Qualified and committed employees are the backbone of our organisation and a key success factor in an increasingly globalised economy. Offering a safe and rewarding work environment is at the core of our commitment to being a responsible employer. We therefore make ongoing efforts to further improve our already high standards.
Health & Safety in production
A healthy and safe workplace is one of our top priorities and we live by a “zero accidents” vision. To fulfil this goal we focus on prevention – minimising the risk of accidents occurring in the first place. We do this through employee and subcontractor
training, equipment maintenance, proper use of safety equipment and compliance to guidelines and regulations. The few accidents that do occur are carefully analysed.
When it comes to workplace accidents, the focus has been on preventing serious injury rather than on reducing accident frequency. Subsequently, we have successfully managed to decrease the number of severe accidents, including falls from heights. Our ambition now is to additionally step up efforts to reduce the overall accident frequency. Another area of focus is to reduce the number of accidents involving subcontracting companies by requiring them to have staff certification programmes.
Dust monitoring In cement production, exposure to dust can be a challenge. In 2007, we started working with the European Cement Association (CEMBUREAU) and the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety in Oslo, Norway to develop testing and monitoring
of the risks associated with employees’ exposure to silica dust. As a result, our employees are among the most tested and monitored in the world. At the same time, we are helping to contribute to scientific knowledge about the health effects of cement dust exposure.
In 2008 we will start to monitor respirable crystalline silica dust in the working environment and perform systematic health surveillance of exposed employees in accordance with the European Silica Agreement.
Customer Health and Safety
When addressing sustainability, we consider the entire cement lifecycle rather than just production. We therefore also focus on how our products impact the health of our customers. The main risk for our customers is eye and skin damage that can occur when the alkalinity of cement comes into contact with water and sweat. The health risks and recommended precautions are communicated through safety datasheets we produce for all our products.
Promoting performance and responsibility Our management and employees have one common goal: adding value to the company in the long term. This implies working together as partners, promoting performance and responsibility. To do this, we focus on continually modernising and streamlining our production, and we are stepping up efforts to develop existing expertise and recruit new talent in order to maintain our competitive edge.
Offering an attractive workplace
The recruitment and retention of qualified employees is one of our main priorities and we strive to offer a safe and stimulating working environment. Efforts include the promotion of health initiatives and the provision of leading safety standards and professional development. Recent job satisfaction surveys have shown results indicating that employee satisfaction is good.
Developing the right competence We provide employees with ongoing professional development. This helps ensure quality at all levels and also supports the implementation of new HeidelbergCement management tools and principles. We take part in group-wide management programmes and also provide advanced training in sales, cement production, quality management, IT and English.
Securing the right competence
Our typical employee profile is male, over the age of 45 – and many have been with us for several decades. This ensures much needed experience, but to achieve smooth succession we strive to reach a better balance by recruiting young talent.
In a field associated with heavy, traditional industry finding qualified employees is a challenge. Although that image no longer reflects reality it is still widely dispersed. In our efforts to find the desired workforce and recruit the best and brightest we are increasing our contacts and cooperation with a number of key Universities and Colleges. We participate in career days and provide students the opportunity to carry out practical training and cooperate with Ph.D’s in their research.
Inclusiveness, diversity and transparency We see mutual respect and trust, openness and fairness as prerequisites for dedication and success. Our ambition is therefore to create a work environment based on inclusiveness and transparency. An essential ingredient of this is the implementation of our non-discrimination policy, shared throughout the entire HeidelbergCement