At Kokeb Enterprises, safety is not a compliance requirement — it is a core value. Every person who works on a Kokeb site has the right to go home safe and healthy at the end of every day. That is a commitment we take personally.
Our safety philosophy is built on the conviction that all injuries and work-related illnesses are preventable. This belief shapes how we plan, manage, and execute every project — from the first risk assessment through to the last day of site works.
Zero Harm — Our Commitment
Zero harm to our people, our clients' teams, the communities where we work, and the environment is our stated goal on every project. We measure ourselves against this standard and take immediate corrective action whenever we fall short.
Safety as a Leadership Responsibility
Safety leadership starts at the top. Our senior management team is personally committed to SHEQ excellence and holds site management accountable for maintaining a zero-harm environment. Safety performance is reviewed at every management meeting and is a standing agenda item at board level.
Zero Harm Goal
No injury, illness, or environmental harm is acceptable. We plan every project with this as the starting point — from design through to handover.
Risk Management
Every project begins with a comprehensive risk assessment. All significant hazards are identified, assessed, and controlled before work begins.
Worker Involvement
Our workers are our most important safety resource. We involve frontline teams in hazard identification and safety planning on every site.
Culture Not Compliance
We invest in building a genuine safety culture — where every worker understands why safe behaviour matters and takes personal ownership of their safety.
Protecting the health of our people and the environments where we work is an integral part of how Kokeb operates — not an afterthought or a regulatory obligation, but a genuine commitment.
Occupational Health
Construction and engineering work can present significant occupational health hazards — dust, noise, vibration, manual handling, chemical exposure, and heat stress. We manage these systematically through our SHEQ management system, with health monitoring, PPE provision, and proactive risk controls on all sites.
- Pre-employment and periodic medical surveillance for high-risk roles
- Noise monitoring and hearing conservation programmes
- Dust monitoring and respiratory protection where required
- Heat stress management protocols for outdoor work in hot conditions
- Chemical handling procedures and MSDS management
- Manual handling training and mechanical aids wherever practicable
Environmental Management
We recognise that construction and infrastructure work can impact the natural environment. We are committed to minimising these impacts through responsible planning, careful site management, and effective environmental controls.
- Environmental assessments conducted before and during all projects
- Erosion and sedimentation controls on all earthworks sites
- Fuel and chemical spill prevention and containment
- Waste management and controlled disposal
- Vegetation clearance minimised to required work areas only
- Rehabilitation of disturbed areas on project completion
- Compliance with all applicable environmental permits and conditions
Environmental Permits
Where projects require Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), Environmental Project Briefs (EPBs), or other environmental approvals, Kokeb works with qualified environmental practitioners to ensure all approvals are in place before work commences, and that all conditions are fully implemented throughout the project.
Quality at Kokeb is not just about meeting specifications — it is about building infrastructure and engineering solutions that perform as intended, stand the test of time, and deliver genuine value to clients and communities.
Our quality management approach covers the full project delivery cycle — from pre-construction planning and procurement through to construction, testing, commissioning, and defects management.
Quality Management System
Kokeb operates a documented quality management system that is applied to all projects. The system includes:
- Project quality plans tailored to each specific project
- Inspection and test plans (ITPs) for all critical works
- Material verification and testing procedures
- Non-conformance reporting and close-out processes
- Hold points for client inspection of critical items
- As-built documentation and project handover procedures
Material Quality
All materials used in Kokeb projects are sourced from reputable suppliers, verified against specification, and where required, tested by accredited laboratories. We do not compromise on material quality — ever.
Workmanship
Our workforce is trained and qualified for their roles. All critical trades — electrical, welding, rigging, and others — are performed only by workers with the appropriate qualifications and competency assessments. Supervisors conduct regular quality inspections throughout construction.
Continuous Improvement
We learn from every project — capturing lessons learned, tracking quality performance metrics, and continuously improving our systems and practices. Our goal is to be consistently getting better, project by project.
Kokeb's SHEQ policies set out our commitments, standards, and requirements across Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality — and apply to every person working on every Kokeb project.
SHEQ Policy Statement
Kokeb Enterprises Limited is committed to conducting all its operations in a manner that protects the safety and health of our employees, subcontractors, clients, visitors, and the communities in which we operate. We are equally committed to protecting the natural environment and to delivering work that meets the highest quality standards.
Key Policy Commitments
- Zero harm to people as our primary safety objective
- Full compliance with all applicable safety, health, and environmental legislation
- Identification and systematic control of all significant hazards and risks
- Provision of appropriate training, equipment, and supervision for all workers
- Active worker participation in safety management
- Immediate response to all incidents, near-misses, and hazard reports
- Environmental impact minimisation in all operations
- Continuous improvement of SHEQ performance
Subcontractor SHEQ Requirements
All subcontractors working on Kokeb projects must meet our minimum SHEQ requirements as a condition of engagement. This includes having appropriate safety management systems, competent supervision, trained workers, and adequate PPE. Kokeb site management monitors subcontractor SHEQ compliance throughout project delivery.
Right to Stop Work
Every Kokeb employee and subcontractor has the right — and the obligation — to stop any work they believe is unsafe. No one at Kokeb is ever penalised for exercising this right. It is a fundamental expression of our safety culture.
Safe sites don't happen by accident — they are the result of disciplined planning, consistent management, and a workforce that genuinely cares about protecting each other.
Site Induction
Every person who enters a Kokeb project site undergoes a site-specific induction before commencing work — covering hazards, emergency procedures, PPE, and reporting. No exceptions.
Daily Pre-Task Planning
Every work team starts each day with a toolbox talk — reviewing planned work, identifying specific hazards, confirming controls, and ensuring every worker knows their role.
Personal Protective Equipment
Appropriate PPE is mandatory for all work on Kokeb sites. Requirements are risk-based and specified in task-specific risk assessments — inspected through supervision and audits.
Permit-to-Work System
For high-risk activities — confined space entry, hot work, work at height, electrical isolation, and excavation — a formal permit-to-work system ensures all controls are in place.
Emergency Preparedness
Every project has a documented emergency response plan covering fire, medical emergencies, and chemical spills. Emergency equipment is inspected regularly and drills are conducted.
Safety Inspections & Audits
Daily supervisor inspections, weekly project manager checks, and periodic SHEQ Manager audits. All findings are documented, assigned, and closed out with verification.
Transparent and timely incident reporting is essential to learning, improving, and preventing recurrence. Kokeb has a clear and accessible reporting system that covers all incidents, near-misses, and unsafe conditions.
What Must Be Reported
- All injuries — however minor — sustained on site
- All near-misses — incidents that could have caused harm but did not
- All unsafe conditions or behaviours observed on site
- All environmental incidents — spills, pollution, or damage
- All property damage incidents on site
- All security incidents on site
Reporting Process
Incidents are reported immediately to the site supervisor, who ensures first aid or emergency response is provided. A formal incident report is completed within 24 hours. Significant incidents are reported to the SHEQ Manager and senior management immediately and investigated within 48 hours.
Investigation and Learning
All incidents are investigated to determine root causes — not to assign blame, but to understand what went wrong and prevent recurrence. Investigation findings are shared with the project team, and systemic findings are shared across all Kokeb projects to prevent similar incidents elsewhere.
Client Reporting
We report all incidents to our clients in accordance with their requirements. We believe in full transparency with our clients about SHEQ performance — good and bad. This honesty is central to the trust-based relationships we seek to build.
Report a Safety Concern
If you have a safety concern about a Kokeb project site — whether you are a Kokeb employee, a subcontractor, a client representative, or a member of the public — you can report it to: sheq@kokebenterprises.com or call +260 97 409 4000. All reports will be taken seriously and investigated promptly.