Efforts are underway at Ethiopian Electric Power to ensure that policies issued by the institution are of high quality, well-coordinated, and effective in streamlining operations, according to the Directorate of Policy, Process, and Change Management.
The directorate, in collaboration with the Corporate Planning Directorate’s Occupational Safety and Health Office, held a consultative discussion with relevant work units on the draft Occupational Safety and Health policy to gather inputs.
Director of the Directorate, Ato Andualem Kidane, stated that the institution is currently developing various policies that reflect its strategic direction on different issues and are aimed at improving operational effectiveness.
He noted that today’s discussion was specifically intended to collect inputs from relevant internal departments on the draft Occupational Safety and Health policy.
He further emphasized that inputs gathered through such consultations play a critical role in ensuring that policies are inclusive of all stakeholders’ perspectives and are well-developed and coherent before approval.
On his part, the Manager of the Occupational Safety and Health Office, Ato Korsa Teressa, explained that a lack of full ownership and accountability in occupational safety and health matters within the institution has contributed to various workplace incidents.
He stated that the draft policy has been developed in alignment with ISO 45001 standards and national laws, with the aim of sustainably addressing occupational safety and health challenges and ensuring continuous improvement.
He further highlighted that occupational safety and health has significant implications for people, property, and the institution’s reputation. Therefore, he stressed the importance of stakeholder participation to ensure that all institutional activities are aligned with the policy.
He also noted that the inputs raised during the discussion will be incorporated into the final policy document to help bring about meaningful improvements in the sector.
Participants in the discussion also raised various comments and suggestions regarding areas that should be revised, included, or further clarified in the policy, which were thoroughly discussed.
