Lanjigarh/ Kalahandi (Kalinga Voice) : Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh unit, India’s premier producer of metallurgical grade alumina, participated in an Off-site Safety Mock Drill for Kalahandi district, Odisha. Held at the Kalahandi University playground, Bhawanipatna, the mock drill saw Vedanta Lanjigarh’s emergency management team and district officials collaborate to assess the preparedness of stakeholders in dealing with unforeseen events or exigencies in the district.
Vedanta Lanjigarh has always been committed to upholding the highest safety protocols, educating its employees, business partners and communities on practising a safety-first culture, and working with the government and stakeholders to bolster safety quotient in the areas where it operates.The company has also redoubled its efforts to enhance safety preparedness and foster a culture of ‘safety first’ amongst its employees and business partners, including imparting refresher courses in safety policies and available certifications.
Testimony to the Mock Drill, Mr. GG Pal, Dy. CEO – Alumina Business, Vedanta Ltdsaid, “This Offsite Safety Mock Drill initiated by the Additional District Magistrate, Kalahandi has been a great experience witnessed by all the officials and other organisations who witnessed this session. As a safety-focussed organisation we see such collaborations between industry and district administration instrumental to share best practices and use learnings to improve the safety-quotient in the area. We were a 13-member team led by Mr. Harshvardhan Pande -Head HSE&S, Vedanta Ltd. Lanjigarh, who had participated in this event.”
Acknowledging Vedanta’s efforts, Mr. Deepak Agarwal, General Manager, District Industries Centre said, “The preparedness of a unit in case of an emergency is a demonstration ofhow evolved its safety culture. It is essential to consider safety as a priority while carrying out the operations, and Vedanta Lanjigarh, through its regular safety drills and its best practices, has proven that safety is extremely important for them.
The company has put in place necessary safety protocols to ensure the well-being of its employees like:
- Implementation of 10-point safety actionsuch as Annual Safety Calendar, AAINAA (Advance Action in Industries to Abate Accidents), Safety buddy, Safety Gathering, Safety Mobile App, Safety Touch, Safety Hot spot, Use of Technology, Safety performance by contractors and frequent mock drills to mitigate risks
- Right person right job, right and fit tools used in the workplace.
- Senior management walkdown conducted frequently to constantly improve the safety standard of the workplace.
Vedanta Aluminium Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest manufacturer of aluminium, producing half of India’s aluminium i.e., 1.97 million tonnes in FY21. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. The company operates a 2 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) capacity alumina refinery in Lanjigarh (Kalahandi district, Odisha), India since 2007 and an associated 90 MW captive power plant. 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.
