CEMEX Philippines elevates health and safety standards in construction industry
In the high hazard construction industry, upholding a culture of safety is paramount to keeping up with the highest standards of quality. This is particularly true for leading cement manufacturer and building solutions leader CEMEX Holdings Philippines as safety is at the heart of its operations and how the company impacts its communities.
“Safety for CEMEX is about being mindful of risks, intervening when necessary, and acting in safe ways at all times,” said Edmundo Trazo, corporate health and safety manager of CEMEX Holdings Philippines. “It begins in understanding that all of us play a vital role in keeping each other safe. It is even more important than meeting deadlines.”
With this core value being an inherent part of the company’s culture, CEMEX implements several programs to continuously elevate the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) standards in the construction and building industry.
One of the institutionalized efforts of CEMEX Philippines is the annual observance of HSE Day which is designed to encourage best practices sharing and emphasize that personal safety leadership should be practiced day in and day out, as everyone is accountable towards maintaining zero injuries and fatalities.
“We are not just part of a plant. We are part of a community. And being a responsible neighbor means taking care of our people starting from within,” said Ernesto Felix, vice president for operations and technology of CEMEX Holdings Philippines.
Health and safety records from 2016 show that the company has had zero recordable fatalities, zero employee and contractor lost-time injuries (LTI), and zero employee total recordable injuries (TRI). Also, the reporting of near misses & hazard alerts (NMHAs) increased by 87% last year which means more employees and contractor personnel are being watchful and mindful of potential hazards and risks.
“Safety is foremost in our pursuit of continuous improvement in delivering products and services. Whereas innovation drives our business, it is through maintaining the highest health, safety, and environmental standards that we ensure the quality of our operations that doesn’t allow room for shortcuts in the processes,” noted Felix.
Meanwhile for wellness, CEMEX implements the Wellness Wars program which encourages everyone to embrace an active lifestyle in the spirit of friendly competition. The program offers fitness classes, physical baseline checkups, and facilitates sports tournaments.
The company also reinforces health and safety efforts among its customers. Its Safety and Health Initiatives for Enablers, Leaders, and Doers (SHIELD) Program, for one, has provided approximately 300 hardware stores nationwide with first-aid cabinets, and has installed safety signs in about a hundred construction sites. Safety workshops have also been conducted for customers who operate in high-risk work environments. Under the SHIELD program, delegates from construction companies and retail stores are able to upgrade their health and safety knowledge and practical skills.
“I’ve always liked how the word ‘knowledge’ has the word ‘edge’ embedded in it. The SHIELD safety workshop gives us basic knowledge on safety and teaches us how prioritizing safety in the workplace can give us an edge over our competition,” said Harry Ramirez, park administrator of Primary Properties Corporation, a client of CEMEX.
In terms of environmental efforts, CEMEX shows how it cares for the environment by living out its sustainability objectives such as providing resilient infrastructure and energy-efficient building solutions, enabling a low carbon and resource-efficient industry, implementing a high-impact social strategy to empower communities, and embedding the company’s core values in every action. Some of CEMEX’s environmental initiatives are tree planting programs and river cleanup activities in Antipolo and Cebu.
CEMEX Holdings Philippines is one of the leading cement producers in the country, based on installed annual capacity. Its cement manufacturing subsidiaries have been operating in the Philippines for over 17 years with well-established brands, such as “APO,” “Island,” and “Rizal,” each of which has a multi-decade history in the country. For more information, please visit website: www.cemexholdingsphilippines.com