All aboard for the zero accident target in Brazil
In the Amazon region, a comprehensive behaviour-based programme was rolled out for airports’ operational teams. The first aim was to get all employees involved, teams and management, so they would feel comfortable working together to identify solutions that eliminate risks on the ground. This approach is also included in specifications for local businesses tasked with work at the seven Amazonian airports. Given the diverse safety cultures of these subcontractors, the safety team at Salvador Bahia airport, as the project owner, rolled out a three-phase strategy. Firstly, the level of safety expected while work was underway was formally set out in documents outlining behaviour to adopt and minimum risk prevention measures that the subcontractors should take with each worker. The next phase involved drawing up detailed prevention plans with subcontractors, in a spirit of mutual understanding of the limitations and expectations at play, while ensuring that each operator was trained and equipped to carry out their tasks. Lastly, the VINCI Airports safety team organised the supervision of the project to encourage and check the implementation of the risk prevention system. The Brazilian Health and Safety Manager’s experience acquired on construction worksites massively helped in the rollout of this strategy on the ground with builder partners.
Background
When a new concession joins the network, local teams are immediately taught about VINCI Concessions’ safety culture. In Brazil, for example, when the airports in the Amazon region joined the VINCI Airports network, their teams benefitted from cultural immersion with their counterparts at Salvador Bahia.
This method has been successfully used in highway operations and enables partners to get to grips better with safety management tools. It generates the motivation needed to ensure safety systems work effectively and facilitates supervision.