Safety, health, environment, risk management and quality

Highlights of 2009

• Basil Read’s Park Station site was the first to receive a safety award from the Gautrain’s Bombela Construction joint venture for achieving one million hours without a lost-time injury.
• In the buildings division, the Regent team achieved 1,5 million hours without a lost-time injury, while the Cosmo City team building residential flats recorded 500 000 hours without a lost-time injury.
• At the OR Tambo International Airport site, zero incidents have been reported in the past 11 months – not even for first aid.
• Several Basil Read SHE managers upgraded their professional qualifications, with two receiving Registered Occupational Safety Professional (ROSprof) status from the Institute of Safety Management. Two have also been accepted as members of the Institute of Risk Management South Africa and as auditors: quality management systems – ISO 9001:2000.

Integrated approach

In recent years, much attention has been given to integrating the disparate systems that existed across a group recording rapid organic and acquisitive growth. The group’s robust safety/health/ environment/quality system is both a guide and measurement tool to achieving set standards in each of these areas. We continue to believe that the adequacy, suitability and effectiveness of any management system is judged by how successfully it helps us achieve our objectives, operate efficiently and fulfil our purpose and mission – no benefit is gained from simply focusing on one aspect of performance when a combination of factors is needed to deliver superior performance.

Accordingly, during the year, we incorporated risk management into the safety, health and environment division, aligning our governance processes with the recommendations of King III and reinforcing our commitment to an integrated approach focused on zero harm.

Our formal risk management process supports our quality, safety, health and environmental policies. All controls and procedures are formalised in line with a comprehensive quality and safety management system, and certified under the following international and national accreditations: ISO 9001:2008, OHSAS 18001:2007 and ISO 14001:2007.

• Clearly defined responsibilities embedded into the system of corporate governance.
• Clear communication of the group’s philosophy, strategy, objectives and values to all employees.
• Clear, written policies and procedures.
• The empowerment and incentivisation of staff according to the group’s long-term objectives.

Basil Read applies a do it right first time principle on every project, with the SHERQ system functioning as the procedural tool during project management. As such, Basil Read fully complies with the requirements of the International Standards Organisation (ISO) and the relevant SHE legislation i.e. OHS Act, MHS Act, NEMA etc.

Safety

Safety, health, environment, risk management and quality (SHERQ) is the cornerstone of Basil Read’s operations – the driving force behind project delivery, teamwork, operational discipline and overall business excellence.

During the review period, there has been a strong drive by project managers, divisional managers and executive directors to reduce the number of incidents and accidents, coupled with continuous training and the industrial theatre roadshow . This commitment has paid off in a disabling-injury frequency rate (DIFR) of 0,58, just below the group’s 2009 objective of 0,6. The target DIFR for 2010 has been set at 0,3.

Given that 92% of all accidents are caused by human behaviour, decreasing at-risk behaviour is key to Basil Read. We believe behaviour-based safety is not a programme, it is a process. If we are serious about continually reducing work-related injuries, we need to make safety a way of life.

Behaviour-based safety focuses on observing what people do, analysing why they do it, and then acting to increase and support safe behaviour and reduce unsafe behaviour. There is also a strong focus on positive consequences to improve attitudes. Continuous feedback reinforces the required standards and helps people more fully consider the risk of injury. It also triggers self-observation and gives employees accurate information on work practices.

The behaviour-based safety approach calls for a systematic change in attitude that puts safety at the forefront of every employee’s mind. This has been accomplished through peer support and evaluation, and by the appointment of a full-time behaviour-based safety champion to ensure a smooth roll out of the programme. In addition, full-time SHERQ practitioners are part of the management team in each division, assuring Basil Read clients of the highest levels of quality and professionalism on each project.

Basil Read’s zero-harm approach is promoted both from the top down and bottom up throughout the company. Wherever possible, safer practices are continually adopted and lessons learnt shared across the group.

• The buildings division reduced its DIFR from 0,53 to 0,28 in the last 15 months, with only six lost-time injuries with very low severities.
• At Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit, we achieved 5,3 million hours without a fatality. The team also recorded three million injury-free hours with a DIFR of 0,26 – well below the corporate objective of 0,6.
• The Basil Read roads division floating trophy for the safest project from start to finish was won by subsidiary Newport Construction for completing the 12-month N2 phase 3 project without a single accident.

The zero-harm approach extends to our subcontractors. During the year, we reviewed and refined the relevant processes to ensure that all subcontractor documents and competencies are thoroughly vetted before contracts are awarded. At all times, subcontractors are expected to uphold the group’s standards.

Tragically, the group recorded five fatalities at road sites during the year. In the first, Ngwatha Thomas Raphahlele, a subcontractor employee, was killed when a reversing tipper truck struck him on the Atterbury site. A similar incident on the Leandra site led to the death of subcontractor employee Pieter Gerhardus Pretorius. Risenga Michael Maluleke, employed as a subcontractor on the East London Industrial Development Zone platform site, was fatally wounded when he became caught between the flywheel and walkway of a jaw crusher while effecting repairs. Alfred Nyalamotse Nonyane, employed on the Tom Jones site, died in a road accident when a truck, whose brakes had failed, entered the lane closure. The final incident involved Lwanda Tyali who died while assisting traffic control at the D1/D2 site and was struck by a milling machine. The loss of even a single life is unacceptable and zero remains the only target.

• Incident – a serious injury has occurred on a Basil Read site.
• Safety alert – a minor injury/incident/near-miss has occurred.
• Good news flash – highlighting achievements.

Compliance

Statutory and internal compliance is monitored monthly through legal compliance audits, internal and group audits. Against a target of 85% compliance, the group audits recorded an average of 84,6%, and legal compliance audits an average of 87%. The target for 2010 has been set at 90% for group audits and 100% for legal compliance audits.

• In 1998, we were one of the first local construction companies to be certified to ISO 9001:1994.
• In 2003, Basil Read was the first local construction company to achieve ISO 9001:2000 certification.
• Also in 2003, we were assessed and certified as meeting the requirements of OHSAS 18001:1999.
• In 2009, Basil Read successfully completed its reassessment on ISO 9001:2008 and OHSAS 18001:2007 certification with NQA, an international certification body.
• Also in 2009, Basil Read successfully obtained ISO 14001:2007 certification. This international environmental standard ensures that global best practices are in place at Basil Read.

As part of a process of continuous improvement, resident engineer and employer questionnaires are completed for all sites. The responses received coupled with the results from internal and external group audits reinforce the benefits of an integrated system and group-wide commitment to implementing the SHERQ system.

Safety training

Induction and training into the SHERQ management system is ongoing, to ensure that all employees, particularly new employees, understand and can deliver on their responsibilities.

• Safe use of scaffolding.
• Plant and equipment use.
• Unsafe acts on sites.
• Correct use of personal protective equipment.
• Pride in your work and working safely at all times.

An induction DVD is distributed to all sites. This greatly reduces time spent on the induction process and frees our safety personnel to focus on areas where they can add more value.

Health

Since 2006, Basil Read has had a health monitoring programme in place to ensure that all employees are fit and healthy for their specific roles and responsibilities. A professional third party conducts regular medicals on all site employees to ensure no one is exposed to any harm.

• Noise-induced hearing loss.
• Vibrating equipment.
• Dust.
• Substance abuse.
• Vision impairment (particularly stress related).
• Fatigue.

Specific programmes are in place to address these risks, from enforced rest periods to counter the effects of fatigue to six-week suspension periods with counselling before retesting in the case of identified substance abuse.

During the year, a gym was added to the head office building, complementing the healthy nutrition provided by outsourced service providers and encouraging overall employee wellness. Given the distance of the group’s head office from retail facilities, this is an important and convenient wellness benefit.