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 traffic accidents ( 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.

Since 2007, Refractarios Alfran has been the main player in both the refractory materials supply and installation at Votorantim Cimentos plants, in southern Spain.

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.

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.

In all work activities, to achieve an acceptable level of safety, it is vitally important to ensure and maintain adequate conditions of order and cleanliness. The lack of order and cleanliness in the facilities is a risk factor that deserves special attention since it is the cause of many accidents, falls due to stumbles or slips, bumps or steps on objects, and deterioration of equipment or facilities, which can lead to results other than those expected.

To achieve the goal of keeping the company “clean and tidy”, all staff must assimilate concepts such as:

1. Eliminate the unnecessary and classify the useful:

– Have the means to eliminate what is useless, prioritizing the elimination according to its usefulness.

– Classify according to utility and collect the useless in containers.

– Separate those elements that should not be in contact with others.

– In the case of flammable products, use metal drums with a fire-resistant lid.

– Machines with possible leaks must have a collection and drainage system.

– Act on the reasons why waste accumulates.

2. Store the material in appropriate places so that it can be easily located:

– Put everything in its place and eliminate what is useless.

– Collect tools on shelves that are easy to locate and identify.

– Designate the locations based on their functionality and speed of placement.

– Delimit and indicate the location of things.

– Classify waste properly.

3. Avoid dirtying and, if it gets dirty, clean immediately:

– Eliminate and control everything that can dirty.

– Cleaning is the means of controlling the state of things.

– Cleaning people must be properly trained and equipped.

– Quickly eliminate residues or substances that can contaminate and cause accidents.

– Avoid slippery floors due to oils or grease. Windows will be cleaned to allow light to enter.

– Keep changing rooms, showers, etc. clean.

– Involve staff in cleaning the environment.

– Control the critical points that generate dirt.

4. Generate work habits aimed at favoring order and cleanliness, etc:

– The characteristics of the floors, ceilings, etc. They shall be such as to allow easy cleaning.

– Standardize procedures by order and cleanliness.

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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.

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.