TEMa RESIDENTS EDUCATE ON HARZARDS OF FIRE (PAGE 36, NOV 29, 2010)

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in Tema has, in collaboration with Cirrus Oil Services Limited organised a fire safety sensitisation exercise for traders at the Community One Central Market to educate them on fire hazards and the need to prevent them.
The traders were also taken through various aspects of putting off fire, flammable items and the different types of fire.
As part of the exercise, the Tema branch of the Ghana National Fire Service and the Tema Oil Refinery Fire Brigade jointly had a simulation exercise at the premises of the company where the loading gantry of Cirrus was deemed to be engulfed with fire.
A siren was sounded for the workers to assemble at an emergency point, while the internal safety personnel made efforts to put off the fire before the arrival of the Fire Service personnel who managed to bring the fire under control during the simulation exercise.
The Health,Safety and Environment Co-ordinator at Cirrus Oil Services Limited, Mr Divine Kweku Tetteh, said the company was observing a week-long celebration of safety with the theme: ‘Health and Safety – a commitment for life’ to create awareness among its workers and the public to be fire conscious.
Mr Tetteh noted that the company had operated for 862 days without any incident.
He explained that since July 2008 when the company started operating, it had not suffered any accident.
Mr Tetteh said as part of the safety programme, the company deemed it necessary to go to the market where fire had in recent times destroyed property belonging to the traders and the government, to educate the operators at the markets on safety measures.
The Chief Executive Officer of Cirrus Oil Services Limited, Mrs Ivy Appiah Owusu, said safety should be incorporated in all activities, especially when the company deals in oil, which is highly flammable .
She noted that when investments grow without safety measures, all invested items would come to nothing if consumed by fire.
The Tema Metropolitan Fire, Mr William Abaka Blankson, said in the third quarter of 2010, Tema experienced 47 fires.
He said in July, there were 11 fire outbreaks which caused damage to property estimated to cost GH¢12,350.00, while in August, damages caused by fire was GH¢ 30,560.00 in 18 fires.
Mr Blankson said in September, Tema had 18 fires which damaged property estimated to cost GH¢111,440.00
He said they were mostly domestic, vehicular and electrical fires.
Mr Blankson commended the Cirrus Oil Services for its decision to engage the public in fire education to help minimise fires which in recent times were on the increase.
He called on the public to be cautious to avoid the occurrence of fires to save life and property .
The Metropolitan Fire Officer, Mr Blankson and the Operations Officer of the GNFS in Tema, Mr Mark Quarcoo, conducted the simulation exercise at the premises.