It was a bumper week for safety sessions as more than 350 pupils from Castlewellan and Dundrum took part in a ‘Play Safe, Stay Safe’ construction site awareness session, delivered by Phoenix Energy.
The ‘Play Safe, Stay Safe’ schools programme aims to help local school children understand the hazards of playing on or near construction sites and was launched last year to primary schools within the area as the company works to work to extend the natural gas pipeline and bring the benefits of natural gas to an additional 28,000 properties across County Down.
Sessions have so far been delivered to 11 local schools, with Sacred Heart Primary School in Dundrum and St Malachy’s Primary School in Castlewellan the most recent schools to participate in the programme in the new school year.
Adrian McNeilly, Health, Safety and Environmental Manager at Phoenix Energy said, “As a construction company, safety is our number one priority and our ‘Play Safe, Stay Safe’ programme and safety code has been designed to help educate primary school children about natural gas and keeping safe in areas where we are working, which are often residential streets.
“Construction sites are hazardous places, particularly for children, who may not be aware of the threats they pose. Our sessions are designed to be fun, interactive and engaging, whilst delivering an important message to help protect children in our local communities.”