There are hazards associated with the building process that must be identified and mitigated as quickly as possible. This document will address twelve potential hazards for HeidelbergCement
HeidelbergCement controls much of the supply chain for its business, which is an excellent business model but presents unique challenges in the realm of safety. In the aggregate phase, heavy machinery must be used to obtain and properly sort, sift, and remove aggregate from the quarry. Using heavy machinery can pose a threat to operators, leading to injury or potential downtime if machinery is used improperly. The outcome is potential downtime, injury, and worker’s compensation.
Cement itself poses risk to the consumer and to those working with it. If the cement gets into the eyes or is ingested the substance can do serious damage. Risk to workers regarding cement requires the use of personal protective equipment around the eyes and face. In addition, cement can cause skin irritation and chemical burns, another hazard; to avoid this hazard, gloves and other clothing should be worn to cover the skin. The same precautions can be used by consumers who are pouring wet cement.
Because HeidelbergCement is also in the market for pre-formed cement pieces, workers have to pour and move these pieces. Lifting and moving heavy pieces of cement poses a hazard to workers which may result in bodily injury. These hazards can be alleviated with the proper use and maintenance of equipment. Large, prefabricated pieces may require the use of special equipment, and pose different hazards to those installing the pieces. Injury on worksites can be avoided by following safety protocol and wearing the proper protective equipment.
Improperly-stored or stacked pieces of prefabricated cement pose one of the biggest falling hazards for the company. Cement pieces that are improperly stored for transit or improperly stacked at the worksite can easily topple; clear plans on how to stack pieces must be formulated for the safety of the jobsite.
The noise from heavy machinery is a hazard in all workplaces that work with heavy machinery. HeidelbergCement has noted that the amount of noise on worksites must be monitored regularly to avoid problems. Similarly, dust from machinery and construction-related tasks can cause immunological and respiratory responses that are long-term hazards for workers. These hazards must also be monitored on worksites by management.
Fatalities due to traffic accidents on and off the jobsite are a significant hazard to the workers. To avoid injuries and fatalities due to traffic accidents, workers must be properly educated on the laws in the home country of the worksite. Drivers responsible for specialized pieces of heavy machinery must be specially-contracted and educated on the use of the machinery.
Long-term exposure to chemicals present in the process of creating cement can be detrimental to an individual’s health. To avoid these negative effects, proper safety protocol should be followed and safety equipment worn. Chemicals that are particularly harsh should be limited in use, and those who are exposed to them should be allowed rotations to avoid overexposure.
Finally, there are hazards to personnel in places where political instability and violence is common, such as parts of Africa. In these locations, the company has a responsibility to put in place and maintain safety plans for the employees contracted to work. These may include evacuation plans and retrieval plans if the location is particularly unstable.
References
HeidelbergCement.com (2013). Profile: HeidelbergCement Group. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.heidelbergcement.com/global/en/company/about_us/profile.htm [Accessed: 15 Oct 2013].
