SUPPLIERS & CONTRACTORS CONSTRUCTION HSE
GVK-Siya Zama, a zero harm perspective Craig Laskey
GVK-Siya Zama’s company values are core to its business. They provide purpose, guide practices, and underscore its culture of trust, respect, and integrity. It is not surprising then that HSE is integral to each of the five values that guide the company’s culture compass. By creating a dedicated HSE department, GVKSiya Zama has shown that health and safety is not just a priority but, more importantly, a fundamental business principle. Managing health and safety is an integral part of managing the company’s business and the function is therefore regarded as both a strategic imperative and operational requirement. Crafting business strategy is one thing, but designing one that drives effective HSE and aligns with the financial objectives of an organisation can prove far more challenging. Truly understanding the business and optimising HSE for operations and risk is essential if a company seeks to protect the business, its people, and the environment.
HSE as a bridge between aspirations and missions
88
GVK-Siya Zama appreciates that its strength is its people, and that includes co-contractors, and strives to ingrain a culture of personal responsibility and accountability that transcends safety policies and regulations. It views HSE as a bridge between aspirations and missions: one that requires multiple steps to accomplish a goal and relies on all departments in the business. Failure of one department to fully support HSE potentially affects the entire organisation’s overall objectives and success.
health and safety as a line management function with procedures implemented by all teams and departments.
Motivated by company-wide involvement and shared responsibility, GVK-Siya Zama considers the management of
Workshop participants confirmed their commitment to leadership involvement and shared values, accountability, zero
volume 12 | issue 2 www.tobuild.co.za
One recent initiative, aptly named “Code Zero”, focused on two critical departments that affect the entire organisation’s HSE compliance, namely Commercial and Production. The programme evaluated their commitment to project safety and heads of departments and site management teams were tasked to set goals around the promotion of a measurable safety culture.
compromise on HSE and continual support to designated HSE staff. As is often the case, performance often plateaus after an initial spurt of improvement. Experience shows that this occurs when too much emphasis is placed on tools and processes to shape a culture of safety, and insufficient attention is paid to underlying employee mind-set that shapes personal behaviours and interaction and longer term buy-in and success. Honesty and the will to change combined with collaboration, improved levels of buy-in and management support are fundamental ingredients to create a sustainable culture of “Zero Harm.”
