Cemex Philippines wins Sopi safety award

The Safety Organisation of the Philippines Inc (SOPI) recently cited Cemex with an Outstanding Road Safety Programme award for the cement company's consistent efforts in promoting a culture of safety in its operations and surrounding communities.

“At the end of the day, our goal is always to go home safe. We want everybody to go home unharmed to their families. We at Cemex live and breathe our commitment to safety which is ‘Ligtas 24-Oras.’ We will always raise the bar when it comes to improving safety. Cemex will go all the way to achieve zero accidents by promoting accountability and responsibility among our people,” said Mr Teotico, Cemex logistics director..

A recent highlight of Cemex’s road safety initiatives is its Fatigue Management Policy, geared toward preventing road accidents due to driver fatigue or sleepiness. The policy outlines maximum allowable working and driving hours among its third-party contractors, and requires drivers to have a determined rest period before hitting the road. Cemex has also put in place an authority to assign trips and measure the fitness level of the driver. This way, a driver who is experiencing fatigue or is hypertensive will not be allowed to drive.

Last year, Cemex also began partnering with public elementary schools on a road safety campaign for children dubbed “Listo Tayo!” This community program introduced “Si Mentong Matibay,” Cemex’s safety ambassador, who teaches students the basics of road safety. To date, more than 2,000 students have been engaged in the programme.

Another safety initiative in 2013 was the APO Cement Plant Road Traffic Safety Enhancement Project. Cemex installed lane separators with blinkers, rumble strips, road safety signs, speed-capturing CCTV, and loading/unloading bays to improve the safety features of the national highway in Naga, Cebu. The Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Naga has endorsed a declaration of the area as a Traffic Discipline Zone.

“We always make sure that we partner with contractors who can commit to our health and safety objectives. It’s important that the contractors understand that it’s not only to comply, it’s for them to live it, for it to be a part of their work,” explained Edmund Trazo, Cemex environment, health and safety manager.