Food and beverage firm Promasidor Nigeria Limited (PNL) has won this year’s ‘Best Kept Industrial Premises Award’ also known as ‘Total Compliance Inspection Competition’.
The award, which is organized by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), tries to address risk governance deficit in the industrial sector by rewarding best practices towards enabling and maintaining clean and safe work environments in industries.
Promasidor Nigeria, clinched the award that gives special recognition to compliance and high standards in the area of health and safety after being assessed and proven certified in the following areas: external and internal premises, utilities, solid waste management, effluent treatment plant, pollution control facilities, personal protective equipment, green-life and general aesthetics, government certifications and general housekeeping.
Other criteria considered included usage of marked pedestrian walk-way, noise control, and environmental audit report and fire certification.
In conducting the exercise, MAN carried along professionals from Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), and Health, Safety and environment (HSE) to shore up the credibility of the process.
Commenting on the company’s milestone achievement, Head of Legal and Public Relations at Promasidor Nigeria, Mr. Andrew Enahoro stated that the company’s commitment to healthy environment and safety is part of its business strategy as it was essential for businesses to adhere to environmental and safety laws and be associated with the positive story of their host communities.
This attitude, he maintained, was a major factor in the company’s success story and its major breakthroughs in the market.
Explaining the company’s approach to security, Enaharo said, “In the pursuit of a greener environment, the company invested heavily in eco-friendly equipment which goes a long way in reducing health risks among the staff and the neighborhood.
“Promasidor also generates its electricity from industrial gas. This, to a large extent, has helped to reduce noise pollution and hazards caused by diesel exhaust and accompanying health issues like irritation of the eyes and nose, headache, nausea, respiratory diseases and lung cancer.
“Our power initiative is in tandem with what is widely practiced in developed economies where private organizations generate a certain percentage of power required for their operations, while our security lights run on solar energy.”
Continuing, he said, “The Company also relies on waste sorting and on a less hazardous waste management method, where we separate waste into different elements so as to avoid air pollution and maintain good health standards in our host community.
“The adoption of wind-powered extractor fans and eco-friendly air conditioners has helped to reduce noise and other environmental hazards that would have emanated from conventional equipment.”
Concluding, he affirmed that adopting safety and eco-friendly strategies have not only facilitated robust goodwill between the company and its public, but also improved productivity, earnings, and sustainability.
He thus recommended public-private partnership to enhance the struggle for total safety in the nation’s industries.
The award, which holds annually, is open to manufacturing companies, including food and beverage manufacturers in the large, medium and small scale categories. Companies like Boulus Food and Beverages, Lucky fibers and Neimeth have been honored on this platform to further motivate and boost their compliance level to regulatory safety standards which in turn translate into economic benefits.
