Talented Shift Manager bringing 15 years of experience in the Copper Smelting industry. Driven to keep costs under control, employees working hard and customers satisfied. Highly professional and results-focused professional with excellent problem solving and decision-making skills.
Hi, I’m
Wezi Darfy Banda
Solwezi
Summary
Overview
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Kansanshi Mining PLC
Shift Controller
05.2023 - Current
Job overview
- Daily operation of Isasmelt Furnace, Matte Settling Electric Furnace, Waste Heat Recovery Boiler, Electrostatic Precipitator, Slag handling and Dump Areas, Matte Cars and Ladle handling, Furnace Feeding System and other associated Areas
- Maintained Safety, housekeeping and discipline at Primary Smelting Section.
- Preparation, issuing closing and cancelation of work, permits in Primary Smelting Area.
- Ensured all jobs were done as per Standard operating Procedure.
- Daily entry and maintenance of Government Logbook and Daily Supervisors' Report.
- Interpretation and control of Critical parameters including Slag chemistry Control, Tapping co-ordination, Bath Temperature Control, Furnace hygiene etc Whilst reporting to the Shift Supervisor of the Primary Smelting Furnace
- Maintained liaisons with personnel from Technical (Metallurgists), Raw Material Handling Section, Sulphuric Acid Plant, Pierce-Smith Converters , Anode Furnaces, OxygenPlant/Utilities and personnel from other sections on matters relating to plant operations
- Maintained liaison with Shift maintenance crew Supervisors on plant equipment.
- Kept track of Stock and consumables at Primary Smelting Furnace Section.
- Prepared, adhered to, reviewed and communicated Daily production plan to all upstream and downstream customers.
- Ensured Slag, Matte and Waste Heat Boiler Water samples were collected and delivered to Site Laboratory.
- Daily supervision of Shift Manpower i.e Control Room Operator, Field Operators, Tappers etc And identification of individual Training and Development needs of personnel
- Ensured production targets were met by reducing Plant downtime.
- Ensured safety standards were maintained at zero Lost time injuries.
- Effective and efficient management of financial and other resources.
- Gave input and feedback on programme development and design.
Kansanshi Mining PLC
Control Room Operator
08.2014 - 04.2023
Job overview
- Daily operation of Isasmelt Furnace, Waste Heat Recovery Boiler, Electrostatic Precipitator and associated Equipment
- Ensured all jobs were done as per Standard operating Procedure.
- Daily entry and maintenance of Isasmelt log sheet.
- Interpretation and control of Critical parameters including Slag chemistry Control, Tapping co-ordination, Bath Temperature Control, Furnace hygiene etc With usage of PI historian software whilst directly reporting to the Process Controller and Primary Smelting Production Supervisor.
- Maintained liaisons with personnel from Raw Material Handling Plant, Matte Settling Electric Furnace, Sulphuric Acid Plant, Oxygen Plant/Utilities and personnel from other sections on matters relating to plant operations
- Ensured Matte, slag and Waste Heat Boiler water samples were collected and delivered to Site Laboratory.
- Daily supervision of Manpower
- Ensured production targets were met by reducing Plant downtime
- Ensured safety standards were maintained at zero Lost time injuries.
- Gave input and feedback on programme development and design.
- Operated CCTV system in line with legislation regarding use of CCTV to keep activities compliant with regulations.
- Calmly responded to issues as they arose on the site, escalating incidents where necessary.
- Offered advice and guidance to Server room team, dealing efficiently with difficult nuisance alarms, revision of operational interlocks.
- Supported Clients and team through gathering information, making clear and appropriate decisions on behalf of the team.
- Implemented Standard operational procedures and protocols.
- Notified line manager before leaving control room for breaks to get coverage.
- Identified and recommended changes needed to improve plant operations.
- Carried out daily equipment checks and reported all faults and failures to personnel responsible for maintenance.
Konkola Copper Mines PLC
Shift Supervisor
08.2011 - 07.2014
Job overview
- Daily operation of Flash Smelting Furnace, Furnace Feeding System, Daily Heavy Fuel Oil Storage Area, Hearth Cooling Fans Area and other associated Areas
- Maintained Safety, housekeeping and discipline at Flash Smelting Section.
- Preparation, issuing closing and cancelation of work permits in Flash Smelting Area.
- Ensured all jobs were done as per Standard operating Procedure.
- Daily entry and maintenance of Government Logbook and Daily Supervisors' Report.
- Interpretation and control of Critical parameters including Slag chemistry Control, Tapping co-ordination, Bath Temperature Control, Furnace hygiene etc
- Maintained liaisons with personnel from Technical (Metallurgists), Raw Material Handling Section, Slag Cleaning Electric Furnace, Sulphuric Acid Plant, Waste Heat Boiler/ Electrostatic Precipitator, Anode Furnaces, Oxygen Plant/Utilities and personnel from other sections on matters relating to plant operations.
- Maintained liaison with Shift maintenance crew Supervisors on plant equipment status.
- Prepared, adhered to, reviewed and communicated Daily production plan to all upstream and downstream customers
- Ensured Slag and Blister Copper samples are collected and delivered to Site Laboratory
- Daily supervision of Shift Manpower i.e Control Room Operator, Field Operators, Tappers etc and identification of individual Training and Development needs of personnel.
- Ensured production targets were met by reducing Plant downtime.
- Ensured safety standards were maintained at zero Lost time injuries.
- Effective and efficient management of financial and other resources
- Giving input and feedback on programme development and design.
- Kept the Superintendent, and other upper-level management teams apprised of daily operations.
- Supervised employees to ensure assigned tasks were completed on time.
- Trained several new employees successfully, raising the company's overall performance.
- Helped Operatorss organise and clean their work environment thoroughly.
- Responded decisively to emergencies and provided first-aid when necessary.
- Assigned daily stock-counting tasks to Furnace Operators and Tappers to keep them engaged.
- Organised and scheduled employee shifts .
- Completed opening checklists to create pristine service areas.
- Upheld company standards and compliance requirements for operations and cleanliness of all areas.
- Delegated tasks effectively amongst large teams, ensuring continued success against daily KPI targets.
- Successfully managed up to 17 employees per shift by monitoring workload, assessing performance and assigning duties.
- Briefed teams on daily operational requirements, motivating and incentivising staff to work tirelessly to achieve them.
- Tracked daily expenses and income, assessing against targets to ensure business met performance standards.
- Mentored and supported new employees to maximise team performance.
- Used coaching and mentoring talents to develop junior staff members, increasing competent, confident team performance.
- Led by example in completing all tasks with energy and enthusiasm, aiding a positive team mentality.
- Worked with management team to share ideas and improve operation and improve quality of products.
- Utilised lean manufacturing techniques such as 5S to meet company targets in productivity, efficiency and quality.
- Contributed to improvement of working procedures to give best productivity results.
- Raised tool reports for faulty equipment and suggested ideas to improve for next production run.
Konkola Copper Mines PLC
Metallurgical Process Associate/ Control Room
Operator
08.2008 - 07.2011
Job overview
- Daily operation of Flash Smelting Furnace, Furnace Feeding System, Daily Heavy Fuel Oil Storage Area, Hearth Cooling Fans Area and other associated Areas
- Maintained Safety, housekeeping and discipline at Flash Smelting Section.
- Ensured all jobs were done as per Standard operating Procedure.
- Preparation and distribution of daily reports
- Interpretation and control of Critical parameters including Slag chemistry Control, Tapping co-ordination, Bath Temperature Control, Furnace hygiene etc Whilst reporting to Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent of the Flash Smelting Furnace
- Maintained liaisons with personnel from Technical (Metallurgists), Raw Material Handling Section, Slag Cleaning Electric Furnace, Sulphuric Acid Plant, Waste Heat Boiler/ Electrostatic Precipitator, Anode Furnaces, Oxygen Plant/Utilities and personnel from other sections on matters relating to plant operations
- Maintained liaison with Shift maintenance crew Supervisors on plant equipment
- Prepared, adhered to, reviewed and communicated Daily production plan to all upstream and downstream customers
- Ensured Slag and Blister Copper samples were collected.
Zambia
Tutor
University
01.2008 - 07.2008
Job overview
- With guidance of Senior Lecturers, conducted tutorials for first and sophomore year mathematics students.
- Assisted as an test invigilator.
Education
University of ZambiaLusaka, Lusaka province
Bachelor of Science from Mathematics and Statistics
2007
University Overview
Graduated with a merit.
Hillcrest Technical Secondary SchoolLivingstone, Southern province
Examinations Council of Zambia Grade Twelve Certificate
2000
University Overview
Kabulonga Secondary School for BoysLusaka, Lusaka province
Examinations Council of Zambia Grade 9 Certificate
1997
University Overview
505/600
Examinations Council of Zambia
Nkhwazi Primary SchoolLusaka, Lusaka province
Examinations Council of Zambia - Grade 7 Certificate
1995
University Overview
Skills
- Microsoft Office suite Applications:
- Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher
- PI (Process book) software operation
- Training and mentoring
- Schedule oversight
- Project and task delegation
- Team development
- Opening and closing procedures
- Staff motivation
- Production oversight
- Workforce training and development
- Strategic execution
- Continuous improvement
- Health and safety compliance
- Quality assurance standards
- Strong work ethic
- Professional manner
- Polite and friendly
Languages
English
First language
Accomplishments
Accomplishments
- Commissioned Direct- to- Blister Flash Smelting Furnace at Nchanga Copper Smelter in Chingola in 2008.
- Commissioned Isasmelt Furnace at Kansanshi Copper Smelter in Solwezi in 2015.
Timeline
Shift Controller
Kansanshi Mining PLC
05.2023 - Current
Control Room Operator
Kansanshi Mining PLC
08.2014 - 04.2023
Shift Supervisor
Konkola Copper Mines PLC
08.2011 - 07.2014
Metallurgical Process Associate/ Control Room
Operator
Konkola Copper Mines PLC
08.2008 - 07.2011
Tutor
University
Zambia
01.2008 - 07.2008
University of Zambia
Bachelor of Science from Mathematics and Statistics
Hillcrest Technical Secondary School
Examinations Council of Zambia Grade Twelve Certificate
Kabulonga Secondary School for Boys
Examinations Council of Zambia Grade 9 Certificate
Nkhwazi Primary School
Examinations Council of Zambia - Grade 7 Certificate
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