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Non-adherence to health and safety issues stalled toilet project

The Coordinator of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) sanitation and Water project Mr. George Aseidu has said non-adherence to health and safety issues by contractors working on toilet facilities for schools within the GAMA project stalled the project.

Date Created : 2/28/2018 2:31:57 AM : Story Author : Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanadistricts.com

According to Ing. George Aseidu health and safety is a major component of all World Bank project, hence the Bank is very strict on adherence health and safety standards.

The World Banks project of providing toilet facility for low income communities within the capital, being spearheaded by the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources and GAMA ends in 2020.

The GAMA Coordinator noted that the World Bank believes improving the leaving standards of people, the life of the beneficiaries should not be made worse off during the process and contractors must ensure that their operations are within the acceptable health and safety standards.

When ghanadistricts.com caught up with the GAMA in an interview as to why health and safety standards was not factored into the work to be done by the contractors. He further reveal that it was factored an initial standard “we thought was adequate” he said.

“We thought a health and safety standard in main constructions does not apply to school toilets and households, but the World Bank insisted that whichever approach since it is a construction we should leave up to the standard of health and safety”.

He further added by May GAMA is supposed to handover 364 toilet unit which would serve 257 schools under the GAMA project, 90 percent have reached substantial completion stage with finishing touches being put to them and making sure there is water.

And added that some of the toilet facilities that had been finished do not have water connection yet, “we want to ensure that water facility is there and the environment is safe and we have received a lot of assurance from contractors wanting to handover”.