Contribution to economic and social development
We add value in local partnerships, making use of our products, equipment, know-how and expertise and contributing to initiatives related to our priorities, including public Health and Safety, education, environment and local infrastructure projects. Our quarries contribute significantly through their operation to the economic and social development of local communities.
Specifically, LAVA SA has invested € 3,400,000 in improvement projects at the pumice quarry in Yali, over the past 5 years. The company spends € 1,500,000 annually in staff costs including salaries of local staff. It provides € 250,000 on average for the local community and sponsorships. 75% of sponsorships are allocated to the support of community training programmes and 25% to local initiatives. The quarry’s leasing generates profits for the Municipality of Nissiros of approximately € 1,000,000 annually.
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| In June 2009, in the context of the Health & Safety Month, employees' children participated in a training program for maritime safety in cooperation with the Greek Lifesaving Academy |
“Thousands of paths but only one life! “
A program of awareness in safe driving
LAVA Mining & Quarrying SA, member of Heracles Group of companies in cooperation with the Institute of Road Safety “Panos Mylonas” organized at 17th & 18th of October 2011at the Conference center of Milos and at the 11th of May 2012 at the Nisyros Primary school an educational event named “Thousands of paths but only one life ! “. 130 students of the Milo’s High school and 55 students of the Nisyros' Primary school attended the event and participated in interactive games in small groups.
The program aims to raise awareness on road safety for children.
The students attended a professed presentation for the significance of the safe driving and answered a specially formed questionnaire .
They were divided in small groups and participated in interactive games concerning the distraction of attention & perception of the limits of a human . Moreover, they drove bicycles in a special formed driving park and they also drove a small remote controlled car with low lighting in order to understand the significance of a proper lightened road. At the end they were given an informative leaflet specially created for the needs of the program with useful advices for the road safety of the children as pedestrians and bicycle riders as well.
A two day Educational Information Event for the biodiversity in cooperation with the Goulandri Museum of Natural History
On the initiative of LAVA, an Educational Information Event was organized on the 14 &15/4/2011at the schools of Nisyros for the particular characteristics of biodiversity in Nisyros and Yali .
On April 13th, a group of 10 students from Nisyros High School and Lyceum with Dionissios Mermigas, Environmentalist-Botanist of the Goulandri Museum of Natural History and a professor participated in an educational tour from Mandraki up to the Castle. Mr. Mermygas briefed children on the characteristics of plants and how botanists are working.
On April 14th Dionissios Mermigas presented the Greek Biodiversity and characteristics of Nisyros to the students of Elementary and High Schools.
On April 15th, the presentation of Mr. Mermigas was repeated to the elementary schools’ students. In addition the students of the elementary schools had the possibility to play the "Young Ecologists" game concerning the environment and biodiversity.
Cooperation with the Emergency First Response (EFR)
On the initiative of LAVA an educational programm was organized on the 14&15/4/11 for the students of Nisyros Schools.
Mr.Georgios Monastiroglou, Instructor of Emergency First Response (EFR) presented Health & Safety-Basic First Aid tips. A leaflet with basic First Aid tips for dealing with an emergency was distributed to the students.
Educational Programmes to the Army Battalion of Nisyros
On the initiative of LAVA ,the Army Battalion of Nisyros attended a training that included practical training on Primary and Secondary care from the EFR specialist trainer.
Mr.Georgios Monastiroglou, Instructor of Emergency First Response (EFR) presented Health & Safety-Basic First Aid tips.
LAVA continues the effort of Road Safety awareness. In cooperation with the Road Safety Institute"Panos Mylonas", LAVA organized on the 11th of May 2012 at the Army Battalion of Nisyros , the educational event "Thousands of paths but only one life" which included theoretical and practical part and aimed at the awareness and education of the soldiers on read safety issues.
Our people built our sucess
The key to our success is our people, whose skills, inventiveness, dedication and team spirit give us a competitive advantage. Working at a quarry, in any production stage, requires high skill level and strict compliance with the procedures.
Investing in training and personal development is a strong commitment for LAVA SA. More than one third of the training hours of our employees per year are dedicated to Health & Safety, with a view to fostering a common understanding and safe behaviour. In addition, technical trainings are offered depending on the job position and the skills required for each employee.
Every year, the pumice quarry accepts 2 students from the School of Mining & Metallurgical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, for their practical training.