Construction Magazine May 2016 | Page 31

MIDDLE EAST strict safety exigencies towards our suppliers working on-site , and our employees make sure health and safety requirements are being fulfilled .
“ We have to be very careful , so we assess suppliers to ensure they understand our safety procedures . We train them , and we refresh that training regularly . We make checks and audits across every level , and really these are basic requirements . Lives are at stake . When a safety problem appears , everyone is empowered to stop it and report it for deep analysis of its root causes . We have company-wide reviews with health and safety committees which makes sure we ’ re implementing the action plans .”
When Bestani joined the company , one of his main missions was to create a proper process for procurement activity and build a structured procurement organisation . Due to a growing market and a high number of job opportunities , one challenge in Saudi Arabia – and across the GCC – is employees ’ tendency to quickly move on , especially the younger generation , making it challenging to acquire and retain the right staff . Bestani immediately brought on board new people for his team composed of trusted connections he had made during his career , and he ensured the existing team was properly positioned for tasks they fitted into .
“ It ’ s about networking , putting together the right organisation , delegating to people in

“ We are one of the very few , if not the only company to be using alternative fuel in the cement industry ”

– Riad Bestani , Supply Chain Director of Alsafwa Cement
www . safwacc . com 31