By Modupe Gbadeyanka
As part of its determination to ensure customers enjoy electricity without any safety threat, the management of Nigeria’s foremost electricity distribution company, Ikeja Electric Plc, has unveiled a new mobile app to prevent customers and employees of the firm against electrical hazard.
The new app, i-Safe, was designed to guarantee customer and employee safety with real-time report on identified safety hazard within the network, providing employees of Ikeja Electric the platform to take photographs of clear images of any identified hazard, such as falling poles, sagged wires, exposed underground cables among others and flag such hazards in other to prevent the occurrence of any accident that may emerge from the identified risk.
Head of Corporate Communications at Ikeja Electric, Mr Felix Ofulue, explained that the idea of developing an app like i-Safe was to consistently elevate its safety standards through several initiatives in order to reduce hazards and fatalities.
He said, “Our safety efforts are driven by the value we place on our customers and employee’s safety which informed the need to introduce an initiative that will showcase our commitment, with a mentality of making safety, a top priority for everyone in order to sustain our zero harm to both employees and customers.”
Mr Ofulue noted that with the app, identified risks are captured and submitted to the appropriate department and remain trackable until they are rectified and closed out.
The company’s 2018 HSE campaign tagged ‘Target Zero’ encompasses series of periodic initiatives including internal HSE training, safety hurdles at the Undertaking Units, contractors’ safety engagement, public safety sensitization programme on electrical infrastructure and field compliance monitoring among other activities.
“Safety in a high risk sector such as the electricity industry cannot be over-emphasized because if the safety standards are compromised, the resultant effect could be disastrous leading to damage to property and even loss of human lives. So, it is imperative for us to continue introduce programmes that will ensure safety of lives and property,” Mr Ofulue reiterated.
To download and install the app, customers are advised to visit the Google Play store. At the moment, it is only available to Android users but plans are in full throttle to extend the service to iOS users in a very short while.
Over the years, Ikeja Electric has been at the forefront of innovative ideas geared towards protecting the health and safety concerns of customers and employees alike, an achievement that has seen it won several awards for Outstanding Commitment to Health, Safety & Environment at the 9jaSafe Hall of Fame Award in 2016, Health & Safety recognition Award by the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers (NISE).
