What’s Staff Accident Prevention Strategy?

The staff accident prevention strategy in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (“NESI”) involves implementing various measures to ensure the safety of employees across the industry value chain, to ensure the safety of employees while carrying out their duties. The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (“NERC”) expects all licensees to implement their accident reduction strategies usually submitted to the Commission on an annual basis and provide monthly updates on the strategies’ implementation. Some of these strategies are –

1. Improve Hazard Identification (HAZID): Ensure that employees understand the potential hazards associated with their work tasks and how to identify them. Electricity is a killer whether it is poorly managed in generation, transmission or distribution. Create a culture where employees feel comfortable reporting near-misses without fear of reprisal. Implement an easy-to-use reporting system and ensure that reported hazards are promptly addressed. Implement technology solutions such as hazard reporting apps, wearables with hazard detection capabilities or digital checklists to streamline hazard identification processes and improve accuracy.   
2. Conduct Risk Assessment and Job Hazard Analysis (JHA):  Conducting risk assessments is essential to identify and mitigate potential hazards in the workplace. This can be done by identifying hazards and at-risk employees, assessing the likelihood and severity of risks and the identification of control measures.
3. Improve Health and Safety Performance Statistics: This requires a comprehensive approach that requires commitment at all levels of the organization. Little wonder that NERC insists that the Health, Safety & Environment (“HSE”) Department of all licensees report directly to their MDs/CEOs. I do recall when my Chief Operating Officer (“COO”) signed an HSE report on behalf of my MD and the regulator rejected the report and insisted that my MD must sign it.   
4. Deliberate and Strategic Collaboration with Technical Services or Engineering Dept.: This all depends on the structure of the NESI licensee. In some companies, the HSE Department is fused with the engineers or maybe a unit under the larger department. In others, the HSE Department is a stand-alone department that is empowered to monitor all facets of field operations. If the latter is the case, the HSE Department must ensure that it remains in strategic collaboration with the Technical Services Department.   
5. Provide and Enforce Personal Protective Equipment (“PPE”) Utilization by all Technical and Marketing Staff: Develop comprehensive policies and procedures outlining the types of PPE required for different tasks and work environments. Ensure that these policies are communicated to all members of staff. Provide training on how to properly use and maintain PPE and the consequences of non-compliance. In DisCos, marketers often lead the linesmen to disconnect the indebted customer, hence they also need to be properly kitted. Supply necessary PPE and monitor compliance. As a regulatory counsel, I have had to report avoidable incidents of fatalities on our network because some stubborn staff did not comply with PPE policies. Some victims are experienced engineers and linesmen who boasted about how many years they had worked in our organisation and harnessed electricity. Like the Afrobeat King, Fela sang about water, I concur by singing that, “electricity no get enemy.”    
6. Capacity Building/Training: Providing comprehensive training programmes to employees on safety procedures, hazard recognition, and proper use of equipment to prevent accidents.  Training staff may not always suffice where there are no disciplinary actions for breaches of the rules.