Local industries urged to focus on safety promotion at workplaces

Kumasi, March 25, GNA - The Ghana Institution of Engineers (GIE) has been urged to collaborate with other industrial-based organizations to mount effective sensitization and training programmes to help to achieve acceptable standards of safety at the workplace.

Professor William Otoo Ellis, Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), said safety issues had become topical among industry players because advancement of science and technology had made most industries become susceptible to all forms of accidents.

Explosions at industrial sites, electrical shocks, structural collapses and fires among others, he said, could be reduced if workers were given the necessary training on the proper use and handling of equipment, electrical gadgets and other sophisticated machines. Prof Ellis was addressing a seminar organized by the Institution to create the platform to interact and mentor engineering students of the university.

It formed part of activities marking this year's engineering week celebration of GIE, which is being held under the theme: "Effective Public and Industrial Safety Management- The Role of the Professional."

Prof Ellis said ensuring safety practices would lead to maximum organizational productivity and must therefore be of utmost concern to all. The Vice-Chancellor said it was unfortunate that due to the lack of appropriate legal regime, cost and adequate industrial inspectors, many developing countries were grappling with the issue of maintaining safe industrial atmosphere.

He said more work was needed to be done to reverse the trend and to tackle occupational hazards at industrial workplaces. Ms Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry, commended the engineers for the crucial role they were playing to push ahead Ghana's industrial agenda.

She said with the emergence of the oil and gas sector they would be expected to provide the required expertise to develop the sector.