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S: Social

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

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‘Zero Harm to People’ is a non-negotiable commitment at INSEE Cement where the health and safety of all our stakeholders remains one of our utmost priorities and is the foundation of the INSEE Sustainability Ambition 2030. We believe that all occupational injuries, illnesses, and other hazards are preventable, and have committed to grow our business responsibly and sustainably, adhering to effective OHS Management Systems.

INSEE Cement is committed to nurturing healthy and safe working environments, but our obligation does not stop with our employees; we are committed to improving health and safety measures throughout our value chain. The INSEE Cement OHS commitment starts at the top tier of our leadership with the Executive Committee, and cascades down across all strata of the company. Each employee, contractor or any other stakeholder when engaging with INSEE Cement also commits to working safely and being attentive to the health and safety of others, while also understanding and following established OHS rules and established procedures at INSEE Cement. No one person is exempt from following OHS rules and procedures, and no-one may undertake or permit any unsafe act or to work in an unsafe or unhealthy condition.

‘Safety Leadership’ has been a critical part of establishing good governance at INSEE Cement. We believe management is the most significant influence on employee behaviour, and that it is the ability of management to influence and control the behaviour of employees that determines whether injuries occur in a workplace. 96% of workplace injuries are traced in one form or another back to unsafe acts and behaviours of employees.

INSEE Cement complies with all applicable legislation and regulations with regard to workplace OHS and aims to continuously improve the health and safety performance benchmark of the company. Our commitment and effort has resulted in continuously decreasing incident rates year-on-year, while making progress against evolving targets set by the company. INSEE focuses on proactive KPIs rather than reactive ones with priorities given to Visible Felt Leadership (VFL), safety observational tours, task observations and OHS training hours. OHS performance is continuously reviewed and monitored by the Central Safety Committee headed by our dedicated OHS team, with bimonthly meetings presided by the CEO and Executive Committee. Site-wise safety performance is reviewed monthly by Safety Sub-Committees at each INSEE Cement operational location.

Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems at INSEE Cement

  • Puttalam Cement Plant – ISO 45001:2018
  • Ruhunu Cement Plant – ISO 45001:2018
  • Mahaweli Marine Cement (Pvt) Ltd – ISO 45001:2018

Key Projects:

Future Leader and Next Leader

The OHS capabilities of key individuals in various roles across the company are developed through structured training programmes covering IOSH Managing Safety Course Content. with Participants are awarded a certificate upon successful completion. Our management also uses (VFL as a tool to demonstrate their OHS Leadership; employees “see” managers talking about safety and “feel” its importance to the company, while leaders contribute their most important asset -” time” – to drive the message through.

OHS Professional Capacity Training Program

INSEE Cement works closely with the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health of Sri Lanka (NIOSH) to uplift national OHS standards. We have partnered with NIOSH to conduct a one-year professional OHS training program to develop the professional capacities of GCE A/L qualified students to become NVQ Level 5 qualified Safety Officers. We have also renewed our commitment to be Technical Partners of the Annual National Safety Awards organized by NIOSH each year.

 

Community and Stakeholder Engagement

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We value our stakeholders as equal partners in our journey to meet our ambitious 2030 Sustainability Goals. We engage with five key stakeholder groups; 1) Employees – the life force of our company 2) the Communities in areas we operate 3) Customers 4) Suppliers 5) Business Partners – defining our success. When INSEE Cement enters into business partnerships, we prioritise a comprehensive mutual value approach that encompasses three dimensions: commercial benefits, social impact, and environmental outcomes. We consider not only the commercial advantages but also what our stakeholders can contribute in terms of social and environmental aspects. Over the years, we have employed a proactive approach to seek out and maintain a dialogue with all such relevant groups – both at local as well as at a national level. This consistent approach has allowed INSEE to benefit from the exchange of ideas and opinions and to identify critical issues at an early stage while also strengthening public trust in the INSEE brand.

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Our customers are central not only to our business, but also to our sustainability ambitions. They see our sustainability as a “must-have” instead of a “nice-to-have”. We are increasing circularity in the wider economy by providing customers and partners with products that minimise pollution and waste, both during and after construction. We offer sustainable solutions to corporates and enable them to contribute towards the circular economy through the expansion of our Ecocycle Resource Recovery Centre.

Sustainability is also a key area that guides our relationships with business partners and suppliers. INSEE’s Procurement Policy provides clear guidelines regarding fair and equitable procurement as well as the management of supplier relationships. Among other measures, INSEE also undertakes regular reviews and audits of its local suppliers, has and rolled out a series of digital solutions under the Safety 4.0 program for the benefit of Third-Party Contract Workers. We have also invested in digital technology to expand the scope of our Contractor Safety Management Systems (CSMD).

Our employees play an important role in initiating and executing our projects and are the custodians of our sustainability efforts with a community and stakeholder engagement plan localised at each site. We also promote collaboration, skill development and knowledge dissemination across all stakeholder groups to sustainably advance the local construction industry. We encourage suppliers and business partners to align their operations with global sustainability principles and standards through contractual clauses, nurturing a shared value culture that inspires innovation and results in mutual success.

INSEE Cement has nurtured strong relationships with the communities in the vicinity of our Puttalam and Galle Cement Plants through employment, empowerment, community development and uncountable social projects that have ensured that they advance alongside the company. We have established plant-level Community Advisory Panels (CAPS) which include external stakeholders such as community leaders, District Secretariat authorities and Grama Niladari’s (Village Level Administrative Officer) working alongside an internal cross-functional INSEE team. With ground-level access to the community, the CAP is tasked with identifying potential projects that reflect INSEE’s focus on education, livelihood, clean water and sanitation, and environmental conservation within a 7km radius of every local INSEE operation, measuring success with impact assessments and surveys.

To further formalise our commitment, INSEE Cement aims to become a signatory to the UN Global Compact. This will enable us to network with likeminded corporate and global entities, access partnerships and guidance, and also share best practices and emerging solutions to make our national and regional impact greater.

Key Projects:

Youth Vocational Training Program

In response to a request from the communities in Puttalam, INSEE Cement developed a two-and-a-half year vocational training programme leading to a NVQ Level 4 qualification. This up-skills the region’s enterprising youth with technical knowledge as well as complementing knowledge in English and IT to create opportunities for better livelihoods and career progression. The training is conducted at the INSEE Enterprise-based Vocational Education (EVE) Training Centre in Puttalam, and coaching is carried out by qualified trainers from the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) of Sri Lanka. A full year of theoretical knowledge is followed by a year of full-time practical training at our Puttalam Cement Plant along with a monthly allowance. Over 1,800 youth from Puttalam have benefited from this programme to date.

Empowerment through Education

INSEE Cement considers education to be a pillar of our social initiatives. We therefore invest in providing education and directly related services to deserving students in our communities, with the aim of uplifting educational standards, and inculcating social values in our future leaders. The company conducts annual seminars for an average of 100 students sitting for the GCE Ordinary Level Examination, while also sponsoring subject teachers for core subjects such as mathematics and science to support rural schools in Puttalam. School transport services are also provided to some of the most rural villages in the area without which students would have no access to education. The INSEE SANSTHA Preschool in Eluwankulama has been supporting primary school children in the area for more than 30 years.

Medical facilities

INSEE Cement conducts annual medical camps in Puttalam and Galle, bringing together specialists alongside our in-house doctors to offer free medical screening and consultation to hundreds of villagers. The program is sustained throughout the year with two dedicated medical centres at Puttalam and Eluwankulam serving over 100 villagers twice a week with free medical consultations and prescribed medicinal drugs.

Drug Abuse Awareness Programs

In response to the increasing rates of drug addiction and abuse among school children, INSEE Cement joined hands with the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) and Sri Lanka Police in 2017 to conduct a progressive drug awareness campaign to reach thousands of school children between the ages of 14 – 18 across 23 schools in Aruwakkalu, Puttalam and Galle. Police officials, the respective District Secretariats and Municipal Councils are all part of the one-day programmes, which are designed to educate and create awareness among school children, teachers, and parents on the detrimental impact of drug abuse and the long-term benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Creative methods were used to communicate the message and stimulate high levels of engagement such as performing arts and theatre. The campaign has had a positive impact, with significant reductions in drug-related cases across the participating communities.

The Clean Water Project

We annually renew our commitment to provide safe and clean drinking water to rural schools located in close vicinity to our Puttalam cement facility. INSEE Cement has provided hybrid water treatment facilities for five schools the area, benefiting children, teachers, parents, as well as the larger community.

Mangrove restoration

INSEE has overseen mangrove plantations in Serakkuliya (close to the Aruwakkalu Quarry site) and Kuruluduwa (close to Ruhunu Cement Works) which is a big achievement.

Mangroves protect shorelines by preventing coastal erosion and provide storm surge protection. They help restore and protect the biodiversity of marine and coastal ecosystems by providing feeding, breeding and safe nursing grounds, as well as serving as habitats, and migratory sites for many aquatic species, birds, and other faunal species. They also act as a natural carbon sink and a buffer between land and sea.

The plantation of mangroves is clearly linked to achieving multiple global goals including several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It provides a huge contribution to the environment, ecosystem as well as to society.

Mangrove peat absorbs water during heavy rains and storm surges, reducing the chances of coastal flooding. Because they grow on shorelines, mangroves play an important role in the ecosystem, protecting the land and serving as a frontline defence for people and property along the coasts. Mangroves also help protect marine habitats from harmful nutrients and runoff that can harm seagrass, coral reefs and fisheries. The roots help filter water coming from the land, including pollutants, heavy metals, pesticides, and agricultural runoff.

Mangrove forests also have a phenomenal capacity for carbon sequestration. This is the process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and held in soil or liquid form, which helps to mitigate global warming.