Cemex USA launched its 2021 Safety Week by allowing employees to demonstrate an approach developed to improve hazard identification, hazard control, risk identification and assessment.
Employees spent additional time in the socially-distanced or virtual meetings to address the Covid-19 pandemic, reviewing Cemex’s Behaviours that Save Lives, protocols focused on identifying and reporting symptoms and physical distancing to help stop the spread of the virus.
Throughout the week, staff also participated in exercises that emphasised hazard identifications, impacts and controls to improve risk identification and assessments.
Cemex USA resident Jaime Muguiro says: “At Cemex, we are constantly looking for opportunities to improve the health and safety of all our employees, and these events give us great forums to hold open dialogues to learn from each other, encourage discussion of new safety ideas and recommit to safety every day. Safety is a team effort, and it requires all of us to look out for one another. We all need to spend extra time to identify and assess hazards, so we can return home to our families each day.”
Additionally, employees at each Cemex USA operation were tasked with choosing a work activity, then identifying the top three hazards related to it.
During the exercise, they analysed the hazard impacts, performed risk assessments and developed hazard controls to eliminate or minimise potential risks. They were also encouraged to utilise the tools already offered in Cemex’s Health & Safety Management System—a programme based on 15 different elements that include safety enhancement items such as leadership, audits and inspections, safe operative practices and risk analysis.
Alan MacVicar, Cemex USA’s vice president of health & safety, says: “Our employees are encouraged to closely follow these well-established tools and guidelines, in order to create an injury free workplace for themselves and each other.”
