A perspective of the safety profit conference held in Accra

The Safety Profit Conference held on 15 September 2022 was aimed at educating the government, employers, and all stakeholders on the idea that by embedding and prioritizing HSSEQ risk, we can make real and sustainable changes in our society.

It is worth noting that health and safety dialogue is critical for the development of a positive health and safety culture. Effective leadership can also contribute to the creation of a safe environment for employees, customers, and members of the general public.

This can be achieved when leaders prioritize managing safely as a means to promote a safety culture. Leadership is one of the most important aspects of organizational health and safety management because it has a direct impact on the achievement of objectives, performance, and regulatory compliance.

To this end, the Safety Profit Conference was a gathering of safety professionals, leaders and enthusiasts with the common aim of dialoguing on important health & safety matters.

The conference, which drew a diverse audience, was, to say the least, enlightening. The seasoned and distinguished speakers fulfilled their responsibilities by speaking on their respective industries from the standpoint of safety and profit.

It was convened by our managing director, Edward Debrah who has over ten years of experience working in oil and gas, construction, facilities management, chemicals, FMCG, and educational institutions.

He has two Masters degrees from top universities in the United Kingdom- Coventry University and the University of Aberdeen under his belt.

He is a Fellow of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (FIIRSM-UK), a Graduate Member and Ghana Chairman for the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH-UK), a Transitional Safety Practitioner with the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP-USA), and an International Member of the Institute of Directors (MIoD-UK). He has received the 2022 IIRSM Presidents’ Commendation Award, the 2022 Afrisafe HSE Personality/Recognition Award, the 2021 Afrisafe Torch Bearers Award and the 2021 Afrisafe Viewers’ Choice Award.

He is passionate about raising the profile of the occupational safety and health profession and continues to work with business leaders, occupational safety and health professionals, and stakeholders to move the profession forward hence his utmost dedication to the conference.

The keynote speaker, Craig Foyle, director of Foyle Safety & Management Limited drove the conversation effortlessly.

He brought a wealth of knowledge garnered from his various roles as a Chartered Fellow of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), a Fellow of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (FIIRSM), and a member of the Institute of Directors (MoD). He is also an ambassador for the East Yorkshire region of the Institute of Directors.

He specializes in project safety management, training, and management systems, and provides consulting services to clients all over the world. He is passionate about raising the profile of the occupational safety and health profession through his work with business leaders, occupational safety and health professionals, and other stakeholders.

Additional speakers at the event included Alison Hinde, Baroness Dr Lynda Abrokwah, Emmanuel Jones-Mensah, and Debra-Jane Nelson.

Alison Hinde is the CEO of Proactively where she assists businesses in moving away from paper and spreadsheets and realizing the benefits of digitisation. She implemented, managed, and audited ISO systems in the United Kingdom, and collaborated with the regulator, the HSE, to develop best practice guidance to get more people involved in working safely.

She founded and serves as chairman of IIRSM Europe, which assists EHS managers in collaborating with other professionals and improving EHS understanding and performance. Alison collaborates closely with ED Consults as a partner offering EHS digitisation services in West Africa.

Emmanuel Kojo Jones-Mensah is the managing director of Empire Concrete Limited and Founder of Empire Domus Group Limited which is made up of seven subsidiary companies.

He has over ten years of construction, design, and global real estate development experience. He explores opportunities in trade, investments, infrastructure development, oil and gas, and general commodity import and export. He is a Philanthropist and has won several awards including the 2022 YCEO Top 50 CEOs in Ghana and 2021 Honourable Service to Humanity.

Lynda Abrokwah is the founder of Lynbrok Company Limited where she serves as the managing director. She has 16 years of working experience in the logistics and supply chain industry.

As a business owner, she manages the strategic direction, and the sales and marketing endeavours of the company. She has developed expertise in all of these areas from work in her previous warehousing business.

She is a respected business leader with proven experience in driving growth and implementing innovative business strategies. She has spent the last 20 years in consultancy and inventory management, gaining good knowledge and special insights into the local and international terrain.

She is a Chartered Member of Logistics and Transport, a member of the Executive Women Network, the incumbent Chairperson of Women in Logistics and Transport (WILAT Ghana) and has been inducted as a Baroness in the storage and logistics sector in March 2021 by the Business Executive.

Debra-Jane owns and runs one of Ghana’s leading events production companies: Think Mahogany Events. Think Mahogany Events was established in 2010. It is an award-winning event production company that specializes in corporate, social, and wedding events. Since its inception, the company has produced over 1,000 event portfolios and has provided services such as event planning, design/decor, coordination, training programming, and publicity.

ED Consults Limited championed this event under the auspices of the Director, Edward Debrah. It is a boutique HSSE Consultancy Services Company with a core mandate of delivering specialised services to multiple sectors.

They provide bespoke HSSE solutions to multiple sectors from Oil and Gas, FCMG, Construction, Healthcare, Financial Services, Hospitality and Educational Management among others.

ED Consults Limited is an approved PECB training provider and IOSH-approved training provider under Foyle Safety and Management Limited. ED Consults Limited is also partnered with SHEilds to deliver internationally acclaimed Nebosh courses.

Looking ahead, ED Consults Limited has a lot planned for the coming year. We are in the business of educating and promoting a culture of health and safety. The inaugural edition was a success, and we intend to go above and beyond to make next year even better. Until then, keep an eye on our social media platforms where we share industry knowledge and provide updates to keep everyone up to date on health and safety issues.

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