Our Daily Duty in the Civil Explosives Industry

In a world where communication is faster and louder than ever, we must be careful not to let important concepts become empty words. Safety is certainly one of those words. In many industries, it is treated as a priority. But in our sector — civil explosives — safety must be the foundation upon which everything else is built. It is not a slogan, it is a responsibility that must live through every action, every decision, every day.

I have had the privilege of being part of this industry for the past 16 years. Coming from a non-technical background, my focus has always been to make the principles of safety not just visible in procedures, but a sincere, living reality.

If I may share two key principles that have guided me over the years, they would be the following:

The first, and most critical, is the power of leading by example.

Every employee, no matter their role or seniority, must see themselves as an ambassador of safety principles. And for those who carry greater responsibilities — managers, directors, leaders — this duty becomes even more essential. As CEO of SSE Group, I have the opportunity to regularly visit our teams in the field and engage in open discussions. Sometimes, I hear remarks like, "I know this practice isn’t ideal, but I don't want to burden the team." We cannot accept such compromises. When it comes to health and safety, the greatest service we can offer our people is to insist — kindly but firmly — on the best practices, processes, and standards. Our duty is not just to be good managers; we are accountable for the lives, safety, and well-being of our colleagues. There is no higher responsibility.

The second principle is about recognizing our greatest hidden enemy: habit.

In our industry, the moment we forget that we are handling explosives — and not harmless materials — is the moment the risk of accidents becomes real. The experience and expertise of our people are our strongest defences, but over time, routine can silently lead to dangerous inattention. Once again, it is our duty to put everything in place — systems, checks, continuous training, and a strong safety culture — to ensure that vigilance never fades. On this point, we must remain humble: we will never be perfect. Every situation, every day offers an opportunity to question ourselves, to improve, and to encourage the emergence of new ideas and better practices. Continuous improvement is not optional — it is a vital part of our responsibility toward safety.

At SSE Group, we have invested heavily over the past years in building and implementing an Integrated Management System (IMS) to support our ISO certifications in quality, safety, and environmental management. By applying consistent processes, sharing knowledge across the group, and reviewing every safety statistic in detail, we work daily to continuously raise the level of safety throughout our operations.

Finally, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to SAFEX for their unwavering commitment to safety and for creating a platform where all industry actors can exchange, learn, and improve.

Together — through vigilance, humility, and shared responsibility — we are building a safer and stronger industry, every single day.

Gilles de Preux
SSE Holding
Group Chief Executive Officer