CEMEX Poland undertook the accident prevention programme under the title ‘Leadership on Occupational Safety’. Top-tier management – the CEMEX Poland President, board members and directors – all visited individual sites. The visits were devoted exclusively to health and safety matters. Informal discussions took place with employees and suggestions on the reporting of hazards were passed on to site managers. A training programme was introduced for managers. The training provided a blueprint for changing the way employees were managed and the way managers approached occupational safety and health (OSH). A major element of the programme was the introduction of hazard report forms for employees. The forms, which were also used by contractors working at CEMEX sites, were designed to identify potential accidents before they occurred so corrective measures could be undertaken. The OSH programme also included the drivers of vehicles transporting concrete and cement, as traffic accidents were the most common type of accident occurring at CEMEX. Meetings were held between managers and drivers to enable managers to understand driver working conditions and for the importance of health and safety to be emphasised to drivers. Training on safe driving was undertaken and driver audits, checking driving safety and the technical state of vehicles, were carried out. CEMEX OSH rules were applied to contractors. Contractual fines were introduced for contractors that breached safety rules and the best contractors were recognised. Contractors that adhered to the rules were placed on a qualified suppliers list and their services were most likely to be used. This project was commended for the Good Practice Award 2013 of The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).
Level of Education: Continuing vocational education and training
