Vedanta Aluminium conducts Safety Mock Drill with National Disaster Response Force
14th June 2022
- NDRF officials visit Vedanta Aluminium’s smelter plant at Jharsuguda, Odisha
Jharsuguda, Odisha; 14th June 2022: Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, conducted an on-site Safety Mock Drill in association with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), at its aluminium smelter in Jharsuguda, Odisha. The mock drill saw the plant’s emergency management team and NDRF officials collaborate to reinforce safety awareness among all employees and business partners associated with the company. Mr. Udit Kumar Dixit, NDRF Inspector, Mr. Ramesh Mohanty, District Fire Officer, Mr. Manoj Mishra, District Assistant Director of Factories and Boiler (ADFB), Mr. Susanta Mishra, District Project Officer (Odisha State Disaster Management Authority), and representatives from other companies participated in the mock drill.
Mock drills are a useful tool in Vedanta Aluminium’s safety arsenal. Conducted at regular intervals, they serve to test and bolster employees’ emergency preparedness as well as gauge the co-ordination between various teams in simulated conditions. This comprehensive safety drill with NDRF focused on bolstering the effectiveness of safety communication systems, creating standard operating procedures for rapid mobilization of resources at site and safe shut down of the processes site in case of an emergency, and monitoring the roles and responsibility of the Combat Team, Rescue Team and Auxiliary Team at Vedanta’s operations.
Speaking on Vedanta Aluminium’s safety-first culture, Mr. Sunil Gupta, CEO – Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda said, “At Vedanta Aluminium, safety of our people and partners is our foremost priority. The ethos of Zero Harm, Zero Waste and Zero Discharge are instilled in our DNA and therefore our aluminium operations are governed by the highest safety standards, creating a safe working environment for our employees and business partners. We have extensively deployed safety technologies and behaviour-based initiatives to further strengthen our safety performance. Mock drills with emergency simulations, help us assess our response mechanism, so that we can be more agile and effective in case of emergencies. We also work closely with the government and the community to bolster the safety quotient at our operations as well as beyond.”
Appreciating Vedanta Aluminium’s safety focus, Mr. Udit Kumar Dixit, NDRF Inspector said, “A company’s safety culture is evident in its safety preparedness system in case of exigencies. I am happy to see the robust and structured safety management system that Vedanta has put in place at its operations, prioritising the safety and well-being of all its stakeholders. The company’s commitment towards upholding the highest standards of safety at its operations is indeed noteworthy.”
Vedanta Aluminium is working extensively towards creating a safer workplace by constantly bolstering and enhancing its Safety Management System with advanced technologies and environmental safeguards. Some notable safety practices by the company are –
- Sankalp, a Safety Culture Transformation Programme implemented by Vedanta Aluminium across all its operations, including Jharsuguda, in partnership with DuPont Sustainability Solutions. Through this programme, the company is nurturing an interdependent safety culture to overcome safety gaps arising out of cultural and behavioural issues and instil a culture of safety through coaching, counselling, monitoring and feedback on safety behaviour.
- Instituting the Visible Felt Leadership programme, as part of which the company’s leadership personally anchors safety quotient at site through regular employee engagements and audits of safety practices at shopfloors.
- An all-women fire-fighting team ‘Agnivahini’ at Jharsuguda, who have been meticulously trained to act efficiently and effectively during emergencies.
- A robust Safety MIP (Management in Place) allows the company to deploy personnel with the required safety skillset, knowledge, and attitude at the right place within the safety structure, making safety a shared responsibility.
- Safety Stand Down, a programme wherein leadership teams engage with employees and business partners on various facets of health, safety and environment, to build a holistic safety-first culture.
- Extensive digitalization of operations and processes is helping Vedanta Aluminium minimize human interaction with machines
- Manufacturing Execution System ensure visibility of all critical plant operations, allowing for remote decision-making through mobile applications, while employees can maintain social distancing and yet fulfil their activities on the plant floor
- Video analytics for fire detection and monitoring of the workforce’s adherence to Personal Protective Equipment
- Mobile & web applications have been developed inhouse for monitoring of safety parameters at various work sites
Vedanta Aluminium Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest manufacturer of aluminium, producing half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.26 million tonnes in FY22. The company operates a world-class 1.6 MTPA aluminium smelter and 3615 MW thermal power generation facility in Jharsuguda, Odisha. The only Indian smelter in the global ‘1 Million Tonne’ production and export club, Vedanta Jharsuguda is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications across core industries. With its state-of-the-art facilities, unparalleled engineering prowess, R&D and innovation abilities, Vedanta Jharsuguda is working towards a sustainable and greener future for all by spurring emerging applications of aluminium, the ‘Metal of the Future’.
About Vedanta Limited:
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa and Namibia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Vedanta has put in place a comprehensive framework to be the ESG leader in the natural resources sector. Vedanta is committed to reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050 or sooner and has pledged $5 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate the transition to net zero operations. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company’s flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars, have been set up as model anganwadis focused on eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with skill development. Under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, the umbrella entity for Vedanta’s social initiatives, the Vedanta group has pledged Rs 5000 crore over the next five years on social impact programmes with a thrust on nutrition, women & child development, healthcare, animal welfare, and grass-root level sports. Vedanta and the group companies have been featured in Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and was conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020, Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance 2022 and certified as a Great Place to Work 2022. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com
About Vedanta Aluminium Business:
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
For more information, please log on to www.vedantaaluminium.com
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