From 11th to 13th August, ABC Bank’s safety champions, comprising representatives from different departments and branches, participated in a three-day intensive practical emergency training in Nairobi led by Seneca Security, East Africa.
The training, which is part of ABC’s ABC Bank’s Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) Committee mandate, stems from the committee’s goal to guide ABC Bank, ABC Insurance Brokers, and ABC Capital toward full OSHA compliance. The Committee, which is made up of ten staff members, have mapped all workspaces and conducted internal risk reviews to reduce and mitigate potential hazards. These actions, together with the recent training, are part of the Bank’s preparations for a formal OSHA compliance audit and represent key milestones in ABC’s journey toward OSHA certification by the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services (DOSHS).
“In an emergency, we don’t rise to the occasion, we fall back to our training,” said Solomon Kissinger, Senior Manager – Security, and Chair of the OSHA Committee. “This program was aimed at sharpening our ability to respond swiftly, effectively, and safely when every second counts.” Through practical simulations and hands-on exercises, the safety champions gained skills like fire safety and classification, hazard identification, emergency response procedures, and the importance of ensuring safety equipment is always ready for use.
Lucy Wariara, Group Head of HR and Vice Chair of ABC OSHA Committee, emphasised the Bank’s commitment to embedding preparedness into its culture, saying, “Those trained will cascade their knowledge to their teams, creating an organised system for swift response. To make safety champions more visible, they will wear special gear on designated days so everyone knows exactly who to turn to in the event of an emergency.”
Safety champions praised the program’s impact, with Nakuru Branch Manager Molly Otieno noting it taught her to respond confidently to emergencies and act without hesitation, while Kisumu Branch’s Cash Officer Samuel Okanda emphasised it was about saving lives and staying alert to hazards, both big and small, and keeping emergency equipment ready.
ABC Bank looks forward to leveraging its trained safety champions to foster a culture where emergency preparedness becomes second nature across all branches and subsidiaries. With the expected OSHA certification, the Bank will strengthen compliance, boost employee confidence, protect customers, and enhance its reputation as a safe and responsible institution.
