Dr. H. Serdar ŞARDAN
Employers’ Trade Union of Cement Industry Employers’ Association
In today’s world, industries and technologies are rapidly developing and this development helps occupational health and safety increase in importance with each passing day. The cement sector, which has been an important player in the national economy for over 100 years, also keeps up with this development trend and embraces every single new technology that comes out. In addition, it makes significant investments to help the sector further improve itself. Of course, a significant part of these investments consist of the investment made in people, in other words, “the invaluable members of the cement family.”
The right to life, which is the most fundamental right of human beings, corresponds to the term “occupational health and safety” in business life. If we take a non-terminological approach, we think it would be right to call the occupational health and safety practice as all the activities that are carried out to make sure that employees get home from work in the same health condition as when they left home to get to work. The phrase “all the activities” refer to things such as training sessions, risk assessments, work instructions and procedures, as well as emergency plans – all of which cover both the most fundamental OHS tools and regulatory obligations.
The cement sector, which is one of the leading sectors in our country, employs about 15,000 people and boasts a share of 5.8% in gross domestic product. Thus, it provides our country with a significant added value. The sector became the biggest cement producer in Europe in 2014 with a production of 69.7 million metric tons. In addition, it is the world’s fifth biggest producer and the region’s biggest exporter. With its export share of 6.9% in the world market, it surpassed many important producer countries and became the second biggest exporter after China. The sector’s total cement production capacity is 107.4 million metric tons. We, as the cement sector employers, have been making very important efforts since the early 2000s to achieve to become a leading sector when it comes to occupational health and safety just as we achieved to become the biggest cement producer in Europe. In line with the efforts made in accordance with our board of directors’ “Zero Work Accident” vision, our biggest goal for the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of our Republic is to be able to say that “In addition to being the biggest cement producer in Europe, the Turkish Cement Sector is also the most successful country when it comes to occupational health and safety.”
The Turkish cement sector’s OHS journey gained momentum with the “Employers’ Trade Union of Cement Industry (ÇEİS) OHSAS 18001 PROJECT” carried out from 2003-2005, and this process continued with the preparation of many meetings, training sessions, and publications. All our member factories established a management system under the leadership of our trade union in accordance with the OHSAS 18001 Standard and were certified within the scope of audits carried out by the British Standards Institution (BSI).
Following this project, which is a first in the world in terms of the fact that it includes an entire sector, our trade union and members are still proud of having been given the “EXEMPLARY EMPLOYER” award in the 4th International Occupational Health and Safety Regional Conference organized by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security in 2005.
Among some examples that can be given for our recent occupational health and safety activities are training films regarding the key activities carried out in the cement sector such as silo and cyclone cleaning or working at height; the “ÇEİS OHS Platform” that instantly shares the best practices, as well as the work accidents and near-miss accidents occurring in our sector; the “ÇEİS OHS Banner Series” consisting of 19 very unique and interesting designs; and the project aimed at “Compliance with OHS Regulations” that was made possible with the fund received from our Ministry of Labor and Social Security. The event “OHS Forum Theater” is another of our recent important projects, which received very positive feedback. This theater event performed by a group of six people was designed with the purpose of creating a change in the paradigms when it comes to occupational health and safety and thus ensuring a change in behaviors and habits. In addition to the above-mentioned initiatives, we also worked in collaboration with the world-renowned companies and professionals and held many training sessions, meetings, and symposiums attended by both our members and people specialized in this field.
All of these activities that we have been carrying out since the early 2000s helped the cement sector’s safety culture reach a significant level. However, of course, we also acknowledge that there is more to do to develop this culture and take it to a higher level. With this in mind, we made an agreement with the British Safety Council (BSC) and started the project “Five Star Occupational Health and Safety Audit” in March 2015 in order to identify our sector’s strengths and its other aspects that are open for improvement when it comes to occupational health and safety. The BSC is today one of the world’s leading occupational health and safety organizations. This London- based organization operating in over 50 countries offers consultancy, audit, and training services with its employees each boasting an experience spanning many years in occupational health and safety.
Within the said project, two consultants (1 Turkish, 1 foreigner) spare five days to check how factories are doing when it comes to occupational health and safety. During this 5-day long examination, the consultants
• review the occupational health and safety-related documents at the factory in question,
• talk with the factory managers and employees,
• and pay field visits.
Upon these examinations, a comprehensive report is prepared. That report includes details about each factory’s strengths and their aspects open for improvement, as well as suggestions under 65 sub-headings regarding successful occupational health and safety system elements such as
• Policy and Organization
• Strategy and Planning
• Implementation and Operations
• Performance Measurement
• Assessment and Revision
That report helps decide whether or not the existing occupational health and safety systems are efficient. In addition, thanks to that report, factory managements are provided with suggestions that would help them improve their shortcomings. Such audits have been completed at 43 member factories so far. It is expected to complete the rest of the member factory audits by the first half of 2017. At the end of the project, a report named “The Cement Sector OHS Report” will be prepared to shed light on our sector’s OHS practices.
Mid-level managers consisting of engineers, chiefs, and directors act as a bridge between employees and top management executives. As for the development of a company culture, mid-level managers have important responsibilities as much as the top management does. As we are aware of this, on December 2015 we started the project “OHS Training for Mid-Level Managers” carried out in partnership with the BSC. With this training, we once again aimed to underline the importance of occupational health and safety and highlight the fact that this is under the responsibility of all level of employees. Such training sessions have been offered at 22 member factories so far. We believe that these two projects carried out in collaboration with the BSC will further improve the safety culture, which was established thanks to the occupational health and safety activities that our sector has long been carrying out.
Many guidelines aimed at some main OHS matters were prepared and submitted for the use of OHS professionals by several institutions and organizations. However, it is seen that these guidelines mainly focus on general matters rather than sector-related matters. Due to the fact that every sector has its own risks and that these risks should be managed in different ways, OHS guidelines including details specific to the cement sector were also prepared and submitted for the use of our sector, shareholders, and the relevant professionals. With the contributions of the ÇEİS OHS Committee, so far many sector-related guidelines have been prepared regarding the topics “Safe Working in Confined Spaces,” “Safe Working at Height,” “Tag-Out, Lock-Out, Secure, and Try System,” “Safe Working in Heat,” “Guide to Avoid Industrial Explosions,” and “Occupational Health and Safety Rules in Sub-Contractor and Contractor Jobs.”
In addition, April 28 was recognized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) as the World Day on Safety and Health at Work. The World Day on Safety and Health at Work is a global campaign led by the ILO to achieve healthy, safe, and humane work environments. The main purpose of this campaign is to improve the occupational health and safety culture, raise awareness in creating healthy and safe workplaces, and encourage the relevant parties to carry out activities serving this very purpose. This day, which is seen as an opportunity to improve the safety culture, is also celebrated in the cement sector with various events aiming to increase the awareness of employees.
Within the events first started in 2014 under the leadership of our trade union, “Tag-Out, Lock-Out, Secure, and Try System,” and “Emergency Management” themed events were carried out respectively. The 2016 theme was “Behavior-Oriented Occupational Health and Safety Audits.” Teams consisting of managers working at different departments in ÇEİS member cement factories got to the field and met employees to carry out behavior-oriented occupational health and safety audits, focusing on unsafe employee behaviors – one of the most important reasons behind work accidents.
The behavior-oriented occupational health and safety approach is a tool helping to change behaviors of all workers from top level managers to bottom level employees. Despite basically being an audit method, this very technique is also a communication method that encourages and leads individuals to review their own safety-related behaviors and activities; understand the associated outcomes; and identify accident and injury preventive measures. All audits within this method are sometimes carried out in the way of making a suggestion or compliment and sometimes like an agreement reached to change behaviors and activities. Behaviors and behavioral patterns come from social cultures. As behavioral patterns can only be changed after a cultural change, this process takes time. The “Behavior-Oriented OHS Audit” is the most important tool in this process.
These events carried out under the slogan “Behave Safe, Live Safe” also included a video displaying OHS messages by the Chairman of the Board of Our Trade Union Tufan ÜNAL and T. Çimse – Work Union General President Zekeriye NAZLIM. The video watched by all sector employees during the events carried out on April 28, 2016 was not only a good example for social dialog but was also a concrete evidence proving that the presidents of the cement sector employer and labor unions pay a great deal of attention to occupational health and safety. In addition, labels prepared with the purpose of increasing awareness about OHS were placed on work helmets.
While only 22% of the ÇEİS Member Cement Factories attended the 2014 event “Cement Sector – World OHS Day” held with the theme of Tag-Out, Lock-Out, Secure, and Try System, this percentage increased in 2015 when 94% of the member factories attended the event held with the theme of Emergency Management. The fact that the participation rate was 91% in the 2016 event held with the theme of Behavior- Oriented OHS Audit showed that our member factories understood the importance of this topic and that a significant level of momentum was gained.
On April 28, the Behavior-Oriented OHS Audits were carried out at 91% of ÇEİS member cement factories (49 in number) where employees and managers gathered around a common goal: ensuring occupational health and safety. 544 employees were interviewed as part of the events. This corresponds to 11 people per factory. In addition, the events witnessed to a total of 14,281-minute (238,01-hour) behavior-oriented OHS audits, which correspond to an average of 4,85-hour audits at each member factory. Considering the fact that 544 people were interviewed during the events, each employee was provided with about a 26-minute occupational health and safety “theme.”
In addition to collective labor agreements which have become a routine practice now, trade unions are believed to achieve a success also in terms of the quality and quantity of the services they offer to their members without discriminating between employers and employees. In this respect, we also carry out initiatives in different fields such as human resources and corporate social responsibilities in addition to fields such as occupational health and safety, vocational qualifications, and industrial relations. In this way, we both support the efforts of our members and spend this country’s resources for this country’s good people. Trade unions have responsibilities towards both their members and their communities. With the responsibility of our “Zero Work Accident” vision, we, as the cement sector employers have been making efforts to develop the safety culture and have it embraced by both our sector and the entire society.
