On the occasion of National Safety Week, Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing safety excellence. A safety-first approach is ingrained in the company’s operational values, extending from within its plants to the communities beyond them. In commemoration of the occasion, Vedanta Aluminium undertook a series of engaging initiatives, such as demonstrating safety best practices, comprehensive training, competitions, and exhibitions on safety tools, all aimed at heightening awareness not only among its employees but also within the local communities it operates in.

Vedanta Aluminium is dedicated to cultivating a safer workplace and community through continuousenhancements to its Safety Management System. This all-encompassing approach involves integratingstate-of-the-art technologies, improvingprocesses, proactively identifying and managing gaps, and maintaining a steadfast focus on behaviour-based safety programs. Together, they are an apt reflection of the National Safety Weektheme this year, which is “Focus on Safety Leadership for ESG Excellence.”
On the occasion,Mr. John Slaven, CEO, Vedanta Aluminium said, “At Vedanta Aluminium, safety is a fundamental value embedded within every facet of our operations. It takes precedence at all organizational levels and extends beyond safeguarding employees to fostering safer communities. Our operations leverage cutting-edge safety technologies that continually reinforce safety-first practices. Furthermore, our behaviour-based safety initiatives cater to the individual needs of each employee, ensuring a vigorousfocus on safety.”

During the week, Vedanta Aluminium’s Jharsuguda operations, home to one of the world’s largest aluminium smelters,organised debate competitions and lively discussions delving not only into workplace safety but also its broader implications on personal well-being. Additionally, a street play competition, safety quizzes and drawing competitions helpedaddan interactive and engaging dimension to safety awareness.

At the company’s world-class alumina refinery in Lanjigarh, Kalahandi district, Odisha, employees participatedin safety skit competitions, slogan writing, and poster competitions. They also showcased their musical and visual talents through safety-themed songs and social media reels, while quizzes tested their safety quotient. A unique exhibition of leading Safety Models and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) drew over 900 attendees. In all, over 10,000 people participated in these initiatives.

At BALCO, India’s iconic aluminium producer in Korba, Chhattisgarh, a mobile van was rolled out to reiterate safety messages within the plant and in local areas, whilea‘Suraksha Chaupal’ engaged employees in safety discussions. Practical demos of safety gadgetsand health check-up camps along with the ‘Kaun Banega Safety Champion’ contest and ‘Run for Safety’ event further contributed to a robust safety culture within the organization and its communities.

Further notable safety practices undertaken by Vedanta Aluminium round the year include:

• Leveraging Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies to impart immersive safety training to the workforce, preparing them for hands-on situations.
• Established a Fire Safety Training Park to help facilitate live, practical safety demonstrations of fire emergencies, their prevention and mitigation.
• Set up the Agnivahini firefighting team, a unique squad ofover 100 women employees trained extensively in the complex yet crucial skill of firefighting.
• Suraksha Sankalp, a Safety Culture Transformation Programme implemented by Vedanta Aluminium across all its operations.
• Regular Drills & Safety Awareness Sessions in collaboration with National Disaster Reduction Force (NDRF) and Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA)
• Fire Stewards initiative wherein fire safety personnel sensitise business partners on fire safety, onsite emergency plans and the basics of firefighting.

Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.29 million tonnes in FY23. 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 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. www.vedantaaluminium.com