Safety and health are key priorities at Songas

Dar es Salaam. Songas Ltd is a power generation company that utilizes natural gas reserves in Songo Songo Island to produce electricity.

It is one of Tanzania’s most successful independent power producers and for two decades has been supporting the government to meet the country’s energy needs.

For a company of this size and nature, you can likely gauge the extent of safety and health protocol compliance the company is bound to.

From the pedestrian walking lanes that start when you enter the plant to the safety signs and policy boards hung on the walls, it quickly registers in your mind that safety is their shared ‘language.’

Understanding that eliminating completely risks is impossible, the power utility firm has adopted strong defensive mechanisms instead to prevent potential dangers.

The Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Manager at Songas Ltd, Mr John Maitaria, who has nearly 10 years of experience at Songas and a 22-year tenure in the health and safety sector in various companies in Tanzania insists that prioritizing safety and health compliance is crucial for any business.

“At Songas, we’re very keen on preventive and predictive measures to ensure the highest safety and reliability of the plant and equipment, but when the push comes to shove, then we go for the corrective measures, however, the goal is to never get to that.” He says.

Songas Ltd has consistently maintained an ISO 45001 (formerly OHSAS 18001) standard which is an internationally recognized standard for occupational health and safety management.

“Songas Ltd is one of the very first utility companies to be granted such an accreditation.

We were accredited for the first time in 2009 and since then we’ve maintained certification through 3-year recertification and annual surveillance audits,” says Mr Maitaria.

Additionally, Songas Ltd fosters a health and safety culture through mandatory weekly employee-led safety awareness sessions.

 Songas Ltd also ensures that no work goes unaccounted for by implementing strict policies that ensure that everyone is in their designated areas with the proper permits.

“Our internal safety and health compliance policies govern all operations. Work permits are vital for managing high-risk tasks like working on high-voltage systems, pressurized gas systems, at heights and heavy lifting. They facilitate the transfer of safety responsibilities,” he explains.

In the pursuit of safety excellence, Songas Ltd has ensured that department managers who are directly involved in running the plant including the Plant Manager and the Managing Director both have the safety competency required to safely manage and run plant operations.

As part of this requirement, Songas enrolled the managers in the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health Management.

This fosters safety ownership among the management team, dispelling the myth that “safety is solely the responsibility of the safety department”.

Moreover, Songas extends its safety training beyond managers, equipping all staff and their families with essential safety knowledge to respond effectively to emergencies such as fire outbreaks, accidents and other critical incidents.

“Songas has provided fire-fighting training and equipment, such as extinguishers for staff and their families to take home. This initiative aims to promote a culture of safety not only in the workplace but also at home” comments Mr Jonathan Tadayo, a Public Relations Assistant at Songas Ltd.

All in all, for eight years in a row, Songas Ltd has maintained a zero fatality or LTI incidents record.

 “We’re very proud to be among the companies that have not had any major casualties for our staff.” said the HSE Manager

Safety and health compliance as performance drivers

The HSE Manager acknowledges that prioritizing safety and health in the workplace significantly enhances performance.

The repercussions of workplace injuries extend beyond the financial costs of recruiting and training replacement.

Additionally, the burden placed on remaining employees to cover the workload of their injured colleagues can result in increased mistakes and reduced productivity.

 “When our staff feel safe and secure, they’re empowered to take on strategic initiatives that drive positive outcomes for the company.

In this state of well-being, they’re able to deliver higher performance levels compared to those who are dealing with injuries or health issues.”

Hands-on climate-smart practices

Inspired by this year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work theme which emphasized finding solutions to climate change impacts in workplaces, Songas Ltd conducts regular heat rate checks emitted from its gas-powered plants.

These checks aim to ensure that heat produced during electricity production has no adverse effects on the surrounding environment.

Furthermore, through a partnership with the government of Tanzania, Songas Ltd has taken some proactive steps to facilitate Tanzania’s transition to greener, more sustainable energy sources.

The company joined the government effort to provide women in Dodoma with affordable, eco-friendly and efficient smart stoves.

This initiative is in response to the alarming statistic that dirty cooking is responsible for 33,000 deaths yearly.

Additionally, the company actively participates in climate change mitigating efforts like tree-planting, recycling initiatives and other sustainable practices.

Production capacity

Songas Ltd generates approximately 200MW that feeds into the National Grid, contributing 20 per cent of the nation’s total power output.

With the recent activation of the new Nyerere Hydropower Station, Songas applauds the government’s efforts in diversifying the country’s power capabilities and addressing the increasing power demands in the nation.

“It is not safe to only rely on one power source. We’re also exploring the potential of diversifying to alternative energy sources given the non-renewable nature of the current natural gas.