Ferrovial and the National Institute of Industrial Safety and Hygiene to cooperate in the design and implementation of an innovative workplace risk prevention system

The initiative also envisages the development of new training materials and a pilot project to integrate suppliers and subcontractors into the system. The results can be extrapolated to the rest of the sector Ferrovial and the National Institute of Industrial Health and Safety (INSHT), a scientific and technical agency of Spain´s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, are to work to together to design and implement an innovative management system aimed at enhancing workplace safety. "The system -explains Pedro Buenaventura, General Manager-Construction of Ferrovial- is based on surveying risk situations and analyzing those that are detected on site, applying a system of indicators and subsequently analyzing them to identify and prioritize the critical points; on that basis, safety measures will be planned before construction work actually begins." Results applicable to the rest of the sector The agreement will lead to close cooperation in the development of experiences and methodologies in the field of safety; once its effectiveness has been proven, it can be transferred to other companies in the sector. The initiative also covers two lines of action: "the development of new training programs and materials," states Leodegario Fernández, Director of the INSHT, "and the implementation of a pilot project to integrate suppliers and subcontractors into the company´s safety system." A steering committee will assess the degree of compliance with the targets and related deadlines of each of the specific projects covered by the agreement, and will examine the possibility of signing specific cooperation agreements with labor unions in the sector and with the provincial Safety and Health Centers, which are agencies of the autonomous regional governments. Leader in Quality, Safety and the Environment Ferrovial maintains its commitment to innovation in quality, safety and the environment. The workplace risk prevention system of Ferrovial-Agromán, the construction arm of Ferrovial, successfully passed an audit in 2002 and has been implemented in all the companies in the construction area: Ferconsa, Tecpresa, Ditecpesa and, most recently, Cadagua. This is in compliance with current legal requirements. In 1997, it was the first construction company in the world to implement an ISO 14001-certified environmental management system. Innovation continued, and in 2001 the company developed an Environmental Performance Index which is unique in the construction industry and is certified by the King Juan Carlos University and the UNESCO Chair in Environmental Studies; the index can be used by the Group and by the general public to monitor our environmental performance in quantitative terms.