The Health and Safety campaign seeks to raise awareness among Hima employees, subcontractors and the local community about the importance of Health & Safety. Under the theme, “Let Personal Risk Assessment Be your Culture,” the cement manufacturers seek to involve employees by training them to adopt personal health and safety responsibility.
The objective is to reinforce the importance of every person knowing about risks that come of their respective work activities and have such risks or Hazards, mitigated prior to effecting work.
“Nothing is more important to us at Hima than the Health & Safety of our workers, our subcontractors, local communities working and living near any of our sites,” says Tariq Iqbal, director Supply Chain LEA.
“The Company’s ‘Safety program is designed to educate and remind our employees and subcontractors about ways to maximize their own safety, on the job, in and around the plant, and in their own homes and communities.”
“This year’s theme can be applied to everyone across all walks of life, making the month’s programming especially relevant to participants, who are encouraged to share the lessons they learn with friends and family”, added Tariq.
During the month of Safety, Hima acknowledges their achievements and build health and safety awareness through a variety of programs, demonstrations and community events that promote health and safety beyond the workplace.
Tariq disclosed that “Lafarge Group had launched the Risk Management Standard meant to drive the Groups attention to Risk Management; Hima employees should endeavor to ensure that safety standard are circulated to all stakeholders.”
“This annual event is the time for us to celebrate our successes and focus our energies on finding ways to continue improving our health and safety standards”, said Brice Houeto, Commercial Manager, Hima Cement.
The Health & Safety Month is one of several ways Lafarge fosters a culture of health and safety throughout its subsidiaries and strives to lead others by example.
“I would like to take this opportunity to commend Hima cement for the annual Health and safety reminder to employees and stakeholders,” said Ashraf Chemonges, the District Police Commander Mukono.
“I want to urge other organizations to also copy this practice to mitigate risks because risks and uncertainties are part of our day today lives; but it is also very important to take pre caution so that we can bring such risks to the bare minimum in all our organizations where we work,” added Chemonges
In 2006, Lafarge launched a new safety policy, which every one of Lafarge's 90,000 employees has signed, affirming their commitment to the company’s safety approach and safety rules. The four most high-risk situations within Lafarge's professional activities have been identified as working at height, energy isolation tasks, access to confined spaces and use of mobile equipment.
The ILO celebrates the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on the 28 April to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. It is an awareness-raising campaign intended to focus international attention on emerging trends in the field of occupational safety and health and on the magnitude of work-related injuries, diseases and fatalities worldwide.
