Health and safety of employees ensured

Swakop Uranium, the Metal and Allied Workers Union of Namibia (MANWU) and contractors on the Husab Project site signed a Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) agreement yesterday, in Swakopmund. The agreement is to intensify efforts to ensure the health and safety of employees, contract workers as well as to adhere to environmental practices. The agreement became effective on 1 December. Mr Zheng Keping, Chief Executive Officer, Swakop Uranium said the signing of this agreement is not just another event but that it is aimed to ensure that all stakeholders are committed to critically observing risk assessments, standard operating procedures and relevant legislations to ensure that all potential incidents, accidents, injuries and fatalities are prevented and reported when they occur

. “All companies contracted by Swakop Uranium shall comply with Swakop Uranium HSE policies and procedures and applicable legislation,” added Keping Mrs Justina Jonas, General Secretary,Metal and Allied Workers Union of Namibia (MANWU) said that with the ten non-negotiable rules which have been identified in the agreement, non-compliance will lead to serious actions. “The parties involved also agreed that an employee may remove themselves to a place of safety from any place where they are employed when they have reasonable cause to believe that their safety or health is endangered,” added Jonas. Jonas concluded by saying even though the rules are being practised already on the site, contractors and employees are encouraged to comply with the agreement and MANWU commits itself to educating its members on this regard. The key elements of the HSE agreement is the intervention of unsafe work practices and reporting of unsafe conditions, reporting of injuries and incident and emergency response, personal protective equipment and clothing, alcohol and rug abuse management, and environmental protection and rules.Swakop Uranium is constructing and developing a world class mine, called the Husab mine near the town of Swakopmund and once the mine is in full production it will be one of the largest uranium mines in the world.