This story and others were shared on June 9 during Votorantim Cimentos’ 3rd annual Global Safety Day. Straddling Canada’s Safety Week in May and June’s National Safety Month in the U.S., the event marked the renewal of the company’s deep commitment to safety across all operations as the construction season moves into full swing.

The day started with a global video-conference hosted by Walter, attended by the full executive and safety leadership team at 26 locations from the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Walter reported on safety results from recent years and introduced Safety is My Greatest Legacy,

the new theme for the global safety initiative.

“We recognize that at the end of the day, the goal is to go home safely to our loved ones. We need to pass this safety culture on to the next generation,” he said.​

​

Lunch-and-learns and toolbox talks were conducted throughout the day to carry the message worldwide.  Other senior leaders shared their experiences and personal connections to safety, including Votorantim Cimentos North America (VCNA) President and CEO Filiberto Ruiz, who recognized the employees responsible for VCNA’s track record of safe operations.

In his remarks, Filiberto shared the example of three generations of one family working at a St Marys Cement facility, serving as a living legacy to workplace safety that has been handed down from generation to generation.

Encouraging employee feedback

Recognizing that many of the best ideas for addressing work hazards come from those doing the work itself, VCNA encourages continuous feedback from all employees across its aggregates, cement and ready mix operations. On-site meetings and regular bulletins focus on sharing near-misses and past accidents so workers can learn about different parts of the business and exchange practical ideas and techniques for accident prevention.​

Another approach for tapping into the expertise of the work force is a program where ready-mix employees can act as company “president for a day”, outlining what they would change to further improve safety.

Safety “rock stars” in North American Aggregates

VCNA’s dedication to safety shows in its outstanding safety records and the many industry awards earned by its businesses. Aggregates employees in Canada and the U.S. have worked seven and eight years respectively without a Lost Time Injury (LTI).  Recently, the Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers presented Gold Awards to two Prairie Material locations: Pontiac and Ashkum, while Manteno and Paxton each earned Rock Solid Excellence in Safety Awards – top honors in the awards program. The Aggregates Group was also the winner of VCNA’s annual CEO Safety Award.

​Cement operations focused on no LTIs  Our cement plants in North America also have outstanding safety records. VCNA cement plants with the best safety records include: the St Marys, Ontario plant with seven consecutive years with zero LTIs; the Detroit, Michigan plant with six years; and the Bowmanville, Ontario and Suwanee, Florida plants each with four consecutive years LTI-free.

​

“The key to employees’ success is constant vigilance and compliance with sensible safety policies and procedures, as well as heightened awareness around vehicles, equipment and all structures,” says Malcolm Barr, VCNA Health, Safety and Risk Manager.

Ready mix truck rodeos focus on precision, safe handling

Concrete mixer truck rodeos are held annually at our North American locations, where ready mix drivers demonstrate their safe driving skills through an 8-station challenge course. Precision is key, but the rodeo also includes a 40-question written test and a multi-point visual safety check which accounts for a part of the drivers’ score.

​

Top finishers in the CBM rodeo held Sunday, June 12, from left: ​First Place winner Ken Bulbrook, Cambridge (West); Second Place winner Tony Parkes, Cambridge (West); Third Place winner John Tantalo, Maple (GTA); Fourth Place winner Brandon Brown, Milton (GTA). 

Prestige’s rodeo will be held this coming October. Winners from all events go on to compete in regional and national competitions.

Safety for contractors working alongside us

Another key goal for 2016 will be to ensure that contractors share our safety culture. “If you work with us or for us, you can be assured that your safety is our first priority,” says Malcolm.

“Since 2009 we’ve had a standardized process for pre-qualifying contractors undertaking high-risk activities at our locations,” he says. “To support this program we partner with BROWZ, an outside contractor compliance and management solutions supplier, to validate contractor compliance with our safety requirements.”  Teams who work with contractors can search the BROWZ database to verify that those they hire have been prequalified before work begins.

Safety innovation and leadership

To further advance its safety culture, VCNA seeks nominations from employees to highlight their peers for safety innovation and leadership. Last year, 21 employees received special recognition for their contributions to safer workplaces.