CSR Solutions

 

Passion for Safety

Health and safety in the workplace


Organisation Name

Holcim Italia


Problem

The most recent studies concerning safety outline its importance and that it requires investments in machines as well as adoption of a culture of safety to assure wellbeing and reduce social costs of accidents.  The point is awareness of the consequences of everybody's actions or omissions on his own health and safety.  Unfortunately Italy as a whole is lagging in Europe with regards workers' safety. 
In light of this, how can safety be promoted to gain support across the organisation?


Solution

Holcim (Italia) is a manufacturing company that has inherent risks related to the production process.  Since 2002 many activities have been developed to increase both people's awareness and machines' safety.
In 2002 the Holcim Ltd Safety Policy was adopted in Italy and OH&S committees were established both at company level and at single plant level.  In 2005 a new safety management system was introduced called Safety Pyramid and is made up of 19 issues arranged as a pyramid.  Each of the 19 blocks is a defined part of the system, made up by objectives that have to be reached.  In 2006 the company started the certification process according to the OHSAS 18001:1999 scheme and 10 industrial sites have now been certified.
In 2006 projects related to employee information and involvement were strengthened, such as the safety newsletter and the safety days (during which emergency simulations are made) were introduced.
The OH&S Awareness Campaign was launched in December 2006 to push people to think of safety as a daily matter concerning everybody, even those employees whose activities have indirect impact on safety: e.g. human resources management, transport management, etc.
Different tools are being used to involve people:

  • Pocket guide on safety and an abstract of safety procedures
  • A video that outlines the importance of following the OH&S rules
  • A poster to be put up in plants and offices
  • A card, delivered monthly with the wage packet, with the 10 key messages of the campaign
  • Monthly meetings that involve any employee during which suggestions for safety improvement are collected

Constraints

  • Involving any employee once a month for 10 month requires a lot of time, coherence and consistency
  • Involving employees is itself is not sufficient in order to reach zero harm to people. Other external stakeholders (e.g. contractors) can seriously influence the injury frequency rate

Benefits

  • Injury rate dropped from 24.9 in 2005 to 12.2 in 2006 (a 51% drop)
  • In 2006/2007 the Safety Management System was developed and the certification, according to the OHSAS 18001 scheme, was obtained for 10 industrial sites
  • Employees are more focused on safety related issues

 

Academy of Entrepreneurship

 

Building Relationships with Business Partners andClients through SkillsTransfer

Organisation Name

Telekomunikacja Polska

Problem

Telekomunikacja Polska (TP) is a telecommunications company which attaches significant value to the quality of communication and partner relationships with business customers. TP realises that its revenues from the business sector are a function of Polish companies' well-being, competitiveness and profitability. Accession to the European Union opened up both new opportunities and threats for Polish companies: new capital resources (structural EU funds) and new markets, but also new competition. TP realised that a significant number of small and medium-sized companies are not prepared to fully benefit from that, because they lack the skills and knowledge needed. The company understood that helping them is in its long-term business interest, because the EU offers funds which may be used directly for purchasing ICT solutions. Furthermore, other solutions for improving competitiveness of TP's business customers may indirectly influence TP's business as well. The question for TP was how to teach SMEs to improve their businesses and benefit from new opportunities. 

Solution

  • The Academy of Entrepreneurship aims at educating SME entrepreneurs e.g. on: (i) current business management, taxes, law; (ii) practical information on acquiring EU funds; (iii) up-to-date ICT solutions; (iv) benefits from certification.

  • The programme includes the following activities: (i) free educational and advisory programme; (ii) free consulting after the workshop on the Web.

  • The Academy takes the shape of workshops during which participants can exchange their opinions and views. Each workshop is run and moderated by an expert on European matters. Experts are chosen and invited to cooperate with the advisory company - Grupa BOSS on all matters concerning European endeavors.

  • The Academy also hosts its mentors and during break there is time for individual consultations with a chosen expert. The choice of topics discussed, and companies invited is decided in a process of individual talks by mentor representatives with clients, questionnaires filled in by company representatives at meetings and based on the communication strategy of the mentors.

  • The Academy Project was initiated by TP, but TP has invited other companies to get involved. There are several Academy Mentors: TP, HP, Intel, Microsoft, Simens, Bank Milenium, Gazeta Prawna (business newspaper).

  • The projects involve employees and managers of the Academy Mentors and also local media and experts - representatives of government and local institutions.

  • The Academy of Entrepreneurship also receives patronage from the UNDP Global Compact, as of January 2006.

Constraints

  • Attracting companies and sponsors to join the Project (large companies).

Benefits

  • Building a market for modern tele-information solutions by improving the businesses of TP's business customers (and potential business customers too) – about 3 thousand SMEs were trained before the end of 2005.

  • Building a responsible image among companies in the SME sector.

  • Making direct contact and building relationships with companies, attracting potential clients