Safety incentives, where employees are rewarded for achieving safety goals, are implemented at the highest level of the Group. For example, the short-term variable remuneration of VINCI’s executive officers is linked to health and safety indicators. The Remuneration Committee of the Board of Directors defines and assesses these criteria.
Likewise, the long-term variable remuneration paid to a large number of Group managers is based in part on improvements to workplace safety performance. Safety criteria also determine the short-term variable component of the remuneration of many managers and, frequently, the performance bonuses awarded to production workers at all levels.
Most collective profit-sharing agreements signed by the Group are based on operational as well as financial performance and include criteria such as the improvement of workplace safety indicators.
Dedicated health and safety events organised in each business line and division are an important driver of engagement among employees and partners. These events enable managers to visibly demonstrate their commitment to safety to all employees and help embed the safety culture across the organisation. Temporary workers, subcontractors and customers all participate in the conferences, workshops, training sessions, simulation exercises and other activities rolled out for each event.
Each year, the Group’s business lines hold a Safety Week, a flagship event celebrated by every entity, worksite and operating site, in addition to many other awareness, training and risk prevention initiatives also rolled out locally. Safety Week is an opportunity for all teams to focus on their safety commitments and suggest ways to improve safety performance.
In addition to the actions taken by business lines, many VINCI subsidiaries also organise in-house events and challenges to reward health and safety initiatives and increase their visibility.
The established procedures at a construction or operating site make no distinction between employees of Group companies, temporary workers, and subcontractors’ employees. Health and safety requirements are stated in advance, included in specific contract clauses and verified by Group companies. They range from wearing suitable personal protective equipment to reporting accidents or any other relevant information regarding on-site hazards. Specific criteria may be applied as of the selection phase and lead to a subcontractor being disqualified. Health and safety teams analyse accidents, especially serious or potentially serious accidents, and use their findings to update action plans and create a safer environment for outside workers. All staff are included in the safety audits conducted at sites. The Group’s Health and Safety Task Force may hold meetings to assess subcontractor compliance with contractual obligations.
As a general rule, subcontractors and workers employed through temporary employment agencies not only attend global events held by the Group and on-site training, but also take part in discussion workshops on improving prevention at construction and operating sites. In many cases, indicators for divisions and companies do not differentiate between permanent staff and temporary workers and now include subcontractors. Efforts to improve prevention among these three categories of workers go beyond verifying compliance. The Group also takes steps to help its partners raise their safety standards and implement more effective actions, especially in countries where the safety culture is not as strong.
VINCI has implemented a framework agreement for use in France in the approval process for temporary employment agencies (TEAs), based in particular on occupational health and safety criteria. Agencies must, for example, disclose their health and safety data and demonstrate that they have established a safety culture, in particular through training programs. It is compulsory for Group entities to use approved agencies to recruit their temporary workers. Agency-specific action plans have been developed as needed, on a case-by-case basis, and include measures to better protect the safety of temporary workers. These include worker surveys, reporting on the outcomes of prevention initiatives, and company-led awareness and training events.
30 % of temporary employment agencies were delisted for not meeting the Group’s ESG criteria during the latest approval process
To be listed in France, TEAs must meet specific health and safety standards, comply with safety indicators and personal protective equipment issuance requirements, and ensure, if necessary, that their workers hold the special safety passport known as the Pasi BTP®, introduced by the construction sector in France. It is obtained after successfully completing a two-day certification course and is gradually becoming a prerequisite for all temporary workers on worksites. A growing percentage of delegations are using the Pasi BTP® and Group companies are continuing to work with TEAs toward that aim. An innovative new financial incentive has been introduced to encourage TEAs to improve their safety practices. This increases agencies’ involvement in safety efforts as part of their collaboration with VINCI companies.
