By Our Reporter
Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU) has joined other employers and employees today to mark World Day for Safety and Health at Work, which seeks to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases.
The prevention of occupational accidents and diseases aligns with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 2006, which requires an employer to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of persons at the workplace by providing protective equipment, instructing, training, and supervising health and safety at workplaces.
Last year, CCBU, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, was awarded the Coca-Cola Company’s East and Central Africa Franchise Safety Awards after recording zero fatalities in 365 days at its Namanve plant and also received the professional driver employer with best road safety practices on the road award at the Road Transport Stakeholder’s Association.
Kirunda Magoola, the CCBU Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Director, said safety and health are not only crucial but should form the core of any organisation.
“At CCBU, we do business the right way on a sustainable basis with our customers, suppliers, partners and communities. Profitability is important, but not at any cost. People matter, our planet matters. We believe in doing business the right way by following our values and working toward solutions that benefit us all. This is why sustained world-class safety standards are non-negotiable at CCBU,” said Magoola.
“It is important to note that safety and health at work is a fundamental right. To ensure that we achieve this, we conduct regular screening for employees, implement the mandatory use of personal protective equipment on all our sites, erect safety signs on our premises to remind employees of the need to be safe, conduct regular checks to identify unsafe situations and concerns and provide training on proper safety,” he added.
He also noted the company’s safety and health measures extend to employees outside of CCBU premises.
Last year, the company registered zero accidents on the road after rigorously implementing a journey management plan and a fatigue management plan for fleet safety.
The company also has in place safety measures for all visitors and contractors who access its premises through the provision of safety gear like reflectors, education about using the marked walkways while at premises, and zebra crossings at company premises to avoid accidents.
Beyond internal safety measures, the company has established partnerships beyond CCBU such as the Joe Walker and Friends Road Safety awareness campaign which aims at making roads safe for all Ugandans.
“When we grow our business the right way, not just the easy way, we help create inclusive growth opportunities for our communities, women and youth, our customers, our employees and our shareholders, for a better shared future,” noted Magoola.
CCBU ensures safety and health procedures are reviewed and updated on a regular basis due to the ever-changing trends and technology while putting in place a strict protocol that handles and reports workplace accidents and incidences.
“Beyond ensuring that injured employees receive immediate medical attention, we investigate the cause of the accident and identify any potential hazards that need to be addressed, we report the incident to the appropriate regulatory agencies and document all details for our records,” explained Magoola.
Through its efforts, CCBU has been able to attract and retain top talent and increase productivity due to limited absenteeism, thus growing the business.
The company has been widely recognised, obtaining the 5-star NOSA Occupational award and rating following a survey that showed that the company meets all safety and health at work requirements.