Case Studies

L&T’s initial accreditation was for the NEBOSH International General Certificate, but more recently they have begun to offer the NEBOSH HSE Introduction to Incident Investigation qualification too. We spoke to a corporate learning and development representative from L&T about the benefits the company has gained from delivering NEBOSH training to hundreds of L&T-ites, as its employees are affectionately known!

Can you tell us a little about your organisation?
L&T is a USD 23 billion Indian multinational company employing over 50,000 people across the globe. It operates in over 50 countries in a range of industries and is primarily engaged in Engineering, Procurement and Construction projects, Hi-tech Manufacturing, and Services. A strong customer-focused approach and quest for top-class quality have enabled L&T to attain and sustain leadership position in its major lines of business for over eight decades now.

L&T has always been clear that its people are central to the company’s activities, achievements, and the value it delivers to stakeholders. It is committed to providing its people with a safe and healthy workplace and support their learning and growth. This focus on people is reflected in the fact that L&T has delivered over 6.9 million hours of safety training to its workforce! It is no wonder the company is consistently rated amongst the best employers in India.

We are delighted that for the past 10 years the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety (IGC) has featured in your training plans. In that time, more than 700 L&T employees have completed the qualification. Can you explain:

Why you chose to roll out this qualification in particular?
Employees are our key assets who drive the company forward because of their competencies and expertise. Our workforce is multi-generational and drawn from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and embodies a rich mix of educational and professional experience.

L&T makes enormous investment in the professional development of its people and works towards identifying qualifications and courses that will have an impact on both the individual and the company. The rollout of NEBOSH International General Certificate is a great example of this. The L&T-ites in the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) function, who were chosen to take part initially, were to become change agents in their respective workplaces. We wanted to give them the skills and confidence they need to make a difference so they could foster the safety culture we were striving for. Simultaneously, the initiative played a crucial role in developing competencies and improving our safety culture, which in turn contributed to L&T’s ability to secure international business. The qualification has featured in our training plans ever since.

Which job roles have had the opportunity to take this qualification and why?
L&T-ites who are in EHS management roles typically undertake the NEBOSH IGC. This includes line managers and EHS engineers. The motivation for offering this training is the same as when we first became NEBOSH accredited 10 years ago. We want our EHS team to have the opportunity to achieve an internationally recognised qualification and also recognise that it will help maintain a positive safety culture throughout the organisation.

How has this benefited your business?
At L&T, when we look for training modules, we look for evidence that such modules have delivered learning impact. For individuals who go through the IGC programme, we review the safety behaviour pattern and safety performance in their area of operation many months after they have undergone the training. It is always satisfying to see the change when this review takes place. We find that this qualification raises competence and encourages the learner to have a positive impact on our safety culture, which is exactly what we were looking for.

Since 2023, you have also delivered the NEBOSH HSE Introduction to Incident Investigation qualification.

What has been the driver for this rollout?
L&T is committed to Mission Zero Harm and is working on various strategies to continuously raise standards within the organisation. This qualification has been rolled out to enhance the professionalism in incident investigation through scientific analysis and a structured framework.

Which job roles have had the opportunity to take this qualification and why?
We strongly believe that we should initially focus on raising the investigation competence of our EHS professionals. This training has therefore been offered, so far, to employees working in the EHS department. Our intention is to start making it widely available and include non-EHS people who may be involved in the incident investigation process.

How has this benefited your business?
The participants can now use the PEACE Model and perform incident investigation more effectively. We look forward to reviewing and reporting the impact the qualification has had on our EHS department and on our wider organisation in the future.

Larsen & Toubro is a NEBOSH accredited Corporate Learning Partner – what advantages does this bring to your business?

L&T is a brand that is held in high esteem in India and the other countries in which we operate. We believe in collaborating with the best global partners. NEBOSH is an organisation known for providing relevant qualifications in EHS. We are using NEBOSH IGC as a tool for embedding a positive safety culture among participants.

L&T has a state-of-the-art Leadership Development Academy, and we ensure that the IGC training programme is delivered here on a residential basis because it offers the appropriate learning ambience. During the 10-day module, we teach L&T-ites the modern safety management concepts, which has a sharp impact on their attitudes, beliefs, and value systems about safety in particular and life in general.