He recalls a work-related accident his father sustained and, later in life, the effects of his long-term exposure to a hazardous substance on the job. Both situations affected his father’s hands and both were preventable, so it’s easy to understand why Walter is passionate about the safety of Votorantim Cimentos employees worldwide.
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.
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.
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.
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.
From these nominees, the Safety Innovation Award for 2015 went to Jim Cairns and Frank Stegnar at the CBM Portland (Ontario) ready mix plant. The team devised a safety davit with a 5,000-pound anchor point for an OSHA-compliant entry-and-fall arrest system. The improved plate allows employees to safely enter aggregates silos, where material can be stored 65 feet deep and upwards of 100 feet off the ground. The plate is now in use at all CBM ready mix plants.
Bill Vorberg at Prairie Material (Illinois) received the Safety Leadership Award for his role as a trainer for newly hired drivers and leader in building a team of qualified drivers that contribute to the company’s safety and success. Bill emphasizes that working too fast and becoming complacent are common causes for workplace injuries, and highlights this point in all new-hire training. Along with his own driving duties, Bill is the Plant Operator at Prairie Yard 14 in Addison, Illinois.
Across all operations, from the head office in Brazil to the regional aggregates, cement and ready-mix operations of Canada and the U.S., safety is more than a buzzword. It’s a passion and a way of life for the 3,300 employees of Votorantim Cimentos North America, who consider safety their greatest legacy and are passing it on from our generation to the next.
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