Our stone supplier in Indonesia did not focus much on safety. Nonetheless, the management was keen to take our approach on board, as it recognized the opportunity to promote the company as a safe employer. Together we converted the NINA values and rules into three targets for each of the supplier’s activities (stone production, transport and stockpiling/loading). For example, ‘Both myself and my truck are fit for duty.’ Each driver was given an explanation with a checklist: ‘Was my last journey safe?’, ‘Is my truck overloaded?’.

The NINA kick-off meeting was held with the employees and the management. We explained what the NINA values entail and what we aim to achieve with them. It quickly became clear just how simple the values are: at the end of the working day everyone wants to go home to their family without any injuries. In answer to my question about specific risks in the quarry, an employee said that the stones that they walk on in their flip flops can be really sharp. For the employees it is a small victory that they are now issued PPE by their boss!

The supplier now takes a conscientious approach to safety. For example, traffic controllers were employed on the supplier’s own initiative in order to ensure the safety of third parties. When I see the working conditions improving step by step like this I am again reminded what NINA is all about: the personal safety of everyone involved in the work.