#TurksandCaicosIslands – December 10, 2020 – FortisTCI’s frontline workers from across several departments, and seven local construction companies that are regularly contracted by the company, were honoured with the Green Ribbon Awards for outstanding safety performance in 2020.
The presentations were made at the company’s Green Ribbon
Safety Awards Ceremony, held at FortisTCI’s Providenciales headquarters on
Friday, December 4. The event also recognized four employees with ‘Good Catch’
awards for their vigilance in identifying, reporting and offering solutions for
potential hazards that could have a moderate to major impact on people and
systems.
Receiving the Green Ribbon Safety Award were FortisTCI’s employees
in the Transmission and Distribution (substation, planners, engineers),
Production and Control Operations, Facilities Management, Materials Management
and Security departments, as well as the Grand Turk and Sister Islands
Operations teams.
Contractors who were awarded were J&A Welding, Rolle
Construction, Kevin’s Quality Cleaning, EL Construction, Ferguson and Son, 4M
Construction and Stanch Construction.
‘Good Catch’ awards were presented to Supervisor of
Materials Management Ingrid Forbes, Senior T&D Planner Robert Smith and
Linemen Kelorian Forbes and Atley Gray.
FortisTCI established the Green Ribbon Safety Awards Program
in 2016. The initiative recognizes those working for the company who understand
the importance of good safety practices and who are actively providing
solutions to health and safety concerns in the workplace. Contractors were
added to the roll of awardees for the first time in 2019.
This year’s awards were particularly significant, with the
company achieving 655 days (and counting) without a lost time accident, despite
employees and contractors having to work under several new EHS protocols in
light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As an essential service provider operating during the
COVID-19 pandemic, it was important for us to not only manage the usual risks
associated with the utility industry, but also to safeguard the health and
safety of our employees and contractors, while ensuring the company was always
COVID-free. This approach was vital to keeping the lights on for our customers,
and I am proud of the work that was done all across the company to achieve this
goal. Many of our employees were sequestered at our various locations for
extended periods, and many others were on the frontlines, as and when required.
Everyone played their part in helping us to successfully manage the pandemic,
effectively implement our Return to Office Plan, and welcome customers back to
the office,” FortisTCI President and CEO Ruth Forbes stated.
In congratulating the awardees, she added, “Safety is a top
priority at FortisTCI and it is due to the steadfast commitment of all
employees and our contractors that we keep breaking new ground in our
environmental, health and safety management systems. I commend all the winners
on this special achievement.”
Mrs. Forbes also congratulated the EHS team for its
“incredible safety leadership inside this company, and outside – to our
contractors, to the TCI community and across the region to the CARILEC family.”
Under the direction of Senior Vice President of Operations
Devon Cox, the team comprises Director of EHS and Line Operations Dave Laing,
EHS Manager Marcus Francis, Senior EHS Coordinator Eustace Musgrove, Works
Methods Specialist Walter Wilson, Senior EHS Officer Rikardia Pardo and
Temporary EHS Officer Ariel Clare.