P&Q Editors Blog
Safety on the roads
July 5, 2011
By: Pit & Quarry Staff
Lafarge wrapped up its Health and Safety Month in June with a theme focusing on transportation and road safety. Mobile equipment poses the largest potential safety risk for employees and contractors at Lafarge plants, the company notes, and transportation and road safety affects everyone – drivers, passengers and pedestrians. The Lafarge Group launched a campaign called “Safe Choice Smart Move” about road safety and the personal choices everyone can make to prevent transportation-related incidents. Among the vehicle safety events held throughout the month: Defensive driving courses were offered at many Lafarge locations, and employees were encouraged to involve their families, especially children close to the driving age. At Lafarge offices in Lee’s Summit, Mo., a NASCAR DUI simulator demonstrated the dangers of driving under the influence, and the Ravena, N.Y., cement plant hosted a road safety event that engaged participants in a variety of exercises, including a distracted driving course and a blind spot exercise. A video supporting the campaign is available on the Lafarge Group’s YouTube channel. – Brian Richesson
School of rock
November 29, 2010
By: Pit & Quarry Staff
In early November, we saw another example of aggregate producers reaching out to their communities in an effort to educate and grow relationships. Three major producers with operations in Sun City, Ariz. – Vulcan, Lafarge and Cemex – hosted a tour of their mining sites. With demand on the upswing, the companies, which mine the Agua Fria riverbed, wanted to showcase environmental improvements and demonstrate how they comply with regulatory requirements, according to an article in The Arizona Republic. About 50 people, including residents, city officials and school board members, toured the facilities. They learned about the industry's history by watching videos on their bus, the article described. The group also learned how the companies control dust and reduce pollutants, and how their building materials contribute to local projects. – Brian Richesson
