As we continue to abide by all the Eskom Ugand Limited(EUL) cardinal rules and safety procedures, EUL shall achieve 3 years without lost time injury at our Kiira and Nalubaale power plants in Jinja, Uganda in 2013.
And to achive this, the company has and continues to keep daily track(at both facilities) of lost time injury. And as of today, EUL has registered 992 days without registering any injury. This is an achievement that is largely credited to our Zero Harm philosophy at the work place.
The Zero Harm campaign aims at achieving; Zero harm, Zero injuries and zero fatalities to Eskom employees, contractors, the wider community and environment at large. In a nutshell, all Eskom’s employees and contractors across the globe have been engaged, in order to make a positive impact on Eskom’s progress to achieve Zero Harm. In the long run, our core value, "ZERO HARM" has been embraced as a way of life by all staff at EUL.
Above all, in order to achieve maximum safety, we have in place a number of policies and procedures, classified under the SHEQ Policy. SHEQ stands for Safety, Health, Environment and Quality. It comprises of a list of policy statements which were designed to reduce the rate of lost time injuries at our facilities. This policy carries key statements like; "No urgency at work warrants putting any of our employees in danger". Through such impactful statements, our employees are sensitized on a regular basis, essentially pointing out to them that:
- No amount of money is worth a life.
- Think and plan before you and your team act.
- Every person has the right to STOP work if they believe, in good faith, that the job is unsafe – without fear of being fired.
- We are committed to ZERO HARM and will shut down operations until they are made safe.
- Any manager, supervisor or contractor who puts profit or production before people is not aligned with the leadership of Eskom Uganda Limited and its parent company.
Also as a mandatory obligation at all our facilities, EUL management from, the gamut, line supervisors and department managers, are expected to carry out routine checks in and outside the plant on a regular basis. These checks help to monitor employees or contractors in the execution of their work, reinforce good safety practices on site, and engage those who are not acting safely.
In addition to this, all our staff members, are encouraged to be each other's keeper. At Eskom we maintain the philosophy that "my safety alone is not enough; I also need to look out for my brother’s safety", and this has played a significant role in reducing the rates of lost time injury at our facilities.
Finally, Safety talks are part and parcel of the Eskom workplace culture. For instance, all meetings at our facilities start with a prayer and a SHEQ talk. These talks serve to sensitize everyone about safety issues and to help them guard against potential risks to their lives. Simply stated, the concept of "Zero Harm" means, no harm to anyone, anytime while at work.
It is the fundamental channel to carrying our already strong safety record to the next level.
