By HARBGUY MWAMBAZI –
HEALTH and safety in the work place and on the road is an issue of great concern to the public in that lack of it may result in poor production due to injuries and fatalities while a lack of road safety may cause injuries and cost lives.
It is these concerns that Lafarge Zambia tried to address when the company recently launched this year’s Health and Safety Month under the theme “I Stop Unsafe Work.”
The initiative provided an opportunity for the company to celebrate achievements in health and safety in the workplace as well as on roads, while taking time to engage stakeholders – including Government – to try and make improvements in issues relating to health and safety.
The launch tried to raise awareness by promoting behavioural change.
Speaking at the launch which was hosted at Chilanga Golf Club recently, Lafarge Chief Executive Officer Vincent Bouckaert implored the over 1,000 employees and contractors working at Lafarge plants in Ndola and Chilanga to be proud to work for a company that has health and safety as an overarching value.
He urged the workers to take time to communicate the health and safety priority and share best practices with colleagues, contractors, families and members of the community.
“Our health and safety month is a unique opportunity for us to celebrate our success and a time to communicate why health and safety is our number one priority. We have to communicate our successes to our colleagues within the Lafarge Holcim Group, contractors, family and other stakeholders,” he said.
He said Lafarge Zambia has developed a number of activities to promote health and safety at its cement manufacturing plants and in surrounding communities.
Some of the activities which was carried out especially on ten day of the programme launch was a road safety walk from Lafarge Plant to Linda round during which participants sensitized road users on the importance of road safety.
Motorists were sensitised on the need to stop unsafe activities whiles on the road.
Mr Bouckaert said Lafarge Zambia will also be working with councillors and ward leaders in Chawama constituency in order to carry out a cleaning exercise of Freedom Township.
The company also wants to find ways of helping the Chilanga based Mother of Mercy Hospice through regular donations.
The hospice looks after terminally ill patients.
Mr Bouckaert said his company was using the health and safety month to encourage people to change their mentality towards health and safety precautions within the working environment.
He said having time to have awareness programs regarding health and safety involving members of staff is a good way of ensuring that accidents are avoided.
Mr Bouckaert said such awareness programs were helpful in determining how much workers know and how to better improve their practical and theoretical understanding of different machines in their work environment.
“These awareness programs on health are very important mainly because they help the management determine how much the staff members know, and how they can be kept alert within the work environment,” he said.
He said safety was not only important in the workplace, but also on the road.
He said the recent road and traffic accidents which have been reported in the country show the importance of the need to consistently applying health and safety measures even on the road.
He said because of the need to reduce fatalities caused by road traffic accident, Lafarge has gone in partnership with the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) to sensitize the public on road safety.
The company further raised K20, 000 from the Lafarge Lusaka Marathon which was donated towards charity.
“Lafarge Zambia donated K20,000 to Chilanga Mother of Mercy hospice as one of the beneficiaries from the proceeds of the Lafarge Marathon which was held on 29th April 2017,” Mr Bouckaert said.
He explained that the company considered health and fitness as a priority and that had led to his company deciding to commemorate the Health and Safety Month.
“Health and safety are Lafarge’s overarching values and in everything we do we have to consider health first. This is why the company set aside a month dedicated to health and safety,” he said.
The annual Lafarge Health and Safety Month has  a number of activities that include helping workers improve in personal performance as well as awareness campaigns within the cement manufacturing plant and the surrounding community.
Government commended Lafarge for the initiative of promoting health and safety among its employees and their families.
Transport and Communication Acting Permanent Secretary Yese Bwalya said the hosting of the fitness day would help in promoting fitness.
He said there is need for Zambians to observe safety and keep healthy.
He said the ministry of Transport and Communications was encouraged when stakeholders tackle the agenda of health and safety.
“Health and safety still remains the ministry’s top agenda item and when we see other stakeholders taking an active role in upholding it, we become overly encouraged that we will achieve the objective of zero harm,” he said.
Mr Bwalya urged Lafarge Zambia to continue creating an impact in the community through sharing good practices not only with employees, but also the many stakeholders that interface with it, including Government.
“I am aware that many activities that the company has been involved in this week include collaboration with the Road Transport and Safety Agency, the police, transporters, and the community.
“Your actions have demonstrated, not only to Government, but to all stakeholders that indeed safety is a value at Lafarge Zambia,” he said.
He appealed to drivers to be cautious on the road and safeguard lives.
Mr Bwalya regretted that poor safety on the roads had led to the country losing many lives as a result of road traffic accidents.
He said there is need to uphold road safety urgently.
He said as a result of fatalities on the roads, the Government, through the RTSA, has put in place regulations in collaboration with all road users, such as a ban of night driving for passenger buses and adherence to speed limits.
He said the Government has also put in place axle load regulations, in addition to regulations that relate to road worthiness.
He regretted that even with these measures, lives were still being lost, hence the need for the country to find a way forward.
He said road traffic accidents could no longer be blamed on potholes as roads in the country were among the best in the region.
“We need to do more as a country and as people.
“Therefore, the driver becomes a major focus in terms of road safety and I am convinced it has to begin in our values because the driver and needs to embody such values as integrity, care and stewardship as he or she has many lives entrusted in his or her hands,” he said.
Matters or road and safety are close even to the heart of President Edgar Lungu.
President Lungu recently launched the national Health Week at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) in Lusaka where he called on people to change their lifestyles in order to lead healthy lives.
He said the Government was determined to continue investing in infrastructure to support various activities and promoting health living among the citizenry.
The National Health Week, commemorated under the theme: “Promoting Wellness for All,” was aimed at addressing various matters, among them the promotion of proper weight and diets, controlling the abuse of alcohol and breaking smoking habits, President Lungu said.
He urged the citizenry to entrench a culture of accessing periodic medical checkups and ensure that the environment was clean and green.
The Lafarge Health and Safety Month also incorporates screening for various conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and others.