By
Benjamin Adamafio Commey, GNA
Accra, Nov 12, GNA –
The Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL), in its quest to improve on safety at
the country’s airports to facilitate operations and boost the aviation industry
has launched its 2019 Safety and Environment week in Accra.
This is to equip
staff with the requisite safety management skills to enhance their operations
to ensure that the country was the safest aviation hub in West Africa and a
preferred destination for flights and travellers.
The four-day long event
will also create awareness among staff on the need to strive to achieve
excellence in safety, enhance inclusiveness in protecting the environment,
whilst accomplishing the company’s operational efficiency.
Speaking at a
ceremony to officially kick-start the celebrations on Tuesday, Dr John Okwesie
Arthur, Group Executive in charge of Finance, GACL said the company since its
inception made safety a priority.
He said as a result
of that, it over the years put in place safety policies such as the Safety
Policy, which established senior management commitment to improve and define
the framework of safety continually, Safety Risk Management which determined
the need for and adequacy of risk control, Safety Assurance, which evaluated
the continuing effectiveness of risk control and strategies and Safety
Promotions aimed at creating awareness.
While alluding to
some successes chalked by the company and for that matter the aviation
industry, Dr Arthur said there was still the need for continuous efforts to
ensure that such successes were maintained.
“We must aim to
maintain the high standard set through team work, effective communication,
planning infrastructure development and consistent plan maintenance. We must
all know that safety is paramount, as a business we must strive to achieve
excellence in safety-inclusive in protecting our environment whilst
accomplishing operational efficiency and business objectives,” he said.
He urged staff to
ensure that they participated fully in activities lined-up to mark the event in
order to acquire the needed skills to enhance safety at the airports.
Mr Edmund Kwateboi
Quartey, Safety and Environment Manager said as a company, it was aware of the
importance of having effective safety measures as they were key to reducing the
risk of flight accident and avoiding death, especially at the airports.
He said in order to
achieve this, the company would ensure that it collaborated with other
stakeholders in the aviation industry through effective communication,
information sharing and collating of necessary safety statistical data and
documentations.
He said the company
was also working through its wildlife teams to reduce the amount of bird
strikes and wildlife incidence that occured around the airports.
Mr Joseph Kofi Adda,
the Minister of Aviation while commending management of the company for
improving on safety and management of the airports urged the staff to ensure
that they worked to maintain the success the industry was currently witnessing.
He also called on
management of the company to sensitise its workers on safety and extend such
awareness creation beyond the frontiers of the airports to improve on general
safety.
The safety and
environment week which is sponsored by Emirates Airline is under the theme
“Safety in Collaboration-Upholding a High Level of Safety Standards.”
GNA
