Covid-19: UNICEM health recommendations guide for companies in the materials sector

As the country is going through an unprecedented health and economic crisis linked to the Covid-19 epidemic, the National Union of Quarry and Construction Materials Industries (UNICEM), the first link in the construction supply chain, as well as minerals for industry, affirms its solidarity with its members and all economic players.

UNICEM understands and supports the government's desire to maintain industrial activity. To this end, it publishes a guide to health recommendations for companies in the "materials" sector.

Always as close as possible to its members since the start of the crisis, UNICEM maintains an operational support system both at national and regional level. It is associated with government teams that work to support businesses that have remained functional and allow a rapid and coordinated restart of activity in the construction sector. UNICEM relays to the government the concrete difficulties encountered by its member companies, region by region, so that operational solutions can be brought to it as soon as possible.

UNICEM member companies remain attentive to their customers. If some of them have stopped, it is mainly because their orders have collapsed. They are able to support recovery, by setting up a work organization adapted to the requirements of the health situation.

All member unions of UNICEM¹ thus collaborated in the drafting of common recommendations specific to Covid-19, making it possible, through their implementation, to ensure working conditions protecting employees of companies in the sector.

These joint recommendations were drawn up with the help of prevention organizations (PREVENCEM and CERIB) and discussed jointly with all the union organizations representing employees. The CFDT has chosen to validate them alongside professional employers' organizations. They have just received the approval of the Ministries of Ecological and Solidarity Transition and Labor, in their respective areas of competence.

In order to take into account the specificities of member professional unions, these joint recommendations are supplemented by recommendations specific to each sector. The whole thus makes it possible to decline guides of good practices for each trade.

For Nicolas Vuillier, President of UNICEM: “The validation of joint recommendations by government authorities is good news for our companies. They indeed complement the measures already implemented on the sites still in operation and will help as many people as possible to get them ready to respond to the expected recovery in construction sites and public works. I would like to thank all those who have actively contributed to the production and validation of this guide adapted to our businesses ”.

Guides are available on the UNICEM website.

¹These unions represent the aggregates (UNPG), ornamental and construction rocks (SNROC), lime (UP'CHAUX), plaster (SNIP), industrial minerals (MI-F) and inert waste recovery industries. (UNEV), ready-mixed concrete (SNBPE) and pumping (SNPB) activities, industrial mortar (SNMI) and adjuvants, mold release agents and curing agents (SYNAD) activities.