Chairman of the Board-Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs), Henry Akwaboah, has tasked members to enforce safety protocols at all times.
Speaking in Accra at the launch of the 2021 AOMCs Safety Week celebration, which runs from Monday June 7 to 11, 2021, Mr. Akwaboah said achieving incident-free operations within the industry, offices and retail outlets is a shared responsibility that requires all hands on deck.
Themed ‘Reinforcing positive behaviour at workplace to achieve the greatest participation of safety in this era of COVID-19 pandemic’, this year’s celebration marks the yearly event’s 5th edition.
“The theme for this year’s celebration is a reminder to all of us that achieving incident-free operations at workplaces requires the involvement of all persons in the organisation – from the Chief Executive Officer to the lower ranks under the chain of command. Particularly, leaders of organisations need to demonstrate an unwavering personal attitude to inculcate such character into employees,” he said.
For his part, Chief Executive Officer of the AOMCs, Kwaku Agyemang-Duah, said a series of activities including education and sensitisation, training and engagement with regulators and stakeholders, have been lined-up for the week-long celebrations.
He added that outcomes of these deliberations will the be compiled to enhance learning lessons for industry players to intensify public education, solely to improve operations in the sector.
“The Atomic Junction explosion happened when we first started, and that dampened our spirits because we were trying to start something and another counters it – but it happens. However, since its implementation you will realise that there haven’t been consistent incidents in a particular area. The frequent ones are related to contractor safety,” he noted.
NPA partners DVLA to strengthen safety
In order to strengthen safety in the industry, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) – regulator of the sector – is partnering the Drivers and Vehicle Licencing Authority (DVLA) to ensure only well-trained and certified drivers transport fuel and LPG, NPA’s Chief Inspector Esther Anku said at the Safety Week Celebration launch.
She said this, along with other measures such as a safety manual, will help reduce road accidents which involve vehicles transporting petroleum products.
“Considering the hazardous nature of the cargo the VRCs carry, these accidents could have very devastating effects – such as an incident that happened two weeks ago at Oyinanofo in the Ashanti Region. When the accident happened there, it claimed three lives and destroyed various properties including 10 houses. To curb these accidents, the NPA in collaboration with the Drivers and Vehicle Licencing Authority and Road Safety Limited have taken the necessary steps to comply with Section 53 (1) of the Road Safety Regulations 2012, LI 2180,” she said.
