Last October saw Lagan Cement announced as winners at the 27th National Irish Safety Organisation / Northern Ireland Safety Group (NISO/NISG) Annual Safety Awards. Building Ireland heard more from John McNamara, who is the Group Health & Safety Manager in Kinnegad.
Health and Safety continues to be top of the priority list at Lagan Cement and November’s success at the NISO Annual Occupational Safety Awards certainly proved it.
Since commencing production in 2002, Lagan Cement has operated one of the most modern cement manufacturing facilities in Europe.
It’s facility is located in the midlands on circa a 750 acre site in Co Meath, near to the town of Kinnegad, where Group Health & Safety Manager John McNamara is based.
Building Ireland caught up with John shortly after the company’s success at the NISO awards to learn about the business, its priorities in Health & Safety, along with the recent takeover of Lagan by the Breedon Group in the UK.
“Zero harm has always been, and will always be our number one priority,” John stated.
“We continually strive to prevent accidents and improve our Health and Safety performance. We continue to strengthen our Safety First approach.”
From its state-of-the-art manufacturing plant near Kinnegad, Lagan Cement manufactures a range of high-quality bulk and bagged cement products for distribution across the island of Ireland and the UK.
Lagan Cement is an invaluable operation, which plays a key role in keeping the wheels of the local economy in the midlands – and further afield – turning. As well as supplying premium cement products to the build environment, the Kinnegad-based arm of the Lagan Group generates massive employment … not least in the haulage industry.
Up to 60 hauliers could be on the go on any given day, contracted by Lagan Cement to bring raw materials to the impressive manufacturing facility – located on a spacious 750-acre site in the heart of Ireland – or distribute produce to sites the length and breadth of Ireland and the UK.
To produce its superb, renowned range of quality bulk and conveniently-sized bagged cement products, Lagan carries out a painstaking and precise cement manufacturing process which comprises blasting, crushing, blending, milling in the raw mill, pyro-processing in the kiln, milling in the cement mill, storage in cement silos, and finally dispatch via tankers and bags
Since commencement of production in 2002, Lagan Cement has operated one of the most modern cement manufacturing facilities in Europe.
The industry-leading cement works in Kinnegad has the capacity to produce 700,000 tonnes of high quality cement per annum for both the domestic and export markets. These products comprise CEM I 42,5 R Bulk, CEM I 52,5 R Bulk, CEM II/A-L 42,5 N Bulk and CEM II /A-L 42,5 N Bag cements.
CEM II Bulk is a high quality general purpose cement suitable for most applications, while CEM I 42,5 R is a special purpose cement used in concrete to achieve a higher rate of early strength development compared to using CEM II Bulk.
Lagan Premium+ Bagged multipurpose cement is ideal for general use in large or small jobs and suitable for concrete, mortar, render, screed and grout applications.
Lagan White bagged cement is the cement of choice for superior architectural quality finish, providing attractive and durable concrete, rendering and mortars.
Meanwhile, Lagan’s specially selected kiln dried building sand is ideally suited for jointing or grouting.
Over the years, Lagan Cement has sought and achieved a wide range of independent accreditations in recognition of outstanding performance, which reflect excellently on the professionalism and commitment of the company’s dedicated workforce.
These include Benor Quality Certification; BES 6001 Responsible Sourcing Certificate; OHSAS 18001 Certification; ISO 5001 Energy Management Certificate; ISO 9001 Quality Certificate; ISO 14001 Certificate; KOMO Quality Certificate; NF Quality Certificate; and NSAI Excellence Through People Certificate.
As for the company’s most recent success on the awards’ front, it’s win at the 27th National Irish Safety Organisation / Northern Ireland Safety Group (NISO/NISG) Annual Safety Awards this past autumn served to further highlight its commitment to Health & Safety.
Held in the Great Southern in Killarney, Co Kerry on the 12th October 2018, the awards ceremony was very much a testament to the quality of the process which each participant goes through and the high regard that the awards command, along with the value it brings.
“We’ve participated and submitted entries to the NISO Health and Safety awards for a number of years now. It’s an initiative which we enjoy participating in and an initiative which we have achieved great success in,” said John.
“To achieve a NISO Health and Safety Award, companies have to submit information and examples of how Health and Safety is managed on a day to day basis, e.g. Safety Communications, Safety Engagement, Accident prevention.
“All our staff work extremely hard to improve our health and safety standards, so it is nice to achieve some recognition for the hard work that is put in.”
Last April saw Lagan Group officially acquired by the UK’s Breedon Group for €527m.
It means that Lagan’s brick, tile and bagged cement products have been official rebranded as Breedon as of November 1, 2018.
Lagan Cement
Lansdown Cement Works,
Killaskillen,
Kinnegad,
Co Westmeath
Tel: 044 9379200
Fax: 044 9379201
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.lagancement.com
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, February 2019, Vol 5 No 2
