Light & Power touts improved safety, customer satisfaction record

The Barbados Light & Power Company reported significant improvements in workplace safety and customer satisfaction during 2023, according to managing director Roger Blackman.

Speaking at the company’s 113th Anniversary celebrations at the Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lord’s Castle Resort, Blackman revealed that the utility had not recorded any high-severity incidents and significantly reduced its lost-time injuries.

“Through your efforts, we achieved zero high-severity incidents and reduced our lost time injury frequency rate to 0.24. That is 43 per cent over our five-year rolling average,” Blackman told staff members.

“Your commitment to safety is aimed at ensuring that every employee returns home safely to their family and friends, and I commend you for this.”

On the customer service front, Blackman reported that Light & Power had “significantly improved” customer satisfaction scores and exceeded its standards of service targets for the year.

“Reliability remains the core of our operations [and] our efforts to enhance our service reliability resulted in a 10 per cent improvement in our overall system reliability intensity index,” Blackman explained.

He acknowledged the challenges in achieving such results, adding: “I know first-hand that achieving results like this does not come easy, it comes with a steady unshakeable resolve, tremendous sacrifice, innovation, creativity, and teamwork among other things.”

The managing director also took the opportunity to recognise long-serving employees for their contributions to the company’s success.

“Your dedication and loyalty over the years has been the bedrock of our success. Thank you for your years of service,” he said.

Looking to the future, Blackman encouraged staff to maintain their collaborative approach in facing upcoming challenges: “As we look ahead, let us embrace the challenges that come our way with the same determination and unity that has brought us this far. Together we have tackled obstacles and transformed some into opportunities. It is with this spirit of collaboration and resilience that we will continue to drive forward.”

Light & Power dates back to 1911 when the Barbados Electric Supply Corporation erected a power station at the Garrison. It marked the beginning of centralised electricity service in Barbados, the first territory in the Eastern Caribbean to be electrified.