Laurent Barbagli introduces groupwide risk mitigation standards for Lafarge

An audit of group standards for risk mitigation at Lafarge S.A. revealed a need to align all stakeholders including engineers, the group executive committee, external risk consultants and the finance department, according to Laurent Barbagli, group risk and insurance manager.

New standards were introduced groupwide, including the use of sprinklers on electrical equipment with specific power shut down and a change management process with engineers who initially were reluctant to use water on power equipment.

The result: companywide reduction in fire losses to $10 million between 2009 to 2014, from $110 million between 2003 and 2008, he said.

A major loss of about $30 million to $40 million was avoided in 2012 after a fire in cable tunnels was addressed with the sprinklers; a similar scenario in 2007 at an unprotected cement plant caused a large loss.