Holcim provides healthy and safe workplaces by striving for zero harm to our employees, contractors and visitors.

Zero Harm - Safety First
The belief that even one on-site injury is too many is behind the company’s “Zero Harm” goal.
This safety initiative aims to achieve zero harm to employees, contractors, customers and visitors on its sites by 2009.
Zero Harm - Safety First is led by the Managing Director and has the full support of the Board. Its aim is to change perceptions and behaviours.
The Holcim Safety Council, which includes the entire executive management team, provides the strategy and direction for health and safety improvements. The group has adopted ten principles to achieve Zero Harm.

• All harm is preventable
• Everyone is responsible for preventing harm
• Employee involvement is essential
• Managers and supervisory staff are accountable for preventing harm
• Working safely is a condition of employment
• All operating exposures can be safeguarded
• Safety tours are a must
• Training everyone to work safely is essential
• All incidents, near hits and hazards must be reported and acted upon
• We will promote off-the-job health and safety

Along with management commitment the involvement of all employees, contractors and visitors is also a crucial element in achieving our goal.
Another vital component of Zero Harm is safety tours. This involves all levels of management visiting and observing the workforce to reinforce good practices and safe behaviours. Safe behaviours are endorsed, and coaching is given when unsafe behaviours are observed.
Priority improvement areas (eg. confined spaces, lockout procedures, contractor safety) have been identified and are being worked on by subcommittees that are made up of employees across the organisation.
As implementation of improvement initiatives is completed across Holcim (New Zealand) Ltd these initiatives are becoming integrated into the way Holcim business is conducted and new priority areas are being identified and worked on as necessary and in line with a continuous improvement process.

In 2000, ACC accepted Holcim New Zealand into its partnership programme after conducting an audit of our health and safety management processes. The partnership programme enables the company to take on ACC’s usual role of administering, remunerating and rehabilitating employees injured at work.
Holcim is audited each year at sites chosen by the ACC to ensure health and safety systems are maintained to manage health and safety, and to provide injury management and rehabilitation services for employees.
The audits also determine the level at which Holcim is managing this role within a three tier system. Site audits carried out in 2008 demonstrated that Holcim was providing these services at the tertiary level, the highest level achievable in the programme.

Through our agency, WellNZ, we monitor the recovery of our employees after an accident, to assist them back into the workforce as soon as they are able. As part of this programme we focus on ways that managers can help achieve an early return to work.

Holcim drivers take part in the Masterdrive Programme to help minimise the risk of traffic accidents.