GENERAL MANAGER’S SUPERVISION VISIT TO NEC GRAIN MILL, KIGUMBA
On 11 June 2026, Eng. Terwane Simon, the General Manager of NEC Agro, conducted a routine yet critical supervision visit at the NEC Grain Mill in Kigumba. The primary objective of the visit was to assess operational efficiency, inspect facility standards, and engage directly with frontline staff.
The visit culminated in a strong executive mandate that reinforced NEC Agro’s commitment to occupational health and safety, with a particular focus on achieving the target of *ZERO harm* across all operational lines.
The General Manager conducted a comprehensive, guided tour of the Kigumba facility. This walk-through allowed for direct observation of daily operations and provided a platform for meaningful dialogue with two core organizational units:
** *The Production Team:*
Discussions centered on output capacity, machine efficiency, and process optimizations necessary to maintain top-tier grain milling standards.
** *The Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) Team:* The GM reviewed current hazard logs, incident reporting protocols, and the overall environmental compliance of the plant.
During his address to the staff, the General Manager emphasized that operational excellence cannot exist without robust safety mechanisms.
He explicitly broke down the *Hierarchy of Controls*, reminding the team that safety must be systematically engineered from the top down rather than relying solely on individual compliance.
The GM detailed the 5 levels of hazard control in order of effectiveness:
MOST EFFECTIVE1. ELIMINATION (Completely remove the hazard from the workplace)
2. SUBSTITUTION (Replace a dangerous process, material, or machine with a safer one)
3. ENGINEERING (Isolate workers using physical guards, barriers, or ventilation)
4. ADMINISTRATIVE (Change how people work via procedures, training, and permits)
5. PPE (Protect workers with helmets, gloves, goggles, and harnesses)
LEAST EFFECTIVECore Safety Takeaways:
** *PPE is the Last Line of Defense:* The GM noted that while Personal Protective Equipment is vital, it is the last line of defense, not the first. Teams must always attempt to eliminate or engineer out a hazard before relying on gear.
** *Layered Protection:* In complex milling environments, multiple controls should be utilized simultaneously to create a failsafe environment.
** *The Business Case for Safety:* Implementing strict controls does more than protect individuals—it directly safeguards company property and drastically improves overall plant productivity.
The General Manager concluded his visit by thanking the Kigumba team for their hard work and dedication to feeding the UPDF. However, he left the facility with a firm reminder that safety requires daily, conscious effort from every single individual on the floor.
Key Directive from the GM:
“Remember, our goal is ZERO harm. Safety is a Choice, Not by Chance.”
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