By Our Reporter
Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU) was declared the leader in safety compliance among the countries in The Coca-Cola Company’s East and Central Africa Franchise (ECAF). In a celebratory event held at the Namanve plant, The Coca-Cola Company presented CCBU with the Safety Award for their outstanding performance in 2022.
This award highlighted team CCBU’s dedication to maintaining a safe work environment resulting in zero fatalities, punctual and comprehensive incident management with prompt resolution of safety findings, clear demonstration of safety leadership, and embracing innovation and technology.
According to Kirunda Magoola, the Public Affairs, Communications, and Sustainability Director of CCBU, the company made the commitment to change safety trends in the business in Q3 of 2021 and have continuously tracked its progress throughout the course of 2022, ensuring that safety remained at the forefront of its operations.
“In 2022, we launched the Zero Is Possible campaign because we believe in doing business the right way. World-class safety standards are non-negotiable, and we put the safety of our employees, customers, consumers, partners, and contractors at the forefront of our business.
“We continued to intensify our safety procedures by fostering a culture of vigilance and prevention, encouraging all employees to report incidents of near misses and promptly addressing potential hazards.
“We also continue to implement the mandatory use of protective gear for all employees and visitors on site and have erected safety signs on our premises to remind employees to carry out their daily routines with caution,” Magoola said.
Bryan Sun, The Coca-Cola Company Franchise Director for Ethiopia, Uganda and the Horn of Africa, acknowledged the efforts of CCBU in believing that zero is possible and achieving a commendable zero fatality status for the year 2022.
“Thank you, team Uganda for setting a benchmark for us all. This inspires all Coca-Cola bottlers to emulate this outstanding demonstration that zero is possible,” Bryan said.
Daysen Pather, the Senior Director of Quality, Safety and Environment in The Coca-Cola Company’s Africa Operating Unit commended CCBU for their commitment to practicing safety protocols.
“I have no doubt that as a team CCBU has the capability to achieve the highest recognition for safety in Africa which is the Presidential Award. As we work towards creating a world where zero is possible we should all take safety protocols seriously so that we are assured of working in a safe environment every day,” said Daysen.
As a franchise, last year CCBU also focused on implementing the night driving policy and fatigue management as a major aspect in fleet safety management, thus recording zero road incidents in 365 days. This resulted in the company receiving an award as a professional driver employer with the best road safety practices from the Road Transport Stakeholders’ Association.
The strong emphasis on safety is also carried into the community – the company works towards promoting safety in the communities in which they operate by partnering with Joe Walker and Friends Road Safety Awareness Campaign, which aims to make the road safe for all Ugandans.