Achieving Zero Harm On The Road – part two

GRSP – working for a world free of road crash death and injury

The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP)⁵ was established in 1999 as an initiative of the World Bank, the Department For International Development (DFID) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The primary goal of GRSP is to establish partnerships between government, private sector and civil society organisations to address the road safety problem in a proactive way.

Work through this tri-sector partnership model has centred on building capacity of road safety stakeholders, developing and promoting good practice interventions, and aligning efforts with the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 – 2020, with an overarching mission ‘to improve the quality of life for all in the communities, cities and countries in which the participating organisations operate, work and live’.

The CSI, as a GRSP corporate member, has teamed up with GRSP in its different local projects, one of which was the roundtable meeting in Delhi in May 2014 gathering companies committed to progressing towards improved road safety in India.

Through this forum, CSI member companies in India engaged in multi-sectoral discussions to build a trusted platform designed to make a difference in road safety and bring together actors from the private sector, civil society and government with a singular focus.

The meeting saw GRSP provide an overview of the status of the road safety situation both globally and in India, and give examples of the solutions adopted around the world to address the issue, including GRSP’s experience working together with corporates in developing and emerging economies.

Apart from representatives of CSI in Indian member companies, other participants included Ashok Leyland, Coca Cola, Castrol, Nestle, Renault, Shell and Total. SaveLife Foundation⁶, a highly regarded NGO working in partnership with GRSP in India on a range of road safety legislation issues, also participated in the meeting.

Speaking on the subject of private sector involvement in road safety, GSRP CEO Dr Barry Watson noted: “Private sector organisations have the opportunity to make a major contribution to road safety by adopting world’s best practice policies for managing the safe road use of all their employees. Besides enhancing the safety of their workforce, this can produce much wider benefits for the communities in which organisations operate. To achieve this goal, however, more must be done to stem and reduce the numbers of deaths and injuries that occur each year on our roads, with particular focus needed on low and middle-income countries where growing economies are experiencing rapid increases in the numbers of deaths and serious injuries.

“Many from the private sector have come to recognise that the business case for road safety is compelling, yet there exists a broader, moral obligation. Organisations that have developed and implemented successful internal road safety policies must look beyond organisational boundaries and share good practice with the cities and countries in which they operate. Those that have capacity and skills must act, and that action can bring about true social change, and the economic benefits for all that come with it.”

Connecting with stakeholders

Every year, the CSI celebrates its annual forum in different locations on various sustainability themes close to the heart of the cement sector. The 2015 CSI Forum⁷ will take place in Cappadocia, Turkey on 13 – 14 October.

Approximately 10 000 lives are lost every year in Turkey due to road traffic crashes; the country has a road traffic fatality rate of 13 deaths per 100 000 population. According to the WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety⁸, though there are laws on speed, blood alcohol concentration for the general population, seat-belt wearing and helmet wearing, they are inadequately enforced.

The event will cover challenges faced by the cement industry both globally and in specific localities. Road safety will be one of the core topics prominently featured. Other health and safety issues to be covered include: leadership and culture, contractor safety, health impact management, internal and external engagement, innovation and safety by design, etc. The programme will engage the audience to interact with expert speakers presenting in plenary sessions, breakout dialogues and with operations at the plant visit. Attendees will explore together how a safety mindset can be embedded into the DNA of corporate culture to deliver change in employee behaviour, adjustments in the management system, and improved ways of interacting with external stakeholders.

A wide range of participants from all around the world is expected, including senior executives from cement companies, representation from trade associations, academia and experts from research institutions, leading H&S advocates, key government officials engaged in employee health and safety and other relevant areas. Alongside the forum meeting, the CSI will also hold its annual Communication Partner meeting. Gathering 15 national and regional cement associations, a good exchange amongst global peers is expected to advance understanding and progress of sustainability topics of common interest.

Mrs Nevra Özhatay, CEO of Çimsa Cement, the hosting company of CSI Forum 2015, said: “As Çimsa, we are honoured to host this forum. This year’s CSI Forum aims to discuss health and safety issues essential to the cement sector. CSI published a report entitled ‘Safety in the cement industry: Guidelines for measuring and reporting’⁹ that will allow a common benchmarking platform for industry-wide figures on health and safety. In my opinion, this is a big step in the right direction. We are aware of the fact that quality standards and benchmarking that go beyond regulatory compliance are crucial. At Çimsa, we take the necessary measures in the work environment by working on widely accepted infrastructure, documentation and best practices to achieve the target of zero accident. I believe that the success in management of occupational health and safety plays a very important role for the sustainability of the cement industry and this forum in Cappadocia, Turkey, will have a great input on this issue.”

The CSI Forum this year aims to look into possible solutions to help companies jump the gap between where they are now and where they want to be in terms of safety performance, i.e. zero harm to all. Through sharing of good practices, identifying root causes and fundamental issues, distinguishing what can be done by companies (individually or collectively at the CSI level) and clarifying what would require collaboration with stakeholders, companies can build a safer and healthier workforce together.

About the CSI

The Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) is a global effort by 25 leading cement producers, with operations in more than 100 countries. Collectively these companies account for around 30% of the world’s cement production and range in size from very large multinationals to smaller local producers. All CSI members have integrated sustainable development into their business strategies and operations, as they seek strong financial performance with an equally strong commitment to social and environmental responsibility. The CSI is an initiative of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Find out more at www.wbcsdcement.org.

References

6. www.grsproadsafety.org

7. savelifefoundation.org

8. www.wbcsdcement.org/forum-2015

9. www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2013/

10. www.wbcsdcement.org/index.php/en/key-issues/health-safety/guidelines

This is part two of a two-part article written by Yvonne Leung for World Cement’s September 2015 issue and abridged for the website. Subscribers can read the full issue by signing in, and can also catch up on-the-go via our new app for Apple and Android.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/indian-subcontinent/31122015/achieving-zero-harm-on-the-road-part-two-12/