Dragages Hong Kong is named a Caring Company

01 March 2013

Dragages Hong Kong is proud to announce that it has been recognised as a Caring Company by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS). This high-profile recognition is a reflection of the company’s long-standing commitment to corporate social responsibility and its belief in the importance of building trustful, long-term relationships with all stakeholders.
 
“This important new award is testament to our belief in sustainability, community relations and innovation,” remarked Nicolas Borit, Managing Director of Dragages Hong Kong. “In March this year, we also received the Gold Award in MTR Corporation’s Stakeholder Engagement Awards. This is the second consecutive year we’ve won this award and it provides yet further recognition of the emphasis we place on both environmental and community awareness. It’s our mission to build a sustainable city and a better life for people through care and innovation.”
 
Connecting with the community
In each of its projects, Dragages Hong Kong is committed to fostering a collaborative relationship with the local community through open communications and regular meetings with neighbours. It also adopts a proactive range of measures to minimise the impact of construction works on the local community, from implementing noise and dust measures to voluntary traffic-control schemes near schools.
 
In addition to these daily efforts to connect with the local community, Dragages Hong Kong has also held an annual “Actitudes” Funday since 2007. Designed to promote safety and green practices while also encouraging a spirit of partnership and mutual respect, the “Actitudes” Funday is now a major event on the annual calendar. In 2012, it featured more than 64 fun and educational booths covering 8,000 sqm. Some 3,600 people attended, including staff and their families, as well as clients and working partners. Seven charity organisations were also invited, including Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, the Hong Chi Association and the Federation of Handicapped Youth. The event was jointly sponsored by Dragages Hong Kong, AsiaWorld-Expo, BYME, VSL-Intrafor and over 60 working partners. Donations from the day went to a variety of charity organisations.
 
Dragages Hong Kong is likewise proud to join hands with its parent company, Bouygues Construction, to support local charities. In 2012, the company applied for funding from Terre Plurielle, the corporate foundation of Bouygues Construction to make a significant donation to the Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (FSMA) Charitable Trust. This donation was used to finance medical equipment that can be loaned to families so that patients can continue living at home.
 
Caring for people
Dragages Hong Kong has always believed that its success is driven by the expertise, commitment and passion of its people. In 2012, it held more than 130 in-house and external training courses, benefitting more than 800 colleagues. Rather than limiting these training programmes to technical seminars and on-the-job training, the company also offered training on well-being, work balance, stress management, and critical thinking.
 
This interest in its employees’ holistic welfare is further complemented by Solidarity Fund DHK, which was founded in January 2010 to provide financial assistance to Dragages Hong Kong staff members and their immediate family members who are enduring financial hardship due to high medical costs or the sudden death of a working staff member.
 
“The Safe Way is the Only Way”
In a business such as this, safety is fundamental to the well-being of all employees. To reinforce Dragages Hong Kong’s safety motto, “The Safe Way is the Only Way”, the company established a Safety Training Centre in 2011. This innovative facility provides a wide range of safety training in both classrooms and site simulations, with the ultimate goal of eradicating the unsafe practices that are the major causes of accidents in the industry. This fully-equipped centre includes the first ever full-sized tunnel safety training simulator, measuring some four metres in diameter. All Dragages Hong Kong and subcontractor employees are required to attend a mandatory one-day intensive basic safety training course at the centre. From February 2011 to March 2013, more than 8,000 people were trained.
 
The company is also pleased to report that a member of FSMA joined the Centre in 2012 as a full-time safety training officer. This appointment is yet further proof of the company’s commitment to breaking down barriers and empowering the disadvantaged to fully integrate with society.
 

Caring Company Scheme
The title of “Caring Company” was awarded to Dragages Hong Kong based on nominations. The Award scheme, which aims to cultivate good corporate citizenship, is made up of three scopes, namely “Caring for the Community”, “Caring for Employees”, and “Caring for the Environment”, which collectively comprise 17 judging criteria. Nominations must fulfil a minimum of two criteria under each of the three scopes.
 
Since its inception, this important Awards scheme has played a key role in building strategic partnerships between businesses, social services and charitable organisations, which ultimately is helping to create a more cohesive, caring society.
 
About Dragages Hong Kong
Dragages Hong Kong Limited has been in Hong Kong since 1955 when it won its first contract in the territory to reconstruct and extend the runway at Kai Tak International Airport. Since then, the company has completed many major projects that serve as milestones in Hong Kong’s development.
 
Dragages Hong Kong is a full service provider across building, civil, electrical installation and maintenance, taking the lead in designing, building, financing, and operating. The company is part of Bouygues Construction, a global player in building and civil works, and energy and services sectors, with operations in 80 countries. Employing some 55,000 people worldwide, Bouygues Construction generated sales of €10.64 billion in 2012.