ArcelorMittal Liberia Kicks Off Railway Safety Campaign
04/11/2012 - ArcelorMittal recently began a month-long campaign to raise awareness of road and rail safety within the mine area and along the railway corridor between Yekepa and the port of Buchanan, Liberia.
ArcelorMittal recently began a month-long campaign to raise awareness of road and rail safety within the mine area and along the railway corridor between Yekepa and the port of Buchanan, Liberia.
The campaign will seek to prevent rail, road, and work-related incidents in local communities by reinforcing life-saving messages on community safety; alert the public to road and rail dangers; ensure all major communities are reached in the community safety awareness and education programs; and help develop an understanding about the refurbished railway.
The company notes that with 20 years of no trains on the tracks, people living in nearby towns and villages have come to use the tracks as part of their day-to-day activities.
ArcelorMittal is now running two trains a day from Yekepa to Buchanan and back. "We operated one train per day between May 2011 and February 2012, but since February 27th, we have begun operating two trains a day, of 80 wagons each. ArcelorMittal Liberia shipped its first one million tonnes of ore in March" said Geoff Jolly, rail and port manager for ArcelorMittal.
The month-long campaign, sponsored by ArcelorMittal, will include a one-week caravan, featuring cultural performances, drama, and music. The caravan began in Grand Bassa on April 8 and will move through Bong into Nimba, stopping in villages along the access road to directly engage locals. The campaign will continue throughout the month with school visits and other community engagement activities.
"There are thousands of people that live along the rail access road, including many children," said Marcus Wleh, corporate responsibility manager for ArcelorMittal. "We want to educate our children about the dangers of a railway and achieve long-term behavioral and attitudinal changes in the way local communities relate to community safety. We are aiming for a company culture that puts safety first, always."
