Environment
We Care – Ambuja´s H&S Transformation Journey
Published
9 years agoon
By
admin
One of the leading cement producers in the country wants to be the leader in H&S function of plant operations also. For achieving good H&S performance on sustainable basis; requires not only good management system, but equally important, is ensuring its real on-ground implementation. Ashwin Raykundalia narrates his own experiences to ICR.
At Ambuja Cement, our vision is to be the most sustainable and competitive company in our industry. Being sustainable means a win-win situation from our economic, social and environmental performance. Managing Health & Safety (H&S) performance not only makes business sense, but also minimises the negative social impact it may have. Thus H&S forms an integral part of our sustainability strategy. We strongly believe that the organisations, where people are getting harmed would fail to exist in the long run.
At Ambuja, H&S is at the center of everything we do. Our aspiration is to conduct the business with the goal of Zero Harm to people and create healthy and safe environment for our employees, contractors, communities and customers. We started our structured H&S journey, since 2008, with the implementation of a good H&S management system. However, 2013 had been a bad year for us with an unacceptable H&S performance. The years of efforts put in strengthening H&S management system and infrastructure failed to guarantee good H&S performance, year on year. This made us to think through. Number of brain storming sessions among leadership teams took place on where we need to concentrate our efforts for sustainable H&S performance.
The outcome for achieving good H&S performance on sustainable basis requires not only good H&S management system, but equally important is ensuring its real on-ground implementation.
The challenge was in on-ground implementation of H&S management system in the right spirit. Analysis indicated, some people take pride in taking risk while a few others want to take a short-cut to finish the job faster, as it normally gets rewarded.
However, we also found there were real issues that increased disconnect between the line team and H&S requirements. These being:
- Issues between the line team and H&S requirements
- Systems and process established or mandated were too exhaustive and far off from ground realities that encouraged people to bypass it
- Lack of clear communication lead to non-uniform understanding of the H&S requirements even among different H&S professionals
- H&S being mainly ?Top Down? approach, communication not reaching up to the last person in the hierarchy. This leading to lack of visible actions from leadership at different levels to demonstrate H&S as clear priority
- Lack of reward & recognition for properly following or consequences for not following H&S requirements
- People do not perceive the risk in the environment they have grown with e.g., crossing the road from anywhere and not only at Zebra crossings
- Lack of competency in doing proper hazard identification and risk assessment. Often, the root cause of incident indicated failure to identify the hazard at the first place.
- Even for identified hazards, control measures proposed are administrative or PPE instead of higher level controls like elimination, substitution and engineering measures Non-availability of skilled manpower for execution of the job
- People mindset is that they would never be the victim of an accident
- People not being aware of potential consequences of their behavior or actions
- Line team often thought H&S performance is the responsibility of H&S professionals.
We realised that increased participation and focused intervention are the key to move up fast on H&S maturity. To make Health & Safety a mass mission and address above issues, we at Ambuja Cement launched
?We Care? Our Health & Safety Transformation journey during 2nd half of 2013. The tagline of the program being Hamara Suraksha Hamara Haath. The program aimed to bring following change:
(Refer to Figure-1 on earlier page)
H&S as Line Leadership:
To bring ownership towards H&S performance in the line team, we divided our plants into small geographical area, called Zones. One of the line managers was assigned the responsibility as Zone owner. Apart from his regular line responsibility, the Zone Owner takes ownership of H&S performance of his zone. Additionally we identified a Safety Ambassador, typically a direct supervisor of workmen group. All Zone Owners and Safety Ambassadors were trained on H&S technical aspects and behavioural aspects for them being the change agents (demonstrating role model behavior) in our H&S transformation journey.
The performance of Zones was monitored on a monthly basis, based on predefined criteria. Zone owners were also empowered to rate H&S KRA of his zone members in Annual Performance Management. This has also helped in developing Zone Owners to practice leadership qualities.
Performance dialogue and Wave, the processes extended from Ambuja?s established manufacturing excellence program –People Power?, which also helped in developing ownership in the line team toward H&S performance. (Refer to Figure-2)
Top driven to bottom-up approach for engaging people and enforcing compliance
It is important to reach out to each and every person involved explaining the importance of H&S for his/her own life apart from importance to the company. The dedicated Townhalls on H&S, directly addressed by the leadership team, Web casted across Ambuja locations and ?We Care? sensitisation workshops helped us in achieving this goal. We directly reached out to all the people (more than 12,000) at our plants in 2014 and again in 2015, and listened to their point of view. We formed work groups of cross functional teams working on received inputs to convert into actionable things for implementation. This helped in demonstrating that efforts toward the change are genuine and also getting buy-in from different functions.
The inputs received helped in establishing a comprehensive reward & recognition scheme for proactive interventions to improve H&S performance. In 2015, more than 350 individuals became ?Ambuja Safety Heroes? and more than 30 teams were rewarded. These proactive interventions are captured as best practices, which are shared on a regular basis across Ambuja, thus developing the learn & share culture and multiplying successes. This helped in engaging people across all levels.
Inputs were also used in refining H&S processes and adopting engineering solutions to reduce/eliminate risks. Consequence management policy also established to deal with violations of H&S requirements, clearly demonstrating H&S as the priority. (Refer to Figure-3)
Engaging people is the first step. However, for sustained H&S performance capability, building is equally critical. We developed customised training programs for people working in focused areas ? risky operational task and trades, defensive driving training for the truck driver, etc.
Making H&S a mass mission
We did not limit ourselves within the boundaries of our plant. We thought that nurturing safety culture in schoolchildren can serve two purposes? they would help in correcting the unsafe behaviors of their parents and they would grow up with right H&S practices and behavior. So we developed and implemented H&S curriculum focusing road safety and safety at school and safety at home at all Ambuja Schools. Our CSR wing, Ambuja Cement Foundation, is also helping us to create awareness within community around our plants.
We Care program has helped in bringing visible improvement in H&S performance for Ambuja.
Thus managing H&S performance needs a lot to deal with people aspects. H&S needs to become the mass mission of an organisation if the goal of ?Zero Harm? to people is to be achieved. Ambuja Cement has been able to successfully engage people and bring a sense of ownership towards H&S performance in the line team through ?We Care? program. We believe this is the step forward in our journey to achieve leadership position in H & S performance.
Ashwin Raykundalia, Head -Health & Safety, Ambuja Cements Ltd
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Reclamation of Used Oil for a Greener Future
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1 week agoon
June 16, 2025By
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In this insightful article, KB Mathur, Founder and Director, Global Technical Services, explores how reclaiming used lubricants through advanced filtration and on-site testing can drive cost savings, enhance productivity, and support a greener industrial future. Read on to discover how oil regeneration is revolutionising sustainability in cement and core industries.
The core principle of the circular economy is to redefine the life cycle of materials and products. Unlike traditional linear models where waste from industrial production is dumped/discarded into the environment causing immense harm to the environment;the circular model seeks to keep materials literally in continuous circulation. This is achievedthrough processes cycle of reduction, regeneration, validating (testing) and reuse. Product once
validated as fit, this model ensures that products and materials are reintroduced into the production system, minimising waste. The result? Cleaner and greener manufacturing that fosters a more sustainable planet for future generations.
The current landscape of lubricants
Modern lubricants, typically derived from refined hydrocarbons, made from highly refined petroleum base stocks from crude oil. These play a critical role in maintaining the performance of machinery by reducing friction, enabling smooth operation, preventing damage and wear. However, most of these lubricants; derived from finite petroleum resources pose an environmental challenge once used and disposed of. As industries become increasingly conscious of their environmental impact, the paramount importance or focus is shifting towards reducing the carbon footprint and maximising the lifespan of lubricants; not just for environmental reasons but also to optimise operational costs.
During operations, lubricants often lose their efficacy and performance due to contamination and depletion of additives. When these oils reach their rejection limits (as they will now offer poor or bad lubrication) determined through laboratory testing, they are typically discarded contributing to environmental contamination and pollution.
But here lies an opportunity: Used lubricants can be regenerated and recharged, restoring them to their original performance level. This not only mitigates environmental pollution but also supports a circular economy by reducing waste and conserving resources.
Circular economy in lubricants
In the world of industrial machinery, lubricating oils while essential; are often misunderstood in terms of their life cycle. When oils are used in machinery, they don’t simply ‘DIE’. Instead, they become contaminated with moisture (water) and solid contaminants like dust, dirt, and wear debris. These contaminants degrade the oil’s effectiveness but do not render it completely unusable. Used lubricants can be regenerated via advanced filtration processes/systems and recharged with the use of performance enhancing additives hence restoring them. These oils are brought back to ‘As-New’ levels. This new fresher lubricating oil is formulated to carry out its specific job providing heightened lubrication and reliable performance of the assets with a view of improved machine condition. Hence, contributing to not just cost savings but leading to magnified productivity, and diminished environmental stress.
Save oil, save environment
At Global Technical Services (GTS), we specialise in the regeneration of hydraulic oils and gear oils used in plant operations. While we don’t recommend the regeneration of engine oils due to the complexity of contaminants and additives, our process ensures the continued utility of oils in other applications, offering both cost-saving and environmental benefits.
Regeneration process
Our regeneration plant employs state-of-the-art advanced contamination removal systems including fine and depth filters designed to remove dirt, wear particles, sludge, varnish, and water. Once contaminants are removed, the oil undergoes comprehensive testing to assess its physico-chemical properties and contamination levels. The test results indicate the status of the regenerated oil as compared to the fresh oil.
Depending upon the status the oil is further supplemented with high performance additives to bring it back to the desired specifications, under the guidance of an experienced lubrication technologist.
Contamination Removal ? Testing ? Additive Addition
(to be determined after testing in oil test laboratory)
The steps involved in this process are as follows:
1. Contamination removal: Using advanced filtration techniques to remove contaminants.
2. Testing: Assessing the oil’s properties to determine if it meets the required performance standards.
3. Additive addition: Based on testing results, performance-enhancing additives are added to restore the oil’s original characteristics.
On-site oil testing laboratories
The used oil from the machine passes through 5th generation fine filtration to be reclaimed as ‘New Oil’ and fit to use as per stringent industry standards.
To effectively implement circular economy principles in oil reclamation from used oil, establishing an on-site oil testing laboratory is crucial at any large plants or sites. Scientific testing methods ensure that regenerated oil meets the specifications required for optimal machine performance, making it suitable for reuse as ‘New Oil’ (within specified tolerances). Hence, it can be reused safely by reintroducing it in the machines.
The key parameters to be tested for regenerated hydraulic, gear and transmission oils (except Engine oils) include both physical and chemical characteristics of the lubricant:
- Kinematic Viscosity
- Flash Point
- Total Acid Number
- Moisture / Water Content
- Oil Cleanliness
- Elemental Analysis (Particulates, Additives and Contaminants)
- Insoluble
The presence of an on-site laboratory is essential for making quick decisions; ensuring that test reports are available within 36 to 48 hours and this prevents potential mechanical issues/ failures from arising due to poor lubrication. This symbiotic and cyclic process helps not only reduce waste and conserve oil, but also contributes in achieving cost savings and playing a big role in green economy.
Conclusion
The future of industrial operations depends on sustainability, and reclaiming used lubricating oils plays a critical role in this transformation. Through 5th Generation Filtration processes, lubricants can be regenerated and restored to their original levels, contributing to both environmental preservation and economic efficiency.
What would happen if we didn’t recycle our lubricants? Let’s review the quadruple impacts as mentioned below:
1. Oil Conservation and Environmental Impact: Used lubricating oils after usage are normally burnt or sold to a vendor which can be misused leading to pollution. Regenerating oils rather than discarding prevents unnecessary waste and reduces the environmental footprint of the industry. It helps save invaluable resources, aligning with the principles of sustainability and the circular economy. All lubricating oils (except engine oils) can be regenerated and brought to the level of ‘As New Oils’.
2. Cost Reduction Impact: By extending the life of lubricants, industries can significantly cut down on operating costs associated with frequent oil changes, leading to considerable savings over time. Lubricating oils are expensive and saving of lubricants by the process of regeneration will overall be a game changer and highly economical to the core industries.
3. Timely Decisions Impact: Having an oil testing laboratory at site is of prime importance for getting test reports within 36 to 48 hours enabling quick decisions in critical matters that may
lead to complete shutdown of the invaluable asset/equipment.
4. Green Economy Impact: Oil Regeneration is a fundamental part of the green economy. Supporting industries in their efforts to reduce waste, conserve resources, and minimise pollution is ‘The Need of Our Times’.
About the author:
KB Mathur, Founder & Director, Global Technical Services, is a seasoned mechanical engineer with 56 years of experience in India’s oil industry and industrial reliability. He pioneered ‘Total Lubrication Management’ and has been serving the mining and cement sectors since 1999.

The Indian cement industry has reached a critical juncture in its sustainability journey. In a landmark move, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has, for the first time, announced greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity reduction targets for 282 entities, including 186 cement plants, under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, 2023. These targets, to be enforced starting FY2025-26, are aligned with India’s overarching ambition of achieving net zero emissions by 2070.
Cement manufacturing is intrinsically carbon-intensive, contributing to around 7 per cent of global GHG emissions, or approximately 3.8 billion tonnes annually. In India, the sector is responsible for 6 per cent of total emissions, underscoring its critical role in national climate mitigation strategies. This regulatory push, though long overdue, marks a significant shift towards accountability and structured decarbonisation.
However, the path to a greener cement sector is fraught with challenges—economic viability, regulatory ambiguity, and technical limitations continue to hinder the widespread adoption of sustainable alternatives. A major gap lies in the lack of a clear, India-specific definition for ‘green cement’, which is essential to establish standards and drive industry-wide transformation.
Despite these hurdles, the industry holds immense potential to emerge as a climate champion. Studies estimate that through targeted decarbonisation strategies—ranging from clinker substitution and alternative fuels to carbon capture and innovative product development—the sector could reduce emissions by 400 to 500 million metric tonnes by 2030.
Collaborations between key stakeholders and industry-wide awareness initiatives (such as Earth Day) are already fostering momentum. The responsibility now lies with producers, regulators and technology providers to fast-track innovation and investment.
The time to act is now. A sustainable cement industry is not only possible—it is imperative.

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