Sekondi, Oct. 22, GNA - The Ghana Grid Company Limited

(GRIDCO) on Thursday, held a durbar to mark its safety week

celebration, with a call on its employees to know their rights and

obligations about safety and take preventive measures on the job to

avoid accidents. In a speech read for him, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of

the GRRIDCO, Mr Charles Darku noted that, as a key engineering institution, it was

expedient that the staff worked in a safety environment, to protect

themselves and the facilities, as the nation demand quality standards

from them. The week is being observed on the theme "Emerging risks and

new patterns of prevention in the power sector" Mr Darku impressed on them to ensure that their work ethics

reinforce the belief that their operations are best practiced in a safe,

healthy and secured environment, to enhance productivity, to make

the enterprise more human capital thrive. To achieve the maximum results at work, the CEO stressed on

clearly defined responsibilities and duties, where the principle of

prevention is accorded the highest priority and strictly complied

with, together with sanctions for poor practices. He assured that management would subject the staff to

continuous training on safety, to enable them to approach their job

responsibly and ensure a safety working environment at all times. To maintain safety standards, Mr Darku announced that

management has procured some equipment and interactive safety

training modules for both maintenance and non maintenance staff. He called on the operational heads to institute regular reviews of

the job, to identify new threats that could endanger the safety,

security, health and the facilities, and also entreated the staff to be

conversant with the handbook on the Material Safety Data Sheet

(MSDS). This, he said, would help them to be abreast with the safety

requirements, as the management is in the process of modernizing

and expanding the transmission system infrastructure with new

equipment. He reminded them that every work-related death, injury or illness

is a preventable tragedy and therefore all must aim at minimizing

risks from their daily operations. In a speech read for him, the Western Regional Minister, Mr Paul

Evans Aidoo appealed to all citizens to expose people involved in

illegal electricity connections as well as those who steal cables, to

serve as deterrents, in order to protect national properties. Mr Jacob Brown Yawson, an engineer and the business/planning

Manager of the Takoradi Thermal Power Station, called for closer

collaboration of all stakeholders in the industry for technical advice

in times of need, to ensure smooth operations. Personnel from the Takoradi office of the National Fire Service

put up a splendid simulation exercise to the admiration of the

audience. GRIDCO was incorporated in December, 2006 as a private

limited liability company under the companies' code, 1963, Act 179

and granted a certificate to commence business on December 18,

2006. The company became operational on August 1, 2008 following

the transfer of the core staff and power transmission assets from the

Volta River Authority to GRIDCO.