The Director General of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) Professor Alex Dodoo has issued a stern warning to cement manufacturers engaging in unsafe practices.
Prof Dodoo, who is also the Chairman of the Cement Manufacturing Development Committee, highlighted the severe risks and potential criminality of adding unacceptable materials to cement production.
Giving an approximate percentage on the Joy FM Super Morning Show, the Director General said about 70 per cent of cement manufacturers adhere to the standard protocols.
He therefore described the actions of the remaining 30 percent of manufacturers as “deliberately criminal” due to the dangers they pose by compromising the integrity and safety of the cement
“I stay awake at night panicking about some of the practices of some cement manufacturers. And we are duty-bound to stop it. People are putting unacceptable things in the making of cement,” he said on Wednesday.
In a proactive move to address these concerns, the GSA has acquired advanced equipment capable of quickly analysing cement products.
“Thankfully, we have acquired equipment that can at quick notice do an ‘x-ray’ of the products and tell you the unacceptable products both for cement and subsequently, the iron rods so that consumers get the quality they need,” he added.
Nonetheless, the GSA head stressed the responsibility of manufacturers to maintain high standards and avoid shortcuts that endanger public safety.
“Once you manufacture a product, especially cement, you must be an expert in the field. Being an expert in the field presumes that you know the risk of adding things that will give you a strong product today but will fall like a pack of cards tomorrow,” he said.
He reiterated that the GSA is committed to ensuring that all cement manufacturers adhere to stringent standards to prevent future disasters.
“We don’t want to see any more buildings collapsing,” he stated.
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