In its continued efforts to defeat the coronavirus, Richards Bay Minerals, South Africa’s largest mineral sands producer and beneficiation company, is issuing its permanent employees, contract workers and their immediate families with cloth masks.
Employees are also being issued with personal thermometers to monitor their body temperature – a critical indicator of illness.
Since the country went into high alert a month ago, RBM has undertaken a series of measures against the coronavirus in its operations and is working with other businesses and industry bodies to support government’s efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus in its communities.
RBM has already provided necessary hygiene products, including 2 850 bottles of hand sanitisers, 12 000 surgical gloves (120 boxes) and 1 200 N95-standard masks to health centres and communities within the King Cetshwayo District Municipality.
“Safety is our foremost priority and we are proud to play a small part in keeping our community safe. We have created a specific COVID-19 Community Support Plan to ensure the well-being of our people.
“Our employees are our most valued asset and we will leave no stone unturned to ensure they are fighting fit and healthy during this period of great uncertainty,” says Werner Duvenhage, RBM MD.
“We will continue to work with the wider business community in Richards Bay and the district health authorities to help fight this crisis and create sustainable growth in our communities,” he says.
Meanwhile, in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at the workplace, RBM has created isolation rooms to prevent possibly infected workers from making contact with other team members.
Duvenhage says the company has maintained the operation of its onsite medical clinic. “We have also created multiple isolation rooms across our operation for any employees who may display symptoms of the coronavirus.
“The isolation rooms will ensure the affected employees are kept as comfortable as possible and are separated from other team members while awaiting transfer to a health care facility.”
Duvenhage says the isolation rooms are not for the use of the community as they are within the operational premises of the company.
