Jharsuguda: In mega industrial operations, which often feature powerful machinery and complex tools, a safety-first mindset is the most fundamental quality that an employee needs to have. Weaving this approach into one’s daily activities, not just on the factory floor but as a way of life, ensures that this mindset is inculcated into the wider society. Recognizing this, Vedanta Aluminium reaffirms its commitment to nurturing a culture where every employee, partner and community member can respond to unsafe situations and emergencies effectively.
At Vedanta Jharsuguda, the world’s largest aluminium plant, workplace preparedness for emergency situations is strengthened through regular large-scale emergency drills that stimulate real-life scenarios. Undertaken with experts from organizations such as the National Disaster Response Force and the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority, these drills go beyond evacuation protocols to include first-response techniques such as trauma management and stabilization of injuries.
Similar exercises have been extended to schools in the vicinity of the plant, where hundreds of students and teachers have been trained in safe evacuation and immediate care in diverse emergencies. On key occasions such as World First Aid Day, Vedanta Aluminium further expands its outreach to empower young citizens. Experts from the plant’s Occupational Health team conduct regular first aid and CPR training sessions for students, who gain both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in essential life-saving techniques. From performing CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) to mastering wound care and recognizing early signs of medical emergencies, these sessions empower youths to act decisively in critical situations.
The company has taken unique steps to build first-responder capacities within its own teams. A landmark initiative in this direction is ‘Agnivahini’ – Vedanta Aluminium’s all-women firefighting squad with over 100 trained members. Complementing this is the Safety Park within Vedanta Jharsuguda’s premises, a comprehensive facility where employees and business partners can interact with modern safety equipment and learn more about using them in controlled conditions. Further, all new joinees at the plant need to undergo mandatory safety training to ensure they are suitably prepared for any emergency.
At Vedanta Aluminium, first aid awareness and prompt emergency response is not merely a peripheral skill, but a cornerstone of workplace and community safety. Recognizing this, the company has been conducting regular awareness sessions in schools, gram panchayats and neighborhoods around its operations. From fire-safety demonstrations to community-level workshops on safe practices during extreme weather such as lightning strikes, these engagements are equipping citizens with simple but vital techniques, such as how to treat burns or manage fractures until professional help arrives. Such initiatives ensure better preparedness among communities living in the vicinity of the Vedanta Jharsuguda plant.
With numerous trucks operating within and beyond its premises, road safety is another critical frontier. Through initiatives like Road Safety Awareness Month and ‘Suraksha Sarathi,’ Vedanta Aluminium has trained thousands of drivers and helpers in both preventive behaviors and first-aid response. These programs are helping make public roads and highways safer. The recently inaugurated Driver Welfare Complex at Vedanta Jharsuguda further enhances this ecosystem by providing drivers within the plant with a space for rest, safety training and structured training sessions.
What sets Vedanta Aluminium’s approach apart is the view that safety is not the responsibility of safety professionals alone but of every member of its teams and communities. By weaving awareness into regular safety standdowns and monthly shopfloor engagements, the company is instilling confidence across all levels of its workforce. Coupling world-class industrial safety systems with grassroots outreach, the company is also creating a safety ecosystem net that extends from its cutting-edge smelters and power plants to the classrooms, roads and villages surrounding it.
