Communication - Press • Members Transport - Logistique
MPS Commemorates 2023 World Safety Day
On Friday, 5th May 2023, the Management, and a cross section of Staff of MPS came together to mark the World Day for Safety and Health at Work...
The theme for the day was “A safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle at Work”.
The Quality, Health, Safety, Security and Environment (QHSSE) Manager, Mr. Kingsley Ameyaw indicated that, the policy of the company is to have zero fatality.
“Our goal is to have no accidents, and this can be achieved through 5 key pillars which include Management commitment to safety, defining clear, non-negotiable rules that is known to everyone, identifying and prioritising risks, collecting data on safety incidents to inform management on what decisions to make, thereafter there must be mutually effective controls. This is a process that must be reassessed to ensure the controls are working. I believe that when these pillars are adhered to, we will be able to achieve zero fatality in the terminal”.
Reflecting on the theme, the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mohamed Samara in a keynote address encouraging all terminal users to ensure that safety is incorporated into their daily activities, stated that safety is a lifelong learning process that does not end.
We have instituted many platforms including safety toolbox, reports, and drills to help us learn about safety and how to improve it. Learning must be an everyday practice in our operation processes and all tasks. We need to understand the risks associated with our jobs and take safety on a personal note in everything that we do.
We are all part of a team, and I would like us to pledge to ourselves to take safety and pass it on. Congratulations to us all on the successes we have chalked in safety however let us remember that safety is a non-stop journey that we have embarked on, and we will not stop proving our safety.
He added that the commitment of shareholders to continue investing in the company must be reciprocated with an equal commitment towards the sustainability of the structures and equipment by being safety conscious.
‘Our shareholders are keen on investing more and more into this facility, in return we will operate and protect this investment, maintain the assets, and not hurt ourselves. Safety then becomes something that we can contribute as investment to ourselves, families and everybody including our shareholders to show our commitment to this business. Thank you for the commitment that you have shown so far, and I look forward to a collective commitment going forward.”
Members of the Management team shared some safety tips with the gathering underscoring the need to make safety a culture to protect life, livelihood, and property.
Frank Ebo Brown, Head of Legal and Compliance
Let me just say this very simply. I see a lot of us wearing safety vests. Every day in preparation for work, as we wear our safety apparel, we must see it akin to putting on our safety character.
Emmanuel Ohene Addo, Operations Manager
We have done well over the time however I believe that we need to Work on our attitude and behaviour to help us to move forward. Let us do the right thing at the right time. We must work on our approach to safety to make the terminal healthy and safe for all of us.
Francois Delvallez, Head of Asset Maintenance
Unlike video games where characters have many lives, we have one life that we must ensure that we protect. Familiarity should be done away with every aspect of our life. We must be extra careful with the kind of environment in which we operate in because there are always moving machinery and equipment around.
Walid Metwally, Workshop Manager
It is important to avoid shortcuts especially in our processes. Whenever there is a potential risk, once you see it, you own it. If there is a hazard, you are responsible for it to change it for the better.
Zakaria Badioui, Planning Manager
Often, we tend to think that when we avoid safety, we become more productive but, this is not so because the safer you are, the better you work. Like everything that has rules, safety is the rule of the game for us in this Terminal and we need to adhere to it.
Bram de Jong, IT Manager
In our interactions on safety with many of us in the Terminal, it is evident that we know what needs to be done but however we admittedly do not do it, I emphasise again that we must be committed to safety for our own sake. Safety is important.
Curtiss Dakpogan, Chief Operations Manager
I would like to reflect on our Company Safety Affirmation. The first line reads “I BELIEVE IN ZERO ACCIDENT”. It is necessary that we return home the way we came to work. Let us affirm to what we say in our safety pledge, let us bear in mind that everyone of us must act as a team player to make this pledge realistic. I believe in zero accident, and I know each of us here too does. We can do it; it is not impossible. Let us make it happen.
Julia Acquah, Human Resource Transformation Manager
It is quite clear that our safety is our responsibility and our commitment towards ourselves and our family. I wish and pray that we all live to see the many projects to unfold in the future.
The QHSSE Manager, Mr. Kingsley Ameyaw further provided insight into the safety records for the 1ST Quarter of the year 2023 after which there were discussions to propose ideas on how to improve the overall safety of the Company.
Conclusion
The CEO congratulated the entire team for the May Day and concluded by saying “”as we celebrate this day, I would like to reiterate Management commitment to the safety and wellbeing of all terminal users as evidenced over the years. Moreover, let us always consider that safety is a fundamental principle at work. It is our collective responsibility to promote a safe and healthy working environment. Together, we can ensure that we work safely and return home to our loved ones at the end of the day.”
