PHED Sensitises Rivers Students on Safety

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution (PHED) Plc, has sensitised students of Methodist Girls High School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on electricity safety, to promote zero accident at home while using electrical appliances.

The school safety campaign was one of the Port Harcourt disco’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) for its host communities in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers State.

During the training, officials of the disco taught the students how to observe safety within and outside the home; things to do and avoid during the rainy season and safety guide on things they should not do.

They were advised to talk to their parents to stop buying fake or sub-standard materials in installation of electricity, and should engage a certified electrician to check and install broken accessories in their homes.

The students were also advised to stay away from accumulated water around electrical installations, “don’t stand by electrical power supply pole, don’t touch wet electrical switches, do not touch anyone in contact with the downed wire,” among others.

Speaking with THISDAY during the awareness programme, at the school premises, the Chief Technical Officer of the electricity company, Mr. Satya Narayana, said the aim of the training was for the students to take the awareness home, talk to members of their family and others within their locality.

Narayana said: “You know we usually say that safety begins at home, so we also believe that safety is nurtured in the school, because whatever you inculcate in the beginning, in the small minds, it will be flourished and come into practice. They are children who bring awareness in the house to their parents.

“The children are also instruments for promoting safety awareness in the society in the days ahead. For example, the children who attended this programme, will go and tell their parents, so it spreads, it propagates in the society.”

The PHED officer revealed that the same campaign was done in other parts of the state where the company operates. “We have multiple approaches to bring in safety awareness. This is one of that kind of approach,” he said.

Apart from schools, Narayana added that the company had severally engaged governments, organisations, including the PHED staff on safety awareness.
“Whenever we engage with the government, the department of public administration and the communication department. In all our meetings, we also have to begin with safety. You know, every meeting starts with safety, evacuation procedures and safety and all that. This is the fundamental rule to begin with.

“We also conduct training for the linesman, our own staff, on how to operate electrical equipment safely. What are the safety practices which we have, the standards we have, how to implement them. So this is what we do to promote campaign on safety, and ensure zero accident goal”.
The acting Principal of MGHS, Mrs. Ebere Okoroji, expressed joy that PHED chose her school for the safety awareness programme.

She explained that during the safety campaign, both the teachers and students learnt the best way to stay safe while using electrical appliances, promising that the knowledge acquired will be put into practice.

“The main lesson we are taking away from this programme is the safety awareness on the use of electricity. Before now, students seeing electrical cables littered on the road or in their houses may not know the risk they portend, especially when they are still connected to power. But today, we have been sensitised that we should not touch any wire seen on the road,” she said.

She thanked the management of PHED for the presentation of first aid kits to the school, and promised that the kits will be rightly used, especially in the case of minor accident.

Blessing Obasi, an SS2 student of the school, also thanked the company for the opportunity granted them to participate in the awareness programme.
“We were sensitised not to touch electrical wires when our hands are wet, that it can kill within a second. With what I have gathered here today, I will get back home and sensitise my family on the risk of being careless with electricity, including usage of poor materials to wire lights in our homes,” she said.