Just in time for health, safety, environment and fire awareness month St Lucia’s sole electricity provider, Lucelec hosted a commemorative opening ceremony at the company’s Cul De Sac plant. Members of the company’s safety committee were charged with the responsibility for the smooth running of the event at which remarks were made by Lucelec’s chief engineer Goodwin d’Auvergne about the company’s Zero Accident Campaign.
Managing director of Lucelec Trevor Louisy addressed the gathering of workers and contractors and gave an overview of safety performance at the company.
“No doubt, we have had much to celebrate through the years, and the most significant is that we have literally transformed the safety culture in the company,” Louisy said. “Nonetheless, we continue to observe health and safety month each year because safety is so fundamental to our operations that we must continuously recommit to improving our health and safety performance.”
Louisy said the health and safety records of companies gave a good indication of the level of success of organizations. The managing director said the level of success at Lucelec could be attributed to proactive measures implemented at the workplace over time.
“Some of these initiatives include health and safety training for staff, hazard identification and reporting, organizing health and safety promotional activities such as the Go Zero campaign and Health and Safety Month, health and safety orientation for staff, the review and dissemination of our health and safety policy and safety rules, the inclusion of health and safety rules into work contracts for the benefit of our contractors and implementation of emergency procedures at the workplace,” Louisy elaborated. “Many of our employees have also been trained in accident reporting and investigation which has contributed to identification and implementation of corrective and preventive measures for the unfortunate accidents particularly those that resulted in lost time. If we can continue to improve our safety performance it will no doubt result in our improved efficiency and productivity.”
As part of his address the managing director noted the importance of employees, contractors and their employees continuing to “work towards the ultimate goal of everyone returning home safely, every time, at the end of every work day.
“If that goal is kept in the forefront and incorporated in every aspect of our jobs then we will be able to achieve excellence through work safety,” he said. “Our attitudes to health and safety should never be diminished but must be continually strengthened by implementing best work practices on every job. We encourage all employees to continue to work collectively to keep a safe and healthy work environment.”
“We must also remember that everyone has a role to play in ensuring that the workplace remains injury free,” Louisy continued. “Our goal remains to work an entire year without any lost time accident. However zero accidents won’t happen by accident. Employees are, therefore, reminded of their responsibility for ensuring that their work is being done safely and that their actions on the job do not unnecessarily place themselves and yes others at risk of injury or illness. Let us work diligently towards making a positive turnaround in 2012 to achieve excellence through safe work and attain our ultimate goal of zero lost time occupational accidents. Let us all put safety first in our work and keep safety as a priority in all of our operations!”
After entertainment by Ron Bulze, a personalized rendition of Mariah Carey’s Hero, with the lines, “a safety hero lies in you” it was time for the feature address by psychotherapist Dr Urban Seraphine who was well received by those in attendance. In his words: “The message is clear. In the absence of a health and safety practice and a culture of openness where concerns and incidences are routinely and systematically discussed and addressed, productivity and excellence with the work force will never be achieved.”
“If at the end of the day, people have accidents and try to bury it under the carpet and do not pass it on to determine why it is that the accident occurred in the first place, then it means we are spinning top in mud just being here,” Seraphine expressed.
“Safe practices must be constantly checked, not only by management but also by the work force. If there are going to be accidents, there are going to be lost days, and if you have lost days the company is going to lose money, and if the company loses money that means somebody is going to be out of work because they are going to cut their quote according to their cost. The systems for monitoring safe work must be on the minds of all level staff to avoid all risks. Safety is key.”
