Graphic holds fire simulation exercise

Activities at the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) head office in Accra came to a temporary halt Wednesday morning when a fire safety simulation exercise, unknown to the staff, was carried out.

The exercise, which was a collaboration between management of the company and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), was to ascertain the level of preparedness of staff in the event of a fire outbreak.

Exercise

At the sound of the fire alarm, screaming and shouting staff ran helter-skelter from their offices to an assembly point on the premises, only to find out that smoke that was coming from the top floor of the three-storey building was simulated.

After a few minutes, when almost everybody had evacuated the building, the GNFS arrived at the scene with a fire engine, an ambulance and a turntable ladder vehicle to bring the fire that was set deliberately for the exercise under control.

The staff became more alarmed when one of two persons supposedly trapped on the last floor of the building attempted to jump out of desperation to escape from the fire.

The GNFS personnel put off the supposed fire and rescued the two persons. After the rescue exercise, the GNFS personnel announced to the staff that it was a simulation exercise to test their fire safety preparedness in the event of a fire outbreak.

The exercise caused vehicular traffic and attracted the attention of commuters as the main road leading to the Central Business District of Accra was blocked with GNFS vehicles and equipment to enable personnel to work.

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Rationale 

Explaining the rationale of the exercise, the Manager of the Safety Health Environment and Quality of the GCGL, Mrs Peace Gadogbe, said it was undertaken in line with the company’s safety policy.

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She said the company had trained and educated the staff on fire safety measures, while some had been trained to use fire extinguishers and water hydrants, hence the need to put to test what they had learnt.

Commenting on the reaction of staff during the exercise, Mrs Gadogbe said she was certain that the education on fire safety had gone down well with the staff.

She said based on observations and lapses that were identified, in the company’s preparedness towards fire, safety would be improved to ensure the safety of the workers.

The Greater Accra Regional Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, Mr James Oheneba Yaw Kwarteng, told the Daily Graphic that the exercise was also to test the preparedness of the GNFS to respond to any fire emergency at the company.

On observations made during the exercise, he said though the staff’s response to the exercise was good, there was the need for improvement in some areas.

He also conceded that the GNFS team delayed in rescuing those who were trapped.

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