TRANSNET National Ports Authority (TNPA) celebrated World Day for Safety and Health at Work by creating awareness among employees of safety and health issues in the port.
World Day for Safety and Health at Work is celebrated on April 28.
TNPA have volunteer-trained firefighters, first aid teams, as well as safety and health and environment representatives who were available on the day. A competition was held with about 60 employees participating in teams.
“We are skilling our people should there be a fire or accident in the port. We have people on site to give first aid support to an injured person or to contain a fire before the fire brigade or an ambulance arrives on the scene,” TNPA national spokesman Terry Taylor said.
“We also used this opportunity to share our safety statistics in the port as to when last there was an accident last and today we are celebrating 707 days since someone was injured [on site]. The plan is to keep going to about a thousand days,” he enthused.
Taylor said the main aim was to make people aware that when they are conducting their business, they should follow all the right channels and make sure that safety always comes first.
St John’s Ambulance trains Transnet in first aid and they were approached to host the internal competition on the day.
Centre manager Onnie Parkin said they set up three different scenarios which consisted of a theory examination, two practicals and one event for individuals.
The St John Ambulance training manager marked all the sheets.
“It is important that they (Transnet employees) know and learn everything they are taught because they are dealing with completely different scenarios than what we are used to in a normal office environment. The testing proves that they need to be aware that there is also paperwork involved every time there is an accident.
“It does not mean because there is a nursing sister, she is going to do it. You might be the first on the scene and you have to answer, so it was a team-building exercise, but I would like to see a report from this and see where they can improve,” she said.
