Jonathan Amoako-Baah, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), has called for stronger health, environment, safety and security (HESS) legislation to help reduce workplace injuries and preventable deaths.

Speaking at the eighth edition of the HESS Awards ceremony in Accra, Mr Amoako-Baah, who is the Chairman of the HESS Awards Committee, noted that despite progress in the extractive and energy sectors, industrial accidents continued to claim lives.

He, therefore, urged companies to go beyond profit-making and invest in the safety of their workers through sustained sensitisation and outreach campaigns.

The awards, organised by Ianmatsun Global Services Limited, recognised companies that excelled in health, environment, safety and security compliance.

The event was held on the theme: “Beyond Compliance: Building Resilient Organisations through Integrated HESS Excellence.”

Mr Isaac Nana Adu-Gyamfi, Events Director of the HESS Awards, underscored the need to treat workplace safety as a culture rather than a mere compliance requirement.

He stressed that both employers and employees must work collaboratively to prevent avoidable injuries.

Award winners included Fidelity Bank, which had the Best Customer and Safety Practices award; SONAPACK Ghana Limited for Best Eco-friendly Product Manufacturing and Supply; and Vivo Energy for Best Employee Road Safety Education.

Others were Karpowership Ghana Limited, which won the Best Environmental Management Practices award; AngloGold Ashanti for Best Health and Safety Campaigns; and Interplast for Best Health Compliance and Monitoring Practices.

The HESS Awards remains Ghana’s premier platform for recognising and promoting excellence in workplace health, environment, safety and security.