Presenting the 2021 Work Safety Committee’s (WASACO) report at the Authority’s Annual Safety Awareness Day Celebration at Akosombo, the Assistant Chief Technician of the Engineering Department of VRA, Mr Augustine Asiamah, said as part of the authority’s commitment to ensuring that its facilities were safe places to work, it had established a Safety/Fire Policy.

“In addition to the policy, various safety hand books are made available to aid the staff in the execution of their duties,” Mr Asiamah explained.

He said the aim of all these was to ensure a zero-harm work environment and minimise the potential for fire to disrupt the routine business of the authority.

Monitoring system

The Assistant Chief Technician said to guarantee that safety preceded the operational activities in all work areas of the authority, a monitoring system had been set up to measure performance with respect to Work Area Inspections, WASACO meetings and safety meetings conducted.

He said it also measured the commitment of staff to attending safety meetings, recorded the rate of accidents and near misses at various work areas of the authority.

Awards

He announced that in the most Eco-Friendly Department Corporate Strategy Awards, Kpone was first in the Investment category followed by Kpone again in the Commercial, and Aboadze placed third in Real Estate. In another category, Wa, Bolga and Techiman placed first, second and third respectively.

Speaking on the topic “VRA in an era of COVID-19: Our business sustainability”, a researcher, management trainer and a student of the University of Ghana Business School, Mr Alex Anlesinya, said since the effect of COVID-19 was still being suffered by many businesses, it was key that existing businesses, including VRA, put in place sustainable measures to help remain in business during and even after the pandemic.

As a way forward, he suggested adequate social support, enhancing the value placed on safety and health within the organisation, training on remote work management for employees, allowing workers participation in decision-making, continuing to promote a culture of change, accelerated automation, digitalisation, among others.

The Chief Executive of VRA, Mr Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, who contributed to the programme via zoom, also stressed that the authority would continue to ensure that the authority’s working environment was always safe and serene to protect lives and property.