A health and safety risk analysis is conducted ahead of any work situation. It takes into account the work environment, the characteristics of the project under consideration and its specific technical requirements. These multiple layers of analysis are needed to develop a response that is tailored to the operational issues of each project, business activity and country.
The mapping of the Group’s major risks is updated annually, based on significant events observed over the previous five years. This update enables the detection of trends and is presented to the Health and Safety Coordination unit for discussion. Eight major risk categories, and the types of events associated with such risks, have been identified through risk mapping. A major risk signifies the probability that a major event will occur and cause severe consequences for someone, who may be an employee, a temporary worker, a subcontractor or a third party. Severity level is determined based on situations and events that have actually occurred as well as those that were potentially serious, meaning that in slightly different circumstances, the consequences could have been major.
These major categories of risks to people’s health and safety are presented in the table below.
| Major risk categories | Types of potentially major event |
|---|---|
| Risks relating to moving objects | Risks relating to moving objects Types of potentially major eventCollision with moving equipment or materials |
| Major risk categories Collision with worksite machines or vehicles |
|
| Risks relating to falling objects or loads | Risks relating to falling objects or loads Types of potentially major eventBlows from falling objects or materials |
| Major risk categories Blows from the collapse of a structure |
|
| Major risk categories Crushing from the fall of a suspended load |
|
| Risks relating to working at height | Risks relating to working at height Types of potentially major eventFalling from heights |
| Risks relating to energised or pressure equipment | Risks relating to energised or pressure equipment Types of potentially major eventProjection of high-pressure fluids |
| Major risk categories Projection of pressure machinery parts |
|
| Risks relating to handheld mechanical tools | Risks relating to handheld mechanical tools Types of potentially major eventCuts and punctures from sharp handheld mechanical tools |
| Risks relating to road traffic | Risks relating to road traffic Types of potentially major eventRoad accidents |
| Risks on the road during safety, maintenance or construction activities | Risks on the road during safety, maintenance or construction activities Types of potentially major eventCollision with third-party vehicles |
| Electrical risk | Electrical risk Types of potentially major eventElectrocution |
Preventing and responding to psychosocial risks has been an important focus since the Covid-19 pandemic. At many VINCI sites, measures were introduced at the outset to raise awareness, provide training to managers and support employees. The range of initiatives undertaken include setting up help hotlines, offering psychological counselling, training employees to recognise signs of depression and situations of distress, and organising events dealing with mental health and stress management.
Group companies have also collaborated with public authorities and specialised service providers to launch health campaigns, for example, to promote the importance of exercise and a healthy diet in preventing multiple chronic diseases. Other initiatives include individual counselling with a dietician and screening for diabetes and heart disease. The main fixed sites and production sites have been equipped with a large number of defibrillators.
Awareness campaigns have been carried out in various regions worldwide to focus on certain addictions (smoking, alcohol, drugs, etc.) and diseases (such as cancer, AIDS, and Alzheimer’s). Each one aims to inform employees and get them involved, while creating opportunities for team building and mutual support through challenges and group activities. Companies are also renewing equipment and tools as well as reorganising work conditions to reduce workers’ exposure to the risks of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). For example, employees have been trained to help their colleagues adjust their practices and to lead warm up exercises before starting work.
At VINCI Construction, an increasing number of initiatives are being taken, in tandem with human resources teams, to support employees’ mental health.
A special ergonomics group has been created to promote good posture and proper body mechanics for performing work activities across all business lines. Innovations such as the exoskeletons being tested at VINCI Construction or the equipment to facilitate manual baggage handling at VINCI Airports are helping to reduce physical effort and strain for employees.
In response to identified risks, business lines and divisions develop their own risk prevention policies. These establish a set of guidelines to be applied by all operations in their scope. As a result, each entity applies guidelines from multiple sources the Group, the business line, the division and the entity itself. These rules strengthen and complement one another, producing a response that is tailored to the on the ground realities of each sector, activity or operational context. They form the framework that determines the preventive actions to be incorporated into operating procedures, work instructions and the organisation of work. All business lines apply special scrutiny to major risks. These guidelines and the resulting actions taken are part of a continuous improvement effort and are regularly reviewed, especially in response to health and safety audit results, employee surveys and feedback and analysis of accidents and near misses.
