Ghanaians urged to be health and safety conscious

Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, the Director of the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre, Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, has called on Ghanaians to be health and safety conscious to curb the upsurge of burns.

Addressing the media in Accra, he said: “As a nation we must ensure that our safety at home, the workplace and environment is taken seriously to prevent fire outbreaks around us.”

He said there was high incidence of deaths with burns and scalds through electricity and chemicals adding that 300,000 deaths occurred every year as a result of fires and those that survived were disfigured for the rest of their lives.

Dr Ampomah said the major cause of fires at homes, workplaces and the environment include power fluctuations, bush burning, poor health and safety standards, siting of filling stations and industrial companies in residential areas and non- enforcement of building and planning regulations.

Dr Ampomah said most Ghanaian homes were death traps were there were no means of escape when fire broke out and also made it difficult for fire fighters to get through to douse the fire.

He encouraged the creation of escape routes and emergency exits in the homes and the use of security and smoke alarms to help save lives and property.

He said gas cylinders must be changed every two years and placed outside the kitchen adding; “avoid purchasing second-hand cylinders and in case of leakage stop using the cylinder.”

Dr Ampomah advised the public to change their electrical wirings periodically and get a fuse for meters to regulate electricity when there were power fluctuations.

Assistant Divisional Officer of the Ghana Fire Service, Mr Kwakye, called for

pathways to be laid in communities to enable firefighters to have easy access to fight fires.