Archived MHCA | Nov 2016

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 9, 2016 13

A SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

COMMITMENT TO SAFETY IS A SOURCE OF PRIDE FOR LAFARGE CANADA

BY JIM TIMLICK

FOR MARK GEIGER, THE COR™ (CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION) LOGO IS MORE THAN JUST A SYMBOL THAT RECOGNIZES A SAFE WORKPLACE — IT’S ALSO A BADGE OF HONOUR. G eiger is the provincial health and safety coordinator for Lafarge Canada, the largest diversified supplier of construction materials in North America. The company employs more than 100,000 people, including some 3,000 employees in Western Canada. All of Lafarge’s four Winnipeg- based facilities are COR™ certified, meaning they have implemented a comprehensive health and safety program that meets standards set by members of the Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA), including the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association (MHCA). Lafarge’s Manitoba operations regularly exceed the 96 per cent mark as part of the COR™ auditing process, and that’s a source of pride for the company. “We are happy to fly the COR™ banner,” Geiger says. “It means something to us and it means something to our customers. It’s proof we’re as good as we say we are.” The company’s commitment to providing an effective health and safety management system for employees hasn’t gone unnoticed. In September, Lafarge was one of four recipients

of a SAFE Work Manitoba Award for promoting a safe work culture. Geiger says Lafarge’s safety efforts have been shaped in no small way by working with the Construction Safety Association of Manitoba (CSAM) as part of COR™. One of the primary benefits of being COR™ certified, he says, is that it allows Lafarge to remain competitive in an increasingly competitive marketplace. “Our customers expect it because they want proof of a safety program,”he says. “Sometimes we’re only trucking product to their site, but in other cases we have employees working on their site. (Customers) want to know we have a safety culture and we meet a minimum standard.” COR™ certification is valid for a three- year period. To remain certified, a company must conduct an annual internal audit. It must also take part in an independent audit every three years and demonstrate specific training elements have been maintained during that time. Geiger says Lafarge’s management team views the auditing process as an opportunity rather than a burden. “It’s really a quality control process and allows us to identify opportunities to get better. It’s a process that makes us take a good hard look at ourselves and identify ways we can improve,” he says. For example, during a recent audit at

the company’s pipe manufacturing operation, COR™ advisors noted that while all of the relevant safety information was made available, more needed to be done to visually demonstrate proper safety procedures to employees. COR™ is proof that we are serious about our safety program … and are willing to be transparent and have someone come in and look at it with us,” Geiger says. Another benefit of being part of the COR™ program is that it provides participating companies with access to a wealth of valuable resources. For example, an advisor is scheduled to visit Lafarge in November to provide training to a number of employees in leadership positions. While there is a cost involved with some of these training programs, Geiger says it’s been money well spent for Lafarge. “They don’t just say here’s the program, go out and do it,” Geiger says. “They’re there to help facilitate things, whether that’s leadership training, whether that’s coming out and doing some specific training, whether it’s the audit itself. There’s a great team out there.” ■

The company’s commitment to providing an effective health and safety management system for employees hasn’t gone unnoticed. In September, Lafarge was one of four recipients of a SAFE Work Manitoba Award for promoting a safe work culture.

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