By SANFROSSA MANYINDA
COMPANIES and employers in Luanshya have been advised to take issues of safety at work very seriously.
Luanshya Mayor Charles Mulenga said it was important for all companies to have a proactive approach to issues related to occupational safety and healthy environment.
Mr Mulenga said this was better than being reactive all the time when things go wrong.
Mr Mulenga said this when he handed over occupational safety and health environment equipment to Copperstone University by First Quantum Kansanshi Mines.
The Mayor said it was time companies realized that time for change in the way they did things had come.
” Time has come for both the private and public sectors to start adopting a new production management style which should be implemented to effectively utilize renewable resources.
“People should learn to value and protect themselves. The Council wants to make sure that people’s lives are safeguarded at work,” he said.
Mr Mulenga said the council got excited to learn that mining firms like Kansanshi and institutions of higher learning were joining hands to use combined efforts to prevent injuries and hazards in all work environments.
He said the local authority cared about the safety, health, and welfare of all residents at their work places and homes.
Mr Mulenga added that sustainably developing and improving the management system was the key to success.
He expressed optimism that through continuous improvement, organisations would attain better economic performance, more advanced technology and quality corporate image.
Meanwhile, First Quantum Minerals (FQM) group coordinator for industrial hygiene Eric Cousins said that his company had one of the best occupational health standards in the country.
Mr Cousins said the FQM Group was committed to promoting duty of care of workers by companies that were the reason why it supported the adanvacement of the program of occupational health through training.
The donated assortment of occupational safety and health environment equipment is estimated to be worth over Thirty Thousand dollars (US$ 30,000).
Copperstone University Vice-Chancellor Sitwala Mundia thanked Kansanshi mines for supporting the training of occupational safety health and industrial hygiene training programmes at his institution.
Professor. Mundia said the donation from Kansanshi mines played a critical role in strengthening Copperstone university’s resolve to enhance quality, efficient and impact of occupational safety programs.
