[ 2017-05-11 ]

Debris from the gas explosion which occurred at Takoradi

Takoradi explosion: GHUMCO workers bemoan lax internal safety standards
Some workers of the Ghana Household Utilities
Manufacturing Company Limited (GHUMCO), the
epicenter of Tuesday’s explosion, have said that
they have had to work in the Chinese-operated
company without Personal Protective Equipment
(PPEs).

GHUMCo manufactures metallic cooking utensils and
household items, and gas is an essential material
in their line of work.

However, no prescribed PPEs are given to the
workers. As a result, the workers have had to work
without PPEs.

Speaking to Citi News, some workers of the company
complained that they are suspended each time they
speak about their safety.

“Our safety is substandard. Management has no
regard for our welfare. I protested once, but was
suspended for one month without pay”, one worker
told Citi News.

Another said “we wear our own clothes when we
are working. No safety boots, no trousers, no
gloves, nothing. Sometimes our clothes are
tattered but they have no concern.”

Narrating how the explosion happened within the
compound, one of the workers expressed surprise
that the gas was discharged when they were working
on the premises, saying it was highly irregular.

He said “when gas finishes, we are made to go
home for the refueling to be done. We return after
refueling. I was surprised that this time round
the gas was discharged when we were on site and
the oven was on. I was working on the oven when we
smelled the gas leakage. We therefore turned the
oven off and ran away.”

Meanwhile, Production Manager of GHUMCO, John
Andrews Ammisah, has denied the worker’s
account. He said on Skyy Power FM that the workers
are simply making up allegations.

He said, “it’s not true. When things happen
like this people say so many things which are not
true”

When asked about the exact Personal Protective
Equipment (PPEs) that are given to the workers, he
was unable to name them.

“What I know is that, they are given a safety
talk every morning. Sometimes when you give them
the PPEs they don’t even wear them, you have to
force them to wear it.”

Companies complicit in disasters will foot
victims’ medical bills – Minister

Meanwhile, the Akufo-Addo administration has said
that it is putting an end to the culture of
government footing the medical bills of victims of
mass accidents. It will instead lay the onus of
catering for victims on the organisations
implicated in whatever hazard may occur.

This new direction was announced by a Deputy
Minister for Energy, Dr. Amin Adam, who revealed
that the managers of Ghana Households Utensils
Company (GHUMCO), has been asked by the government
to ensure that the pay for the bills of all the
affected persons in the Takoradi Gas explosion
which left over 100 people with injuries.

Source - citifmonline.com

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