Similarly, Cobra IS implements the use of stop cards, empowering every worker to stop a work process if they see a potential risk in its execution or simply a lack of planning before taking action.
After observing a new increase in maintenance van collisions, VINCI Autoroutes stepped up its action plan to prevent these accidents. The business line first overhauled the training and retraining of personnel working on motorways. Next, it collaborated with government agencies to update work procedures and implement technological solutions such as video surveillance and AI-based collision avoidance systems. It also ran large-scale communications campaigns, using media such as travelling exhibits and videos, to raise public awareness of the problem.
In the policies implemented by business lines and divisions, the participation of employees and employee representatives is central to building a safety culture, as emphasised in the Group’s joint declaration. Consulting employees and keeping them informed are critical factors in their level of uptake and engagement across the organisation. Business lines and divisions regularly meet with employee representative bodies to present initiatives in progress and report on outcomes. As a result of this social dialogue, specific agreements have also been negotiated and entered into with trade unions.
In 2022, 64 health, safety and prevention agreements were signed by Group companies (25 in 2021). Following recommendations made by the Group Works Council, VINCI companies in France with over 50 employees are encouraged to set up a health, safety, and working conditions committee (CSSCT), thus going beyond legal obligations. Furthermore, in France, companies of any size are advised to hold a regular economic and social committee (CSE) meeting every month, and to check the organisation’s progress on prevention, health and safety indicators at every meeting. Outside of France, some divisions and companies have formed health and safety committees whose members include employee representatives, even if the law does not require it. VINCI looks to these committees to provide local insight and enhance risk prevention at its worksites and operating sites by suggesting areas for improvement, monitoring measures and assessing the need for any adjustments.
1 660meetings of health, safety and working conditions committees across the Group in 2022
Various Group entities also offer training to employee representatives to boost their participation and help them carry out their duties regarding health, safety and working conditions. The training is delivered by VINCI’s health and safety specialists, by trade union representatives or by professional organisations such as the French Professional Agency for Risk Prevention in Building and Civil Engineering (OPPBTP).
Health and safety is a core component of all social dialogue between the Group and the Group Works Council or the European Works Council. As part of its continuous dialogue with Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), VINCI signed the latter’s “Declaration on Healthy and Safe Workplaces” in support of the recognition of occupational health and safety as a fundamental right by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Dialogue is also maintained through employee surveys. VINCI Construction has made the decision to investigate employee perceptions of the safety climate at least every two years. These surveys are administered at division and company level to capture the on-the-ground realities of operating sites and worksites. Subcontractors and temporary workers are encouraged to participate.
The “Essential and Fundamental Actions Concerning Occupational Health and Safety” joint declaration emphasises that any situation observed by employees that represents an imminent threat to health and safety must be immediately reported to the relevant superior and that no employee can be reprimanded for making such a report. Likewise, depending on the operational context, employees in any of the Group’s business lines or countries of operation can avail themselves of procedures such as exercising the right to refuse work, if they believe the situation presents a serious and imminent danger to their life or health. Employees are strongly encouraged by managers to raise alerts and report hazards. Business lines and divisions continue to develop and disseminate new digital applications to ease the reporting of hazardous situations and near misses and facilitate the processing and sharing of this information.
In addition to MoveSafe, an application for the electronic reporting of dangerous situations and near misses, VINCI Autoroutes has developed and launched Jarvis. This new application helps to maintain records of 15-minute prevention sessions; record and report on prevention inspections; and keep product safety data sheets available at all times.
At VINCI Energies, the Safety Up application, which is available in 10 languages and has been downloaded by more than 18,500 employees, can be used to report hazardous situations as well as share best practices and news flashes. The application was designed as an awareness-raising tool and is co-managed centrally and by companies, with the close involvement of managers, to encourage local communication and use within companies. It is the most frequently downloaded application for use in the field at VINCI Energies.
