Ambuja Cements entered the cement business with the driving conviction that challenges are there to be met and opportunities are meant to be seized. As the David among the established Goliaths, it saw a way to put the competition at a disadvantage-and that was to achieve maximum efficiency and productivity at the lowest cost. Cost per tonne of cement had to be the lowest. Plants had to be set up in record time. Capacity utilisation had to be above 100%. Power consumption had to achieve a record low. In short, the Company had to emerge unbeatable on all key parameters.
Given this line of thinking, empowerment was not just a fashionable term, it was the only way to achieve our goals. It is a natural corollary to this approach that responsibility and empowerment go hand in hand down the line. Engineers were given greater decision-making powers. They know their plants, their capacities and, more importantly, the capacities of their people when motivated.
In plants, in offices, on the shop floor, people take charge. And impossible goals begin to be achieved.
From this has emerged a strong company culture, encapsulated in two words: I CAN.
The I CAN Rationale
The ‘I Can’ spirit signifies that each person contributes his potential to achieve the goal. It does not mean that he is the only one responsible for the achievement of the goal. For example a person working under an engineer in a plant has a right to give a suggestion which if worthwhile is appreciated by the person above him and then the whole team works together to achieve the goal
This process of tapping individual initiative for team synergy is at the heart of the culture nurtured over the years
Give a man orders and he will do the task reasonably well. But let him set his own targets,
give him freedom and authority and his task becomes a personal mission: I Can.
Ambuja Cements Ltd has made sustainability a way of life. This means adopting environmentally safe technologies and optimum utilisation and conversation of natural resources. Sustainable development focuses on economic, environmental and social performance.
- Corporate Sustainable Development Report 2010Download
- Corporate Sustainable Development Report 2009Download
- Corporate Sustainable Development Report 2008Download
- Corporate Sustainable Development Report 2007Download
Occupational Health & Safety is one of our core values of business. We recognise that the health and safety of our employees, subcontractors, third parties and visitors is vital to our business success. OH&S is integrated with our business processes spanning people, processes, systems, technologies and facilities. OH&S is driven through top management commitment and Visible Leadership across all levels.
Providing a safe workplace
To achieve our vision of "zero harm" to people, we have provided appropriate technology with stringent operational control practices across all operations. All operations are required systematically to implement a series of fatality prevention directives. The directives were developed by Holcim after an in-depth analysis of the major causes of fatalities and encompass hazard identification, risk assessment and controls, training, and maintenance and emergency procedures.
The ACL OH&S management system further guides this approach. Our health and safety policy has been rolled out across all operations and has been included as a key responsibility in line management and business performance. This policy goes beyond the workplace, to address OH&S issues related to Vehicle and Traffic Safety and home safety issues of our employees and their families. We have made significant progress in workplace and personnel safety by focusing on "Safety Observation Process". This intervention focuses on the behavioural Safety aspect of all personnel. Clear organisational accountabilities are supported by a robust program of training, communication and Risk Management processes. A systematic reporting system enables the top management to evaluate the overall direction and efficacy of the health and safety system and develop strategies for improving it. To that end, we compare our own health and safety results regularly with the goals we have set for ourselves and with available benchmarks for the cement sector.
Regular audits ensure that external and internal regulations/standards are implemented and complied with.
- Occupational Health & Safety PolicyDownload
- Occupational Health & Safety Cardinal RulesDownload
- Substance Abuse PolicyDownload
'Prakriti'
Started in 2010, this quarterly publication covers environment conservation efforts taken up during the quarter across ACL Production Plants. It is a platform to showcase and encourage the initiatives taken, while also communicating the latest happenings at the Policy level. In a way, the newsletter is a vehicle for cross-exchange of information.
