THE Nigerian National petroleum Corporation (NNPC) started it weekly activities with its subsidiary, the NNPC Trading Company partnering with the federal fire service to ensure safety in operations.
According to the Corporation, this is in compliance with the goal zero initiative of the NNPC safety policy to ensure security of lives of employees and the company’s operational facilities.
Speaking at a training programme organised by the NNPC Trading Company in conjunction with the Federal Fire Service in Abuja, the Executive Director, Shared Services (EDSS), Philomena Ikoko, said the exercise was conducted at the instance of the company’s Managing Director, Sade Lawal.
She said that it was to ensure that all staff were equipped with relevant safety skills for efficient and safe operations.
Ikoko pointed out that the partnership with the Federal Fire Service was to key into the NNPC Management’s safety goal zero aspiration of ‘no harm to persons, no harm to equipment and no harm to the environment’ in the company’s areas of operation.
While appreciating the value of the company’s recently acquired Fire Safety certification, the EDS said her organization was more interested in deepening the competence of staff and other workers on safety issues, stressing that only a well-trained and safety-conscious workforce could protect the assets of the company.
“We decided to organize this programme because as we all know, NNPC is a company that believes in health, safety and environment. Currently, NNPC is pursuing goal zero in terms of HSE. So, we at the NNPC Trading decided to key into the goal zero to create awareness in our people on the need to keep the environment safe,” she stated.
Also speaking, the Executive Director, Operations & Commercial (EDO&C), Muhammad Kudu Suleiman, reiterated that the decision to involve all levels of workers was to ensure that everyone was equipped with the right knowledge to take the right action in the event of any emergency, stressing that safety does not know status.
Also the Branch Chairman of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Zachariah Peter Azeez, extolled the management of NNPC Trading for prioritising the safety and welfare of staff members.
In the same vein, the lead trainer and Deputy Superintendent of Fire, Federal Fire Service, Oduye Sunday, commended the leadership of NNPC Trading for the willingness to adopt the culture of safety in the organization.