ISLAMABAD, April 5: All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) signed an MOU with Lafarge Pakistan Limited to upgrade cements plants across Pakistan to international health and safety standards.

Following the Baldia Town factor fire, a number of sectors took initiatives to protect workers and installations from such disasters.

According to the MoU, Lafarge would train, create awareness and share its standards on health and safety with other cement manufactures.

CEO Lafarge Pakistan Amr Reda said that the cement industry operated in an environment with multiple types of hazards.

We have made it a priority to ensure the safety of all people, working directly and indirectly, within the cement sector, he added.

The APCMA welcomed the initiative and encouraged all its members to not only study and apply the safety standards but take initiatives to share the best practices across their organisations.

Though all the cement plants observe safety measures but the industry does not have an overall criterion to meet the international standards. The APCMA has approached Lafarge because of their high safety standards compliances at the international level.

Chairman Lafarge Pakistan retired Maj Gen Rehmat Ali Khan said that there were one million moving parts in a cement plant ranging from a conveyer, crushers to movement of heavy machinery like cranes and trucks.

“Safety standard are compromised only because of lack of awareness,” he said adding, “None of the investors want to see another tragedy like the ill fated Karachi factory fire — but they took the safety standards lightly.”

The cost of implementing the Lafarge style safety standards would be around Rs10,000 per employee in addition to fire alarms and a dedicated team for training of employees and creating awareness.

CEO of Kohat Cement Aizaz Sheikh said that the cost of implementing high safety standards may seem a bit too much but it’s the losses through accidents that are more expensive.

It was noted that cement plants usually have 1,000-2,000 employees and majority of them have limited education.