Strathfoyle schoolkids get safety training

Pupils from St Oliver Plunkett Primary School have received a health and safety briefing from firmus energy gas engineers ahead of works starting in the Strathfoyle area.
Pupils from St Oliver Plunkett Primary School say YES to Safety with Chris McKeown, firmus energy Network Engineer and Declan McGuckin, firmus energy Technical Support OfficerPupils from St Oliver Plunkett Primary School say YES to Safety with Chris McKeown, firmus energy Network Engineer and Declan McGuckin, firmus energy Technical Support Officer
Pupils from St Oliver Plunkett Primary School say YES to Safety with Chris McKeown, firmus energy Network Engineer and Declan McGuckin, firmus energy Technical Support Officer

The special Assembly at the school consisted of a brief introduction to firmus energy, followed by health and safety tips on how to identify danger around construction sites.

Jonathan Strain, firmus energy Construction Manager, said: “We have been building out a natural gas network across Northern Ireland for almost 13 years and are continuing to work hard to extend our network and offer the benefits of natural gas to as many people as possible. This does require us and our contractors, Kier, to dig trenches in the various areas in which we work. We understand in these instances that children can be curious about what we are doing and believe it is important to educate the children of the dangers of playing near construction areas.

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“While the presentation is delivered in a fun and interactive way, there is a serious message behind it. We hope to let them see, in a safe environment, what it is that we are doing and to make them aware that the construction zones are not suitable play areas. We would ask parents to reinforce this message - and ensure they keep children away from holes, trenches and machinery.”

School Principal Brian McLaughlin said:“It can be very tempting for pupils to wander into construction and building sites when they are off school during the summer holidays, so we are grateful to firmus energy for taking the time to encourage our pupils to say ‘yes’ to safety. The session was very informative and I know the pupils were especially excited to get to try on some of the helmets and hi-vis clothing.”

Firmus is this year investing an additional £1.5m to extend the natural gas network in the Derry, making it available to a further 1,500 homes and businesses. To find out if you can connect to natural gas visit www.firmusenergy.co.uk or call 0800 032 4567.