By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
In order to commemorate World Day for Safety and Health at Work, officials of NP-SL Limited, the largest petroleum importer in the country have urged drivers to embrace safety measures whilst on and off duty.
The commemoration was held at the NP Terminal, Kissy/Shell depot on the 28th of April 2023.
Health and Safety Compliance Officer of NP-SL, Saffea Gbamanja stated that they want to ensure all workers are safe in their working environment and free from acquiring diseases.
He said International safety day is for employees to engage their employers about safety issues.
He said since they are dealing with petrol that is flammable, they always ensure safety is of utmost concern, avoiding at best any likelihood of spillage.
Gbamanja encouraged drivers to always use fire extinguishers and other safety measures to avoid fire disasters. He also showcased the breathalyzer which they use every morning to ensure that drivers do not drink before taking up duties.
He also stated that mobile phones are not permitted in fuel zones and give their drivers communication sets instead to relay messages.
“The use of a radio set is part of safety because the phone communicates directly from the wind. That is why we always advise our drivers to use radio sets instead of mobile phones,” he said.
He also spoke of their use of gas testers while cleaning tanks or where the oxygen level is below 21 to prove that the environment is fit for human purposes.
Steven Koroma, a Safety Officer of NP-SL spoke about his department’s erection of entry and exit road signs to avoid confusion during emergencies. He also showed the gathering, the flammable sign which indicates petroleum products in the vicinity and therefore a risk for someone to be around. He highlighted the fire gas sign to caution how dangerous it is for anyone barefoot.
In his statement, the General Manager (GM) of NP-SL Ltd, Saidu Mansaray noted that the International safety day is selected by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to create awareness in the World about safety. He said ILO has objectives as to why they selected this day for safety.
He defined safety as elements or limitations that are put in place to limit the causes of incidence. He stated that safety does not only mean fire, it could be injury or disease that leads to sickness.
GM Mansaray pointed out that, it is prudent to put policies in place that will limit such hazards to occur.
“If at least every one of us takes this safety message to our homes and communities, the fire incidences will minimize,” he said.
He went on to say that for economic reasons if anyone got injured, the individual will spend a huge amount of money to get cured.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (03/05/23)
