Jonathan Antwi, an Occupational Safety and Health Professional, has blamed the recent fatal rock blast at Buduburam, on the Kasoa-Winneba highway, on insufficient safety protocols by the contractors working on the road expansion project.
The incident, which claimed three lives and left dozens injured, occurred during a controlled blasting operation at the Buduburam section of the highway.
In an interview on Citi FM’s Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, Mr. Antwi raised concerns about the lack of comprehensive safety measures at the site.
He highlighted deficiencies in the health and safety management practices throughout the project’s lifecycle, emphasizing that the failure to adhere to basic safety protocols directly contributed to the tragic accident.
“As a professional, I see that there is a huge gap in terms of Contractor Health and Safety Management systems in relation to the work that they are doing right from the starting point to the termination point.
“The safety standards there are very low. I don’t see any signage, a safety officer or a flagman directing the traffic moving to and fro on that same narrow road that has been created vis-á-vis the human interaction and activities that go on around the Buduburam there.
“So, their safety measures it is very poor. I ask myself what were some of the conditions that were considered during the contractor selection and awarding of the contract to that contractor. Because looking at the location of the project, at the heart of the city.
“There is a need for due diligence to be done in terms of health and safety such that nobody gets hurt or no property is damaged but in this situation, we can all attest to the fact that a simple blast that could have been managed and controlled has resulted in fatality,” he stated.
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