Our Industrial safety environment is very poor

Jan 31, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
I have written in the past on the matter of safety on industrial and domestic premises. It would appear that we in this country like playing with danger. The recent Robb Street fire is a case in point. The authorities need to exact severe penalties for persons who put lives and property in peril by their careless use of equipment and work habits in the environment.
In the first place practitioners of certain trades need to be strictly licensed before they can ply their trades in the public arena. Preferably this licensing should be an annual affair after continuing safety and trade improvement courses have been taken. It’s no use crying when we allow persons, many of whom lack the basics of safe handling of certain equipment, to operate in the public space.
Trades like welding and automotive mechanics should only be embarked upon after due safety precautions for their proper execution have been undertaken. Welding in many countries can only be undertaken when a trained ‘fire watch’ equipped with fire prevention equipment (fire extinguishers, fire blankets and so on) is on the premises and in close proximity to the job being done. Admittedly this carries up the cost of the operation but at the same time we are putting in place the means to contain a fire and thus save owners of property deep grief.
Next we need to ensure that all high rise buildings are notified to the fire authorities so that they can make sure they have rescue equipment capable of getting up to the topmost height in case of an emergency. All high rise buildings should be built with independent half-hour water capacity and fitted with suitable fire pumps and sprinkler systems. It’s no use lamenting over the inability of the fire authorities’ capability in fighting a fire when one can ensure that his building carries suitable firefighting features that can supplement that of the Fire Service.
Many years ago a walk down Regent and Robb Streets would have revealed ‘firemen’s switches’ on the external portion of all commercial buildings. These switches were operated by Fire Service personnel or trained electricians in the event of a fire at the respective premises. The ‘on’ position of the switches was in the up position. By pulling down the toggle the current to the building was disconnected. Nowadays the electric inspectors do not insist on the installation of such switches. I doubt whether any of the current inspectorate personnel know about such developments.
Another area of grief is the steady rise of accidents to employees falling off scaffolding, having dangerous encounters and coming into contact with live wiring. Those who have to work in confined spaces or near areas where the likelihood of a dangerous situation being developed is possible should be shielded there from. Again the erectors of scaffolding should be properly trained in the erection and dismantling of same. They too should be duly licensed. Licence fees can be used to fund a safety directorate/inspectorate which will be able to police building/ construction and mining sites on a daily basis.
Editor the foregoing are some of my observations and suggestions for the improvement of the industrial safety environment in this country. I hope that government will find it possible to rework safety regulations and ensure that we continue to protect properly our most precious assets. I was pained to learn that a matter of hours ago a welder lost his life while fixing machinery at an ice making plant. Such operations should only be undertaken under the supervision of trained experts.
Cyril Walker

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