Safety
Safety Attitude
The ‘Safety Attitude’ is at the heart of Colas' safety policy. As such, the Group aims to be a reference in this field, and has set a" zero accident " target. The cornerstone of this drive rests on the conviction that safety on work sites and on the road is a matter of daily behavior and permanent reflexes that involve every employee, from the CEO to the workers. More than a priority, safety is a genuine corporate value and managers are asked to get involved personally and set the example. To give new impetus to the prevention policy rolled out at Colas many years ago, a major Safety Attitude awareness campaign was launched in 2013 in all Group locations worldwide by Hervé Le Bouc, Colas Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer between 2008 and 2019. Among the many tools to enhance Safety, highlights include Starters and Safety Meetings, which have revitalized dialogue between management and workers on accident prevention. A Safety Week is also to be held every year in June in all Colas locations, covering local safety issues. In addition, cross-audits, best practice sharing, and greater emulation are also paths to progress.
Safety at work
Both the frequency and the severity of injuries is steadily diminishing, although significant improvements can and must be made upon current levels. This encouraging performance is due to the implementation of dedicated actions (safety audits, site safety briefings, accident cause trees, inter-business safety challenges, dedicated prevention courses, etc.) and the commitment of more than a thousand prevention managers.
More than one-third (35%) of employees around the world (20,000 staff) are trained in first aid. This exceptionally high level of commitment meets three objectives:
1. The presence of a first aid officer at each worksite can limit the consequences of a workplace accident.
2. An employee trained in emergency response is better able to appropriate and spread a culture of prevention.
3. Since there are not enough people trained in first aid in society at large, Colas is helping to improve the situation by providing an additional contingent, whether in the more hazardous environment of public highways or in their personal and family lives.
Our thinking and actions have been expanded to cover the entire spectrum of health and safety in the workplace, and thereby include issues related to working conditions in general, addictions (alcohol, tobacco, drugs), but also psychosocial risks (stress, etc.)
