alfran® as a company with Corporate Social Responsibility has decided to fight to convert its workplace, gradually and starting with our headquarters in Spain, into “Smoke-Free” sites for the health of our employees and their families. This measure will apply to both enclosed and open places.
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On May 7th2016, coinciding with the visit of our CEO, Jose Maria Dominguez, to the Schwartz-Hautmont facilities in Tarragona, we announced the award of phase II of the Fluor Flare project.
This project consolidates our presence in the modular construction sector and consolidates us as leaders in Spain in passive fire protection and insulation for these type of constructions.
With this project, our workload for the second half of 2016 and a very important turnover is guaranteed.
In June work will start with a finishing date scheduled for March 2017.

In addition to the existing resources, our commitment is articulated with the implementation of a program of actions in health promotion that has a positive impact on people, the company and society as a whole.
Here you will find the global presentation video of the Healthy Work Environment project.
“PREVENTION IS SAFETY, SAFETY IS HEALTH”
ALFRAN commits to integrating the basic principles of health promotion at work. The Luxembourg Declaration, promoted by the European Network for Workplace Health Promotion (ENWHP), establishes the main principles of action and the reference frame for good management for workers’ health. With this certificate, ALFRAN reinforces its strong commitment to the health of all company collaborators.

Alfran has been the company chosen thanks to its knowledge of the facilities, the quality of its materials and our qualified personnel, mastering all installation methods and knowing perfectly the material requirements in each area, in the different maintenance shutdowns carried out at its plants in Cordoba and Niebla (Huelva).
We must highlight that castables such as ALFRAN CLEAN 85 G, ALFRAN ABR CLEAN, or DRYTECH 70 are commonly used in these cement plants, with exceptional performances.
Continuing with the goalof converting Health and Safety into a VALUE for Grupo Aldomer, we emphasize the importance of safety when working at height.
In Spain, around 50 workers die each year from blows as a result of falls, being the third most common form of fatal accident during work hours (10%), behind non-traumatic pathologies (44%) and personal protective equipment ( 14%).
For the possible explanation and search for causes for this type of work accidents related to falls in height, we could find many different factors:
- Lack of training and information
- Use of personal protection equipment that is wrong or in poor condition.
In the specific case of working at height, worker training is essential, due to the complexity of the equipment intended for this purpose and its misuse; 25% of workers who at some point have to perform work with a risk of falling from a height, do NOT use the appropriate EPIS or PPE or use them in a scenario that requires a specific fall arrest system and with configuration and design parameters Associated with each situation. Depending on the Health and Safety campaign, we comment on the following:
Remember:
- Any work over 2 meters without effective protections (individual or collective) is prohibited.
- Hold the handrail on stairs and move carefully.
- Always keep 3 points of contact when using vertical ladders.
- The anti-fall PPE should only be used in cases where the protection of collective protections is not technically possible, since they do not prevent the materialization of the risk (fall in height), they simply reduce the consequences.
When using a harness:
- Adjust it properly. A badly placed harness can cause serious injury in the event of a fall.
- Check that it is in good condition and that it has no visible damage.
- Make sure you anchor to a sturdy point of sufficient height to stop the fall before impact. Whenever possible, do it above the head and on the same vertical, to reduce the drop factor and the pendulum effect.
- Do not jump between different levels.
- Do not run.
Before climbing a scaffold:
- Check that you have a green label with an effective date and follow all the indications reflected.
- Make sure the maximum scaffold load is adequate and respect it.
- Verify that the scaffold is not damaged and that it adapts to the needs of the work.
- Keep the hatch of the access ladder closed except when you are climbing or going down the stairs.
- Any modification of the scaffolding by personnel outside the specialized company that installs and certifies it is strictly prohibited.


In line with our commitment to ongoing training for clients, another series of sessions have been organized during the month of September. On this occasion, the sessions were held in Spain, with participants from different countries.
There were four days in which there was both theoretical and practical training. It began with a guided tour of the factory, to know the manufacturing equipment and sacking of materials. Additionally, the participants learnt about the manufacturing process for precast shapes.
After visiting the factory, the participants were also able to visit our laboratory, where they were explained some of the quality tests and the characterization of concretes, which we carried out in Alfran.
Following the dynamics of previous workshops, the participants had the opportunity to mix, vibrate, shoot and project via shotcrete, with their own hands, the different materials on a test panel.
Four days of training for the cement sector
Some of the subjetcs covered during these four days were the following:
- Theoretical training on joint systems.
- Theoretical training on the anchoring systems used.
- Alfran procedures: method of generation and implementation of Alfran procedures for the installation of refractories.
- Drying of refractories
- Planning of works in the cement sector.
- Thermographic analysis
- Theoretical training on Alfran Steel Tech materials technology.
- Gun-Mix systems: theoretical training of the application system and practice on the test panel. Explanation of the equipment and the factors that affect the installation of High Gun materials.
- Alfranjet installation system: theoretical training of the application system and practical training on the system assembly method. Practical training on test panels with explanation of the equipment and the factors that affect the installation of Alfranjet materials.
- Bricks installation system in a rotary kiln.
Of the training sessions, it is worth noting the commitment of the different collaborators. Multinational teamwork, Alfran Mode.
To combat the risks of accidents and damage to health, the application of technical and organizational measures is a priority. These measures are designed to eliminate risks at source or to protect workers through collective protection provisions.

When these measures are not enough, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is imposed. The PPE act fundamentally reducing the consequences derived from the materialization of the risk. The protective efficacy will depend on the adequacy of the individual protection equipment at the pre-existing levels of risk.
The correct selection and use of the appropriate PPE will minimize the consequences and damages should the risk materialize. Therefore, the mandatory use of them is of vital importance.
Awareness campaigns in Alfran
With the aim of raising awareness among all employees towards active behavior in the prevention of occupational hazards and advancing their integration at all levels, different Awareness Campaigns will be carried out during 2019.

For this, maximum involvement and collaboration is necessary, highlighting the members of the Health and Safety Committee, Delegates and Prevention Technicians, Intermediate Managers and Project Managers.
The Management and Prevention Department request the involvement of all to achieve the proposed objectives.

The National Association of Manufacturers of Refractory Products, Materials an Related Services (ANFRE) held in Seville, between March 11 and 14, the II Edition of Refractories Engineering Course.
It is a course taught by and for members of ANFRE that aims to train new generations of employees.
The course combines theoretical and practical training to obtain a global vision of the sector. In addition, the participants had the opportunity to visit both Siderúrgica Sevillana and our Alfran plant in Seville.
The following topics are found in the content of this course:
- Refractory materials
- Introduction to the design of coatings
- Refractory application
- Drying, heating and cooling
- Safety and Quality Control
From Alfran, we want to thank the entire Association for the organization of these courses.

Braskem Idesa awards Alfran with a performance result of 100% in the third quarter of 2020. One more time, we are recognized for our performance in the works related to refractories and thermal insulation, that we have been installing in the petrochemical installation, located in southeast Mexico.














