Eko DisCo launches Safety College to deepen HSE culture

Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) has launched a safety college scheme aimed at raising employee awareness on the safe implementation of their tasks and improving overall safety culture within the organisation.

The General Manager Corporate Communications and Strategy of EKEDC, Mr Babatunde Lasaki, made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos.

Lasaki said the scheme was planned as training courses targeted at educating a minimum of 90 per cent of the operations team members (lines men, lines mate, cable jointers etc) before the end of the year.

He said, “Over the years we realised that the majority of accidents caused within our network are due to a knowledge deficiency and procedural breach in our current operations which reiterates the need for retraining of all the operational staff in batches through the initiative.”

According to Lasaki, 1,100 personnel will be trained in Standard Protection Code, HSE, and Security Modules in 10 batches of 110 participants per batch.

He said this would form part of personnel appraisal for the year and feed into the scorecard provision of the human resource department.

Lasaki further said that the programme began during the recently concluded ‘World Day for Safety and Health at Work.’

According to him, this will be intensified and run continuously as part of the training modules for the members of staff every year to highlight the importance of safety practice as well as instill and deepen HSE culture among them.

“We believe the initiative will facilitate the desired level of ownership, engagements and participation that is required to reduce/eliminate accidents and sustain the HSE Management System,” he said.

On electrocution of two EKEDC staff reported by the Police, Lasaki described it as an unfortunate situation.

“The families of the deceased have been engaged and all other steps are being taken to provide succor to their families.

“The cause of the accident does not change the fact that lives were lost, and this is what we are eager to address with the safety college,” he said.