Nevra ÖZHATAY
General Manager
Çimsa
Çimsa accomplished Altın Baret (Golden Helmet) Project in 2016 in addition to long established OHS practices which have been ongoing for long years. Golden Helmet Project was planned to revise Occupational Health and Safety processes, to update the existing systems and to minimize accident frequency and average ratios
Çimsa is acting meticulously in behalf of Occupational Health and Safety area just like it has been doing in every field for 45 years. It regularly works on its training and application efforts to improve occupational safety awareness of all units within the company. The prior target of the company is to control the anticipated Occupational Health and Safety risks and to ensure that Çimsa employees turn back to their home safe and healthy everyday “without being involved in any accident”.
Cement and ready-mix concrete businesses are classified as very hazardous occupations. Çimsa closely observes the legal regulations enforced by international standards in addition to the legal regulations set forth by Occupational Health and Safety Code 6331 enacted by Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Labor and Social Security in Turkey. In this respect, safety of workplaces is improved every other day and action is taken with the goal of “Zero Work Accident”.
Occupational Health and Safety aspect has three dimensions which are system, field and human being. OHS system is defined as a company strategy at Çimsa and risk definition, inspection and management has importance role.
All of the plants within scope of Çimsa OHS system have a OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety system Certificate. OHS Management system which is developed by determining the proactive development areas is continuously supported with training, informing, inspection, improvement studies. OHS Training Commission gathers in the beginning of each year to prepare Occupational Safety Training Program and within this scope, OHS Commission meetings are held monthly according to the program.
Cement plants, ready-mix concrete plants and highway vehicles generate the site which is the second dimension of OHS. Regular risk analyses are performed and inspections are carried out in order to eliminate the hazards which have a potential causing damage and injury at Çimsa sites.
The third dimension of OHS is the ‘human’ factor which shall be considered meticulously. 96% of the accidents in cement and ready-mix concrete businesses is caused by unsafe conduct 4% is caused by unsafe conditions. Identification of unsafe behavior which leads to accidents, providing warning and retain them is the common responsibility of all employees. Çimsa raises awareness of its employees with the human focused approach it adopts and aims to ensure that they are always cautious. Thus, behavioral change is realized among the employees, their family and the entire society together with Occupational Health and Safety. With this project, our employees are becoming more aware not only for their own safety but also for the occupational safety of their colleagues.
Altın Baret (Golden Helmet) Project covers 18 months and consists of 4 phases as Emergency Actions, System Establishment, Implementation of Practices, and Sustainable HSE System. In the first 3 months of the process, OHS policy and rules which are gathered under titles of Personal Protective Equipment, Work at height, LOTO (Tag out-Lock out) and Reward and Punishment are revised according international standards. Within scope of the project, OHS Trainings which are customized according to job definitions are provided to employees from any level of Çimsa operations.
Çimsa is the first and the only Turkish cement and construction materials company to participate in CSI-Cement Sustainability Initiative which is a platform established by world’s giant cement companies to share the best examples in terms of sustainability. Çimsa, in line with its position, introduces the best OHS practices shared on this platform to Turkey and contributes to the development of both the company and the sector.
CSI is a global initiative in which the world’s giant 25 cement manufacturers from more than 100 countries participate, representing nearly one third of the world cement production. CSI expects from its members to integrate social and environmental responsibility to their business strategies and operations, besides a powerful financial performance.
Çimsa is a pioneer company which is rewarded and taken as model with its significant and systematic approaches, in Turkey and in the sector in terms of OHS. Our Company exerts effort and will continue to its efforts intensively in order to internalize Occupational.
