Pupils at St Joseph’s Primary School in Newcastle got a lesson in site safety from Phoenix Energy this week as the company undertakes work to extend the natural gas pipeline and bring the benefits of natural gas to an additional 28,000 properties across County Down.
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.
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 has been instrumental in educating primary school children across County Down 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 interactive, fun and engaging, whilst delivering a serious message which helps protect children in our local communities.”
St Joseph’s Primary School Vice Principal, Marie Doyle, said, “With Phoenix Energy working in the Newcastle area, we were keen to avail of this educational programme and ensure our pupils are aware of the dangers of construction sites. The pupils really enjoyed the session and learnt a lot about natural gas in the process. Learning the special ‘Safety Sam Safety Code’ will also help our pupils avoid any potential dangers associated with construction sites in local areas.
“It’s great to see the commitment from Phoenix Energy to educating local children on the dangers of construction sites and I would highly recommend this programme to other primary schools in the area.”
Phoenix Energy is committed to upholding the very highest standards in health and safety, which has been recognised internationally through numerous awards. The company recently won an International Safety Award with Merit from the British Safety Council and the company was also one of only 64 organisations worldwide to receive a prestigious Sword of Honour award, accepting the accolade for the third time in 2016.
The ‘Play Safe, Stay Safe’ educational programme has been delivered to over 1,000 children to date and runs throughout the school calendar year until the end of June before recommencing in September 2019.
If you are a primary school and would like to request a ‘Play Safe, Stay Safe’ visit, please contact Gillian.orr@phoenixnaturalgas.com
For more information on the benefits of natural gas visit www.phoenixnaturalgas.com.
(Caption): Phoenix Energy brought their educational programme ‘Play Safe, Stay Safe with Safety Sam’ to St Joseph’s Primary School this week. The ‘Play Safe, Stay Safe’ schools programme aims to help local school children understand the hazards of playing on or near construction sites. Pictured are pupils with Adrian McNeilly, Health & Safety Manager at Phoenix Energy.