Covia has a set of defined principles that are at the core of how we do business. Our Values—Safety First, Be Different, Deliver on Promise, Act Responsibly—define who we are as a company and serve as a source of pride and encouragement for current and prospective Covia Team Members.
Each September, all Covia sites participate in a company-wide Safety Day. This program supports our aspiration of zero injuries and increases awareness and knowledge of safety practices among our Team Members. From our plants to our office locations, safety is critical for the well-being of not just our Team Members, but our customers, communities, and the environment.
During our annual Safety Day, each Covia site chooses activities that are most relevant to their operation, as well as taking time to focus on key risks known across the company. By participating, all Covia Team Members support our Safety First Value and priorities.
Past Safety Day activities include:
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Personal protective equipment training
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Fire drill scenarios
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Diesel spill kit usage
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Seat belt safety
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Work safety around lift trucks
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CPR/defibrillator/first aid scenarios
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Hazard recognition training
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Active shooter training and drills
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Environmental education on snakes
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Stretcher training
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Fall protection
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Mock rescues
2022 Safety Day
This year’s Safety Day will focus on two major themes: hazard recognition and emergency preparedness. Sites will participate in emergency response simulations, year-to-date safety performance reviews, and discussions on policy and procedure changes. Additional talks will cover upcoming Safety and Health activities and safety tips for both at-home and on-site Team Members.
Additional Ways We are Ensuring the Safety and Health of Our Team Members
Our ongoing commitment to measuring safety performance and continuous improvement is reflected
in our recent 2021 ESG Report. In the report, we announced our 2030 Goals That Inspire. These ambitious goals are aimed at accelerating our progress and performance in environmental stewardship, positive social impact, and responsible governance and ethics.
For our Goal to “Ensure the Safety and Health of Our Team Members,” there are two targets:
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Achieve year-over-year improvement in all-incidence rate for Team Members
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Achieve year-over-year reduction in the number of Team Members potentially exposed to respirable silica through the hierarchy of controls
To work toward these targets, as well as other safety objectives, Covia has a variety of ongoing initiatives and programs that prioritize Team safety.
For example, since the beginning of 2022, several Covia Team Members have completed our Safety & Health Bootcamp, a key training program for our front-line supervisors and managers. This 4-day program combines:
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Front-Line Supervisor Training, which includes discussion of Covia’s Safety and Health policies and procedures, expectations for interacting with regulators, and the fundamentals of industrial hygiene
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Safety Starts with Me, Covia’s employee engagement safety program
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Incident Cause Analysis Method training, enabling participants to become a Lead Investigator using ICAM
In addition to programs like this, Covia also strives to recognize and reward our Team Members for their commitment to safety training and safe work practices. Covia’s annual President’s Safety Award recognizes specific plants that reach the highest level of safety performance in all categories, including:
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Critical Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
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Lost-Time Incidents (LTI)
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Modified Duty Incidents (MDI)
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Safety-Related Actions
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Dust Sampling
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Incident Investigation and Near-Hit Incidents
In 2021, we presented our President’s Safety Award to our plant in Tlaxcala, Mexico. As a result of Team Members’ collective efforts, Tlaxcala was recognized for the following accomplishments:
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Zero lost-time incidents and zero reportable incidents
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100% on-time completion rate: incident investigation actions, dust-sampling and incident alert actions
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Zero regulatory or internal housekeeping citations
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Near-hit incident rate of 43.4, which exceeded the corporate goal of 15.0 near-hits per 200,000 work hours (this number reflects reporting of incidents that did not cause injury; tracking this encourages Team Members to share what has been learned and reduce risk)
Ensuring a Safety-First Mindset
On this year’s annual Safety Day, as well as every other day, Covia takes numerous steps to ensure that Safety and Health remains a consistent focus for our Team Members, contractors, vendors, suppliers, and customers.
To learn more about Covia’s S&H initiatives and programs, read our recent ESG Report.
