Dominica’s sole electricity company, DOMLEC, has organized a series of activities to highlight the importance of health and safety in the workplace.
The activities form part of the Health and Safety month celebrated in May under the theme: ‘Safety and Quality: Our Values without Compromise’.
“DOMLEC has effected several measures which include, mandatory use of personal protective equipment (PPEs) where required, implementation of safe work procedures and practices prior to the commencement of a job, employees conduct an assessment of their workspace to identify potential hazards and to take the necessary action to eliminate or reduce the impact of any identified hazard,” General Manager of Domlec, Bertilia Leblanc-McKenzie said during the launching of the activities at the company’s office at Fond Cole on Tuesday.
According to McKenzie the goal at DOMLEC is to achieve world class safety by 2018.
“This would mean that all employees have internalized the belief that all safety incidents are avoidable, the second thing would mean that there is no loss time incidents and the third is that DOMLEC leads the way in Dominica in both employee and public safety,” she explained.
She continued, “To realize this goal each employee, including the general manager, must be committed to the achievement of that goal and each employee must demonstrate this commitment through our attitudes and our behaviours. In keeping with this, a safety objective forms part of the performance objectives for each employee at DOMLEC and that safety objective is that each employee must submit two proactive safety reports per year.”
Health and Safety officer at DOMLEC, Brandon Henry, said the company is committed to providing the resources to ensure the safety of, not only its employees, but also the customers which it serves and the general public.
You have made a few important points but what about mandatory but random drug and alcohol testing for your employees? This must start from the top down. This must become company policy and every employee must sign on to it. This must also include drug testing when employees are involved in accidents right or wrong. Take the lead let others follow. Your are on the right path. All employees must be given safety training on an annual basis in addition to the daily safety reviews.
Nicely done but what worries me most is the following. The observance of health and safety month, REINTRODUCED at DOMLEC AFTER A FOUR YEAR BREAK, will be under the theme “Safety and Quality, Our Values Without Compromise”. Has DOMLEC during that 4 year break ever touched on the subject of H&S, as far as having a H&S hour, day or week. See where that’s leading to.