Institute for Health and Safety: Vaccination at the workplace secured for employees of larger companies

(Patria) - During the past week, employees of ArcelorMittal Zenica (AMZ), their immediate family members, and former employee-pensioners of this company were vaccinated. The vaccination took place within the Company premises.

At the invitation and with the assistance of AMZ officials, this activity is being carried out by a team from the Institute for Health and Safety (INZ). More than 250 people were vaccinated in three days, and additional appointments will be scheduled for those currently on annual leave or sick leave.

Previously, when the mass arrival of vaccines in BiH was still uncertain, the management of this company had organized vaccination for some employees outside of BiH. The AMZ company marked the action with the slogan "Let's create collective immunity, let's get vaccinated! Let's protect ourselves, our families, and our colleagues!".

Previously, the INZ team carried out a similar activity for interested individuals at the MADI Tešanj company, and preparatory actions are underway to implement similar processes in the member companies of AS Holding in ZDK, as well as in the Cengiz company, or for their workers at the construction sites of the A1 highway through the Zenica-Doboj Canton. 

This is not the first time INZ and AMZ have cooperated, as this company was among the leaders in a serious approach to organizing disinfection and protection against COVID-19 infection for employees and all those entering the company, and the Institute has continuously provided technical and expert assistance in several segments of hygiene-epidemiological and DDD protection.

-During the immunization campaign, we encountered questions about objective problems for workers, employees of large companies in ZDK, to get vaccinated individually or in groups at their local clinics, as this would mostly entail a full-day absence from work. Also, at the same time, the issue of immunizing their household members arose, so we proposed that our teams carry out the vaccination in the field, within the companies themselves, but after a certain number of people register, and all hygienic, health, and organizational conditions are ensured by the host, emphasizes the director of INZ, Dr. Senad Huseinagić.

The Institute was a "pioneer" in BiH in vaccinating interest groups several months ago, when, at the initiative of two journalistic associations, about a hundred media workers (journalists, cameramen, photographers, editors...), residing in all twelve municipalities of ZDK, were immunized. 

- The goal is to achieve the widest possible immunization coverage, and the Institute, with all its technical and human capacities, is available to institutions, companies, and organizations in BiH, stated Huseinagić.