| Working together in leading contractor safety |
Over 95% of CEMEX sites achieve zero injuries and some sites have gone a number of years without a lost time injury. Overall though, CEMEX is still having incidents resulting in either lost time or restricted work – in turn impacting on an individual’s health and wellbeing. Major customers are now setting higher standards on contract compliance across the supply chain, with a main focus on transportation and logistics.
CEMEX has introduced a number of initiatives to improve H&S, resulting in a reduction of employee lost time injuries year on year, but contractor statistics are not improving. On analysing the accidents it was found that they were all as a result of an unsafe act, not an unsafe condition. CEMEX decided that in order to drive down incidents, it would have to change the attitude and behaviour of its contractors.
The business had lead a successful roll-out of a H&S leadership workshop to employees. It was decided to include contractor management who could then influence their employees. The targeted population was the owners and senior management of haulage contractors who are responsible for over 70% of CEMEX’s deliveries. These people play a crucial role in leading H&S standards within their business and are the key influencers in ensuring the correct management and control mechanisms are in place to protect employees.
Subjects covered in the workshops include leadership, ownership, sharing best practice and the principle that overall H&S makes ‘good business sense’. The sessions emphasise coaching, development and collaboration with contractors - using internal CEMEX controls and measures as best practice.
Having CEMEX senior management in attendance and delivering the workshop has boosted the overall emphasis on how important H&S leadership is. This is critical in tackling the ‘us and them’ environment that is typical in any industry and helps in bringing people to work together as one team.
Feedback from attendees of workshops has shown that CEMEX is giving people the right tools for the job. This has been further enhanced by CEMEX conducting supportive and constructive audits at hauliers’ premises, which review all areas of their business
including legislation, administration, employee development, safe systems of work/risk assessments, and control measures in place. Best practices from CEMEX operations are shared to offer guidance and examples of how to manage key areas.
Benefits
1.No lost time incidents since the workshops began (previously 4 per year)
2.One Team’ approach – CEMEX fleet and contractors are ‘One Fleet’
3. CEMEX shares safety alerts which are relevant on incidents to all contractors, the contractors are also providing feedback on incidents to CEMEX
4. Employee engagement in seeing that CEMEX is addressing the issue.
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