The SSE Great Island Power Station team came a very close second at this year’s All Ireland Safety Quiz Finals, finishing just a solitary point behind the eventual winners. The event took place at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Belfast on Saturday 18th April, with 180 guests attending the prize-giving dinner that evening.
The All Ireland Safety Quiz is organised by the National Irish Safety Organisation (NISO) and the Northern Ireland Safety Group (NISG). A total of 16 teams from across the island of Ireland competed at the finals.
Representing the South East region, SSE Great Island gave an excellent performance in the highly competitive Previous Entrants category, scoring just one point less than the winners, Bord na Móna Littleton. The SSE team initially tied with Abbott Diagnostics from the Midlands region, but claimed outright second place after a tie-break question.
As runners-up, the team, consisting of Tommy Thompson, John Joe Murphy, Fergal Weatherhead and Tony Murphy, were each presented with a crystal trophy and certificate.
Tommy Thompson, who has been on the team for four consecutive years, commented: “We put up a great fight, but we came up just short in the end. We’re still delighted with our performance and coming second is a fantastic achievement. It’s always an enjoyable day and night, and it’s great for team spirit. Apart from 2013, when we won it, this is the closest we’ve come, so I’m very proud of the team.”
SSE Great Island have competed at the finals for the last four years running, finishing in the top three spots on each occasion, and taking first place in 2013. Thoughts have already turned to next year’s event, and they will be hoping to win on the double, as they intend to enter teams in both the Previous Entrants and Novice categories.
Pat McGovern, Process Support Manager at Great Island, said: “It was disappointing for the guys to lose by a single point, but it was a valiant effort. They did brilliantly, especially considering their preparations were hampered by our exceptionally busy work schedule. At SSE, safety is our number one value, and taking part in the All Ireland Safety Quiz is a great way to reinforce that. We’ll be back next year for sure!”
For more on the All Ireland Safety Quiz, visit www.niso.ie, or follow the NISG on Twitter @NISafetyGroup