B.E.L. Hosts Health and Safety Open Day
The Belize Electricity Limited hosted an open day to share information on health and safety tips when using electricity and working or playing near power lines. The fair included several other partners who set up interactive displays and distributed informational materials to help keep you and your families safe. We stopped by to find out more about B.E.L.’s Fourth Annual Open Day. News Five’s Andrea Polanco reports.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
The fourth annual Belize Electricity hosted its fourth annual public safety awareness fair. The event is used to bring attention to the hazards and dangers of unsafe practices surrounding electricity.
Raul Villanueva
Raul Villanueva, Superintendent of Safety, Health & Environment
“We are trying to inform the public the hazards of our product, electricity, so that they can protect themselves, to identify those hazards and make sure that we B.E.L are aware of them so that we can eliminate them before someone gets injured.”
Injury and even death can result if people don’t follow safety guidelines. Some of those risks come from buildings constructed near power lines and even flying kites.
Raul Villanueva
“The encroachment, people building too close to power lines. We look at kids flying kites in areas where power lines are located and we want to ensure that we protect them from some of the hazards of what our electricity can provide.”
Andrea Polanco
“What are some tips you would share with kids who are flying kites?”
Raul Villanueva
“We ask the kids if they are building kite, make sure the material is wood or plastic or non-metallic material. The wire that they use to fly the kite with should not be metallic. If they are flying the kite, it should be in open area away from our power lines.”
Andrea Polanco
“What are some of the other hazards people may be subjected to in the homes?”
Raul Villanueva
“Over loaded circuits, we have people who are working with electricity and wet floor. We have those who are working in areas that do not have circuit interrupters. We would like to educate the public to use those because it does save lives.”
A key part of the B.E.L’s awareness programme is working with students. They use this colorful hazard hamlet to educate the children.
Raul Villanueva
“We do visit the schools. We try to reach the younger minds and we try to use our hazard hamlet to show them the interaction between electricity, the dos and don’ts and how to protect themselves.”
The Road Safety Project, the National Fire Service, Department of Environment and other partners also participated in today’s event. Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
