, and tree planting in all GRIDCo’s operational areas as part of the week’s celebrations.
Twenty safety coordinators and 40 safety, health, and environment representatives of the Company were presented with certificates for training in Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA).
While the Systems Operations Department of the Company received an award for emerging second in the quiz for the non-operational areas, the Audit department was adjudged the overall winner of the quiz as well as first for the non-operational area.
For the operational area performance over the period under review, Akosombo, Prestea, and Techiman emerged first, second and third, respectively.
Mr. Kennedy Opete Appiah was awarded the CEO’s Special award for going beyond his duties to improve safety in his department.