Occupational health and safety

Ensuring a safe working environment for our employees, with minimal risk of accidents, injuries or occupational diseases is a fundamental principle of our business, and prevention is our primary strategy.

Our firm commitment to occupational health and safety is expressed on several performance levels at HeidelbergCement Romania.

Firstly, we strictly comply with specific national legislation and the minimum health and safety requirements stipulated therein. In addition, we comply with the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) policy adopted at Group level, as well as the local policy developed in accordance with the requirements of ISO 45001:2018.

Furthermore, at Group level, OHS has a special status as one of the goals of the 2030 Sustainability Commitments is to achieve excellence in occupational health and safety with ”ZERO fatal work accidents” and ”Zero work-related accidents with temporary disability” targets.

Group Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Policy

The focus of this policy is to develop a positive Health and Safety culture and stipulates the company’s obligation to: – comply with all local, regional, and national rules, legislation, and guidelines to which the company subscribes – manage OHS subjects using appropriate management systems – regularly report and analyze data related to OHS – continually improve the OHS performance regarding risk assessment and the development of prevention and protection plans, in order to aim for improved OHS conditions at workplaces – provide instructions and guidance on the handling of our products in accordance with applicable law.

At HeidelbergCement Romania level, direct management is responsible for monitoring compliance with the national and international legislative framework and the rules and guidelines set out in the Group’s OHS policy. All company locations have designated at least one local OHS consultant.

Several Occupational Health and Safety Committees ( OHS Committees) operate within the organization, at the headquarters level, and at the level of each cement plant. Each committee is composed of employer and employee representatives, in accordance with legal requirements.

The number of workers’ representatives is equal to the number consisting of the employer’s legal representative and the employer’s representatives.

Workers’ representatives with specific occupational health and safety responsibilities are elected by and among the workers in the unit for a twoyear term. The members of the occupational health and safety committee are appointed by a written decision of its chairman and the composition of the committee is communicated to all workers. The Occupational Health and Safety Committee operates under its own rules of procedure.

The role of the Occupational Health and Safety Committee is to plan, participate in and carry out actions aimed at improving occupational health and safety in the workplace and to monitor their implementation.

In addition, the company-wide Collective Labour Agreement concluded between the employer’s representatives and the employees represented by trade unions includes an occupational health and safety section. The collective labour agreement stipulates mandatory trade union consultation when drafting the Prevention and Protection Plan. The company’s internal rules, prepared following consultation with the trade union, also cover occupational health and safety topics.

Recording and reporting of accidents and accident statistics is carried out in accordance with legal requirements and internal rules. There is also an internal procedure that sets out the methodology for communication, investigating/researching, analyzing, recording, recording, and reporting incidents (including accidents at work).

At the same time, the process of investigating incidents and events related to the work process is a complex and transparent one, carried out by an independent team of professionals, appointed by decision of the General Manager and aiming in particular at identifying the factual situation and the circumstances in which the incident/event occurred, detecting and eliminating the causes, establishing corrective and preventive actions.