South Pacific Oil (SPO) in Honiara marked the World Safety Day and Health at Work Programme last Friday in a ceremony held at the Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel.
The company’s management and more than hundred employees gathered to celebrate the occasion then under the theme: ‘Our Aim- Zero Harm.’
Speaking to Solomon Star about the event, SPO Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Carson Korowa said the purpose of the company marking the day was to raise awareness amongst employees about the significance of safety in the workplace.
CEO Korowa emphasised that safety is important to ensure that employees go home in the same healthy condition with which they arrived at work in the morning – without any injuries or sickness.
“That’s why when we say zero harm, one of our three topmost priorities is our employees.
“The second is zero harm to the assets of the company – the importance of protecting the company’s assets, such as equipment and storage tanks containing fuel from damage or leaks so that during the work that we do, we do not mishandle any equipment so that they remain maintenance-free ready to be used for intended purposes. The trucks that carry fuel to the customers, we do not want them to break down along the road.
“And third is our environment – the fuel that we carry, you know if it leaks contaminates the environment. So, what we want to do is to contain the fuel so that we do not have leaks in the first place.
“And when we sell fuel, the the final part of the selling process is to make sure that the money that paid is properly collected and deposited safely in the bank and properly accounted for.”
CEO Korowa said for SPO safety is not limited to its divisions dealing with the handling and sale of fuel alone but right across all its divisions.
“Safety for us is right across all divisions and is not only focussed on those who work in the operations – getting orders and selling fuel. It covers even those in the office looking after the money, reconciling finances and all of that.
“Working safely and protecting people as well as the assets that we have is our priority and so the company management raised awareness amongst our staff that our safety focus covers them all.”
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star, Honiara
