CSR AT HABITAT 62/59 PICARDIE

CSR principles are completely integrated into the business strategy and translated into concreted practices through the quality and environmental management system.

• Habitat 62/59 Picardie’s CSR strategy is based on four aspects:
• Financial: Responsible management to ensure economic sustainability
• Quality: High quality housing and services contributing to residents’ well-being
• Internal Process: A management system to produce the best results
• Social Responsibility: Social and environmental awareness and commitment

These four dimensions are translated into 12 commitments and 83 targets which concern all levels of the organisation and contribute to good governance and relations with stakeholders.

Habitat 62/59 Picardie has published CSR reports based on the EURHO-GR® framework since 2008.

OBJECTIVE:

To improve caretakers’ occupational risk prevention through the co-production with employees of a health and safety training video. 

CONTEXT

As a responsible employer, Habitat 62/59 Picardie is committed to a safe and healthy working environment. The company conducts an occupational risks assessment on a regular basis in order to identify hazards and promote preventive actions.

Building caretakers are particularly exposed to risks and occupational diseases. They carry out strenuous physical work such as lifting, moving large and heavy waste containers, cleaning windows and floors.

Since 2005, safety training has been provided to all staff involved in this kind of work. This training covers such aspects as correct lifting techniques and postures to be adopted in order to minimize and control risk.

But experience has shown that it is not always possible to comply with these procedures. The training does not match with the actual working environment and is not applicable everywhere.

In order to improve risk prevention, the company decided to revise the training and adapt it to actual situations encountered by caretakers within their working environment. Producing a video involving caretakers themselves appeared as an innovative and interesting way to increase the training’s relevance and effectiveness.

DESCRIPTION OF THE GOOD PRACTICE

In December 2010, the Committee for Health and Safety and Working Conditions (CHSCT), a consultant ergonomist, an occupational physician and the HR Manager came together to design this new training tool. Their aim was to create in-house training videos involving employees of the company in real work situations, in true-to-life working conditions. The objective was to rely on the expertise and personal inputs of employees. The film shows them in familiar work activities, using freeze frames to identify positive and negative actions. Il also includes further employee testimonials. In March and April 2011, buildings with complex and potentially risky situations and environments were identified (examples: no elevator, a complex design of paths or walkways etc). The HR Manager and the ergonomist consultant carried out an on-site inventory to identify the situations to present. In May, they developed possible scenarii, validated by the CHSCT and the CEO.

From August to November 2011, the internal communication service did the on-site filming, with volunteer caretakers as the key actors (a total of about 7 days of shooting). Editing and final input from the Internal communication department took place from November to January 2012. The final video was validated at the end of January 2012, and a presentation was made in March and April 2012 to the CHSCT and staff who acted in the film.

The film, entitled “Occupational Hazards” lasts approximately 1 hour. It features the CEO, the President and the Secretary of the CHSCT, the consultant ergonomist, the Head of Human Resources and 12 caretakers. The film covers all work-related tasks entrusted to the caretakers. It is used as part of the staff’s “occupational risks prevention and cleaning techniques” training provided by an in-house Staff Trainer.

The training video is updated according to changing situations, new material and/or work practices. Habitat 62/59 Picardie plans to build on this project to develop a similar tool for electrical accreditation training.

Key results and benefits

• From April 2012 to May 2013: 9 training sessions held, for the entire workforce
• 90 % of employees satisfied, as per the survey conducted to assess the program
• The training module was also delivered to victims of work related accidents
• The training contributes to help older workers stay in employment (combined with adjusted working conditions)
• In addition, this program had positive impacts in terms of employee recognition and self-esteem

This initiative is part of a more comprehensive approach to risk prevention for caretakers, including investment in ergonomic equipment and improvement of the working environment