BELCO Holds Health, Safety, Environment Day
BELCO recently held the Company’s Occupational Health, Safety and Environment [OHSE] Day.
A spokesperson said, “OHSE Day is an annual training day which was held this year on Friday, May 5th with the theme: ‘A safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle and right at work.’
“The day began with a service to remember the 18 BELCO workers who have lost their lives while working for the Company.
The memorial dedicated to the 18 staff members who lost their lives
“During the day various seminars were held with dedicated sessions for women’s and men’s health as well as workshops on recycling, composting, and sustainable farming. There was also an electric vehicle car show.
“Safety training seminars, which included members of the public who worked in specific fields, were held on various topics. The first included bucket truck rescue and traffic control. The course demonstrated how to safely perform a bucket truck rescue. Participants learned how to lower the bucket truck’s boom in an emergency and apply two methods to extract an incapacitated person from a bucket. The course also demonstrated the importance of being able to act quickly and decisively during an emergency. The course was specific to telecommunications employees or those conduct work utilizing a bucket truck.
“A session was also held for fire extinguisher training. The course provided participants with the necessary training required to effectively use a fire extinguisher. Participants were educated about what fire marshals and employer’s legal duties are, in accordance with Part 8 of the Bermuda Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 2009. The session also provided participants with an understanding of fire hazards and fire safety arrangements, use of fire extinguishers and detailed what emergency evacuation procedures should entail.
“A third session was held on Hurricane Restoration Electrical Safety which gave first responders and contractors who may be exposed to electrical hazards in the aftermath of a hurricane, or other natural disaster, a basic understanding and awareness of the hazards and precautions required to keep themselves and the general public safe while executing their duties. The programme provided a background on electrical safety Inclusive of electrical power line and cable identification, hazards of overhead and underground power lines and injury prevention techniques.
“Outside of BELCO, staff from local utilities and government departments attended these sessions.”
BELCO Director of Business Continuity and OHSE, Mark Pacheco said: “Health and Safety is at the heart of BELCO’s operations, and we were excited to open our training day to other workers in various fields to share our knowledge of safe work practices and how to ensure you are working in a safe working environment. The day was a great success for BELCO staff as well as other professionals who can take these skills back to their organization to benefit their operations, staff and the community. I would like to thank all those who participated, and we look forward to next year and once again inviting workers from different fields to participate and share our knowledge of occupational health and safety at work.”
