11 December 2024,( Kamran Raja): Safety in the workplace is more than just a set of rules and regulations; it is a culture, a mindset, and a commitment to ensuring the well-being of every individual. Safety is another name of the life for an individual. It is crucial for protecting the well-being of employees, preventing injuries and fatalities, and ensuring a productive work environment. Safety protocols and training help to mitigate risks and prevent accidents, fostering a culture of vigilance and responsibility.
Furthermore, maintaining high safety standards boosts employee morale and trust, leading to greater job satisfaction and efficiency. Ultimately, a strong focus on safety not only safeguards human lives but also enhances the overall success and sustainability of an organization. In Sahiwal Coal Fired Power Plant, this ethos has been embodied by Safety personnels at Sahiwal Coal Fired power plant.
Following the localization policy, company leaders have trusted the Pakistani Employees to give them opportunity to hold important roles in the organization. Company wanted to give this chance to its oldest employees who had joined the company back in 2015. These employees received 9 months training in different power plants in China. Among these important roles, the roles of shift leaders, unit leaders and lead engineers for boiler, safety and electrical majors are given to Pakistani Engineers.
The importance of the safety training for the production staff is acknowledged by all safety supervisors and managers. So, they always try their best to give the safety training to all the production staff about the method of using of firefighting facilities including the deluge valve operation, IG-541 firefighting system, CO2 firefighting system, foam firefighting system, etc.
The lectures are arranged according to the need of the staff like the trainings regarding hazardous substances and occupation health diseases. The basic safety knowledge has also been translated into Urdu language to give safety awareness to outsourcing companies’ employees. Its aim is to spread the safety knowledge so that safety should be prioritised before doing any operation.
For new employees, the comprehensive induction safety training is designed to provide a thorough understanding of the plant’s safety protocols, work environment and dangerous factors, occupational injuries that may occur to the type of work engaged in, safety responsibilities, operation skills and compulsory standard for the jobs, emergency rescue methods, first aid measures, evacuation in case of site emergency, method of using safety and firefighting facilities and equipment, personal protection equipment (PPE’s), basic safety regulations, preventative measures and safety precautions.
This initial training sets the tone for a culture of safety from the very beginning.
To ensure emergency readiness, regular emergency drills and simulations are arranged. These exercises cover a range of scenarios, including fire outbreaks, heat stroke prevention, chemical spills, plant wide power loss and equipment malfunctions. By practicing these scenarios, employees become familiar with the procedures and can respond quickly and effectively in real situations.
Along with the drills, simulation of accidents is very important for accident handling. Simulator emergency drills are also organized to assess the emergency handling of the staff. The accidents handling is practiced by the operation personnels during the learning shifts to make them able to be ready to deal with and handle any abnormal situation while operating in real scenarios.
Special safety inspections like spring safety inspection, autumn safety inspection and inspections before festivals are arranged at all levels to find and rectify the hidden dangers in a timely manner. Work ticket and operation ticket systems is strictly implemented at site. It is prohibited to work on oral contact without tickets. Tool box talk is arranged before maintenance work. Strict supervision system is implemented during the work to ensure the safety of workers.
Moreover, after studying the accident report of other power plants, self inspections are also organized at personal, departmental and company level to look for the hazards which had caused the accident in other plants. Preventive measures are formulated and implemented to avoid any unpleasant event at production site of Sahiwal Power Plant.
Different safety activities are being performed every year keeping in view the moto of “Everyone Talks About Safety, Everyone Knows How to Respond to Emergencies – A Smooth Passage for Life”. Along with the emergency drills and safety trainings, activities like standardizing the first aid boxes according to actual staff, simulating the firefighting facilities, assessment of the staff for safety knowledge & using safety facilities and finding the unqualified emergency exit signs on site to ensure safe evacuation during any emergency.
On the basis of good performance in safety production, the three employees from different department are awarded with “Monthly Star of safety production” every month. Their contribution is recognized and appreciated by displaying a poster and giving them reward.
All staff at the Sahiwal Coal-Fired Power Plant exemplify the theme: “Everyone talks about safety; everyone knows how to respond to emergencies – a smooth passage for life.” Looking to the future, the dedication and commitment of each employee serve as inspiring examples of how individual efforts toward safety can create a profound impact.
This collective focus on safety not only fosters a secure working environment but also paves the way for a culture of vigilance and responsibility, ensuring the well-being of all.