SOLIHULL: At the Mineral Products Association [MPA] Best Practice Awards 2009, Lafarge's ongoing commitment to industry-leading occupational health and safety was recognised with a collection of awards and commendations spanning its entire business operations.
MPA Cement trophies were awarded for Lafarge's Cookstown Cement Works, County Tyrone and Dunbar Cement Works, East Lothian, for operating throughout 2008 without a single lost time injury.
Lafarge was Highly Commended in the Engineering Initiatives category for housekeeping and safety standards at its Hope Works in Derbyshire, in the Management Systems Initiatives category for its senior management safety prioritisation and in the Training Initiatives category for mobile plant training and the introduction of gradient/road width plans within quarries to ensure safer working environments.
Lafarge was also awarded a Certificate of Merit in the Occupational Health category for introducing a device to measure and help reduce operator exposure to whole body vibration on mobile plant equipment at its Dunbar Quarry, East Lothian.
Lafarge's John Millen, yard supervisor at Hope Cement Works, and Barry Robinson MBE, mobile plant trainer and NVQ assessor, received special recognition for their personal commitment and contributions to health and safety.
Erdogan Pekenc, managing director, Lafarge Cement, said: "Health and Safety is the priority for Lafarge and I am delighted that we have been able to gain recognition from the MPA for our commitment and wide ranging activities in this crucial area. These awards can only be achieved by all employees maintaining a daily safety focus. With their on-going commitment we will continue to build upon our recognised best practice."
This year 211 entries were submitted for judging, demonstrating the sector-wide commitment to maintain high health and safety standards despite challenging economic conditions.
Presenting the awards, Lord Jordan of Bournville CBE, guest of honour and President of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "The mineral products industry is critically important to the future of the UK, but arguably its contribution to creating, quite literally, the foundations of the UK economy, is under-recognised. Just as under-recognised in my view is the fantastic work which your association and its members and stakeholders have undertaken to drive down workplace accidents and to safeguard employees' health."
