The National Insurance Institute (INS) of Costa Rica presented Cemex with the 2016 Preventico National Award in each of the program’s four categories. Cemex received gold in “Best Practices in Road Safety Management” and “100% Committed to Prevention (Manager of the Year)” categories as well as silver in the “Best Practices in Occupational Health & Safety” and “Corporate Companies with Improved Security Indicators” categories.
 |
| Alejandro Ramirez, Cemex country director in Costa Rica, accepting a Preventico award. Photo: Cemex. |
“This is a recognition for all our collaborators who have put a lot of work and dedication toward building a strong culture of safety and health at Cemex and in Costa Rica,” said Alejandro Ramirez, Cemex country director in Costa Rica. “I congratulate you and invite you to continue to work with passion to achieve our goal of zero accidents for life.”
The biennial Preventico award program recognizes companies who develop management systems and innovative initiatives that seek to foster a culture in occupational health and thus show successful results by obtaining a low injury and/or accident rate. The evaluation is performed by the INS, through the Department of Business Management in Occupational Health, and is verified through on-site audits of the companies.
According to Juan Andrés García Sancho, Cemex head of corporate safety in Costa Rica, the company stood out for its innovative programs where employees are personally involved. “We have been pioneers in road safety,” he said. “We have also managed to take our safety culture beyond the workplace – we have made an impact in schools, on families and in communities where we operate. Ours is not just a work culture but also a life culture.”
