Safety will always be a fundermental business practice — AOMCs Board of Governor

Chairman of the Board of Governors of Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs), Mr. Henry Akwaboah, says the association is ensuring the safety of workers and customers at the pumps and other workplaces.

He said safety will always be a fundamental business practice that the association takes seriously.

Mr Akwaboah was speaking at the launch of 2021 AOMCs Safety Week Celebration, under the theme "Re-enforcing Positive Behaviour at the Workplaces to Achieve the Greatest Participation of Safety in this era of Covid-19 Pandemic."

According to him, achieving incident-free operations within the industry, offices and retail outlets requires a collective responsibility from all.

“The theme for this year’s celebration is a reminder to all of us that achieving incident-free operations at workplaces requires the involvement of all persons in the organization from the Chief Executive Officer to the lower rank under the chain of command. Particularly, leaders of organizations need to demonstrate unwavering personal attitude to inculcate such character in employees”.

As part of the week celebration, there will be training sessions to align the management of OMCS and LPGMCs to provide safety values through everyday processes that seek to promote safer workplace through critical and observation and intervention.

"As members of the oil marketing companies association, we will continue to ensure that every worker and customer at our retail outlets return home safely everyday".

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD) Senyo Hosi has called for strict enforcement of laws to ensure safety in the industry.

According to him, persons who fail to comply with standards protocols must be exposed, arrested, and prosecuted to deter others from wrongdoing.

The CEO of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies Mr. Kwaku Agyemang-Duah said there are always ways to improve. "There can never be a perfect situation."

He noted that the outcome of deliberations of the week-long safety celebration will be compiled to enhance learning lessons for industry players to intensify public education solely to improve operations in the sector.

According to him, the association is willing to go above the normal standard. "The period where an oil company automatically becomes a member will be barred. After being issued with a license, you will work for 6months under supervision before joining the association, the wholesale has been barred".

He said work is in progress and the continuous acknowledgement of the celebration is a gradual process to addressing challenges of safety in the sector.

“The atomic explosion happened when we first started and that dampened our spirits because we were trying to start something and another counters it but it happens. However, since its implementation, you would realize that there haven’t been consistent incidents in a particular area. The frequent ones are related to contractor safety."