Every year, BESIX teams across all entities and affiliates use the International Labour Organisation’s World Day for Safety & Health at Work on 28 April to organise the Global Safety Time Out, a dedicated moment to reaffirm their commitment to safety, share their experiences, and learn from one another.
At the end of April or the beginning of May, BESIX teams gathered to reflect on personal and collective safety, assess their impact, and explore ways to contribute to a safer workplace. This year, the BESIX Group Senior Executive Management team introduced the renewed BESIX Group Safety Pledge and the four fundamental safety principles as the central theme of this year's Global Safety Time Out.
The figures speak for themselves:
- 218 Global Safety Time Out sessions were held
- 21,009 employees and workers participated, 9,981 of which were subcontractors and partners
- 141 pledges were endorsed by BESIX site and office teams
Actions speak louder than words
The Global Safety Time Out is not only a moment to reflect. It is also a time when teams define clear actions. This year again, many very concrete and constructive actions were identified. Here are some inspirational examples, which were suggested by the participating teams:
- Ensure joint venture agreements include the BESIX QHSE core elements and reporting requirements, with early alignment on management systems and digital tools.
- At tender and preparation stages, define HSE selection criteria to choose the right subcontractors.
- Include detailed HSE requirements in subcontractor contracts to avoid ambiguities. Ensure that the new subcontractor contract template includes all necessary HSE information and requirements
- During method statement preparation, ensure collaboration between technical teams and subcontractors on content quality and HSE risk assessment.
- Organise environmental, health, and safety risk assessment training for the technical office.
- Before execution, hold a kick-off meeting with the technical office, construction team, and subcontractors to explain method statement content, (equipment) requirements, qualifications, risk assessment, roles, and responsibilities.
- Involve clients in implementing the Safety Pledge principles and align with their similar programmes, as it has been done successfully in several projects.
- Provide observation cards to enable everyone to report life-saving rule deviations.
The active participation and concrete actions identified by our colleagues showcase our dedication to creating a safer workplace. As we move forward, these ideas will be carefully studied for implementation. The introduction of the renewed BESIX Group Safety Pledge and our four fundamental safety principles marks a significant step forward. We invite each one of you to think about how you can make a difference. Together, we can all make the world a better and safer place.
Have a look at some of the pictures we received from the different sites, you will see how Global the Safety Time Out 2024 really was! Thank you to all teams for making this Global Safety Time Out a success!
All visuals of the Safety Pledge and the Four Fundamental Safety Principles are available on the intranet.