Project Chapter 2.docx

Name of Candidate (Block Capitals) MUSTAPHA OLAJIDE OLAMILEKAN OGUNFOWORA Matriculation Number 40597357 Course MSc Environmental Sustainability Title of Dissertation: Effects of HSE and Compliance on Lafarge Cement Production, Nigeria as a case study. CHAPTER 1 Introduction. Ceme...

Name of Candidate (Block Capitals) MUSTAPHA OLAJIDE OLAMILEKAN OGUNFOWORA Matriculation Number 40597357 Course MSc Environmental Sustainability Title of Dissertation: Effects of HSE and Compliance on Lafarge Cement Production, Nigeria as a case study. CHAPTER 1 Introduction. Cement is the most common and often-used adhesive in the building industry. It is used for flyovers, office buildings, bridges, embankments, and buildings. The cement production industry has thus played a major role in the expansion of the global economy, as construction, steel, crude oil, iron, and telecommunications make up significant components of the global infrastructure system. Rapid commercialization, urban culture, and the necessity to enhance domestic product output are the main factors behind the rise in cement production (Adeniran et al., 2019). Nigeria's wealth of raw materials has encouraged a significant number of local manufacturers. The yearly production of cement had increased substantially above 1300% from less than 2 million metric tonnes in 1990 to more than 28 million metric tonnes in 2013 (Oni, Fadare, and Adeboye, 2017). The two major ingredients in cement, a substance that resembles powder and is used in a variety of civil and building projects, are lime and mud clay. The utilised clay adds silica, iron oxide, and alumina, while the calcined lime primarily creates calcium oxide. Nigeria is a developing nation, and the cement industry has a significant impact on the country's economy. There are numerous cement manufacturers in Nigeria, including LafargeHolcim Cement, Dangote Cement, BUA Cement, and Ashaka Cement. The impacts of the cement industry are both beneficial and undesirable. Positive effects mean that these industries generate employment opportunities and are beneficial to the nation's economic growth. Negative effects include harm to the environment, which results in the degradation of the environment, as well as injury and the development of occupational diseases in humans. China is without a doubt the largest cement producer in the world, producing 59.31% of all cement produced worldwide. According to CEMENT (Data in thousand metric tonnes unless otherwise noted), global cement production will reach 4.1 billion metric tonnes in 2020, up 24% from its peak in 2010. These latest innovations, which have been driven by developing countries like China and India, have greatly increased cement production throughout Asia, Africa, and South America. As population and industrialization develop, there will unavoidably be a 12–23% increase in global cement production by 2050 (IEA, n.d.). Nigeria has the largest cement industry in the entirety of West Africa, with at least 12 registered enterprises and a total capacity of 58.9 Mt/yr. Dangote Cement is the largest cement producer in Nigeria and West Africa, with a production capacity of around 28.5 Mt/yr. Furthermore, BUA Group and LafargeHolcim (via their affiliates AshakaCem and Lafarge WAPCO) enhance their respective integrated cement capacities by 11.5 Mt/yr and 18.9 Mt/yr, respectively (www.globalcement.com, n.d.). Major Cement Plants in Nigeria. In industrialised nations, occupational health and safety have risen to the status of a top public health concern, especially in high-risk industries (Rachid et al. 2015). One of these sectors is the cement industry. One of the most frequently used building materials worldwide is cement. Due to its widespread use, cement's health impacts are now a significant concern for both the environment and workers (Koh et al. 2011). In addition to other health risks, cement industry workers are particularly vulnerable to exposure to dust, which can lead to lung function impairment, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, restrictive lung disease, pneumoconiosis, and cancer of the lungs, stomach, and colon (Meo 2004). This exposure occurs during various production processes like quarrying, crushing, grinding raw materials, blending, kiln burning, cement grinding, and packaging. One of the most crucial concerns for the cement business is ensuring that workers and contractors have safe and healthy working conditions, which is a vital component of corporate social responsibility (WBCSD 2004). Risk assessment also becomes a crucial and strategic response to protect worker health and safety on the one hand and to maintain qualified labour on the other due to the complexity of industrial tissue and the speed at which techniques develop in large factories (Tomar 2014). The major goals of this evaluation of the literature are to identify particular risks to health and safety in the cement manufacturing process and to look into those concerns.  Ahead of both the US and Japan but just behind China, India's cement sector is the world's second-largest cement manufacturer. Over 0.14 million people are employed in it, and it is acknowledged as a core sector that contributes roughly 1.3% of GDP . For its workers, subcontractors, end users, and people who live close to its operations, the cement industry places a high focus on health and safety. The factory can make other enhancements thanks to this advantageous cultural component. A management team that cannot successfully manage safety is unable to effectively manage other tasks. However, work-related injuries and illnesses have a significant negative impact on employee health as well as significant economic and societal consequences. Risk assessment also becomes a crucial and strategic response to protect worker health and safety on the one hand and to maintain qualified labour on the other, as a result of the complexity of the industrial tissue and the speed with which the techniques develop in the large factories. These facts, among others, are what set off the alert and made it necessary to strengthen safety in the industries. As a result, one of the primary forces behind progress is the implementation of a preventative strategy within a factory and the a priori assessment of these risks. Health and safety at work, therefore, may not be as important to some companies, employees, and their representatives. Additionally, as work evolves constantly, including its risks, establishing general safety rules and relying solely on standards and regulations to comply becomes less and less effective. Instead, employers should focus on raising staff awareness of the importance of health and safety at work by providing them with training and information and by motivating them to take the necessary actions to implement prevention and mitigation measures. Aim: To reveal the impact of HSE and compliance on Nigeria’s Cement productivity. Objective: ▪ To analyse the role that the Cement industry plays in the growth of the world economy. ▪ To assess the importance of HSE practise in the Nigerian cement business. ▪ To investigate if Lafarge Africa PLC is complying to HSE rules. ▪ To determine and evaluate Nigeria's HSE rules and conformance with UK, US, and Indian practise. ▪ To advocate for HSE best practises that boost Lafarge Nigeria's cement production's productivity, which enhances the organization's reputation Since the goal of this report is to satisfy the main subject of the study with appropriate information, it is important to concentrate on a few crucial areas that are most likely to resolve the main disputes raised over the entire study process. These areas are mentioned below. Main Research Topic The effect of HSE and compliance on Cement productivity in Nigeria, Lafarge as a case study. Supporting Details: What are the Occupational Health and Safety Principles? What effects do cement industries have? What are the Cement Industry's Social and Environmental Impacts? What are the causes of occupational illnesses in the cement industry? What HSE safety measures are in place to increase cement production? Research Methodology By identifying several stages of manufacturing and how they affect social and environmental aspects, this study will uncover numerous health and safety risks associated with cement manufacturing. To do this, the study will employ a variety of research techniques to make sure that every perspective is covered and that all information and viewpoints are taken into account. The study will begin with a literature review, which will serve as its foundation and provide the initial viewpoints that will be taken into account and contested later on. The goal is to gather a variety of information and opinions both favourable and unfavourable about the topic in order to use them as a springboard for additional study and to draw attention to the points of disagreement. Second, a semi-structured interview with industry professionals will be conducted. The basic agenda for each interview will be formed from a list of questions that will be developed after reading the literature review, but because the interviews are semi-structured, there will also be some freedom for the interviewer and the interviewee to probe for more information on any topics or viewpoints that may come up during the interview. Finally, the results of the literature review and the interviews with business experts will be contrasted and compared to see if any recurring themes or new arguments can be drawn from the findings. The suggested research methodology aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of the effects of HSE and compliance on cement productivity in Africa. A greater degree of detail can be included in the findings thanks to the proposed research method and the primary and supplementary research subjects, which also enable the study to be focused on particular regions. Scope and Limitations There has been discussion over HSE and Compliance towards production of Cement in Africa Industry and the need to use more preventive and proactive ways cushion the effect in order to promote a healthy and viable production system that is sustainable. Structure of the Dissertation The structure of this study will be as follows: Chapter 1 – Introduction The Main Research Topic will be introduced, and the criteria used for selection will be highlighted. It will also specify the study's goals and objectives, as well as its scope and any restrictions on its execution. Chapter 2 – Literature Review This section, which will serve as the foundation for the remaining research, will review all recent literature that is accessible through the Main Research Topic. It will outline the background, terms, ideas, and perspectives both favourable and unfavourable associated with the subject to make room for future study. Chapter 3 – Research Methodology This section will list the various options for additional study after the Literature Review and will also offer a technique for going forward and a reason for this decision.  Chapter 4 – Research Analysis This section will explain the results of the additional investigation that will be conducted and link to any contradictions or correlations with the conclusions of the Literature Review.  Chapter 5 – Conclusion Finally, this part will present the study's key findings, any study limitations, and suggestions for further research.   CHAPTER 2 Literature Review In modern society, cement plays an indispensable function, and as the world's population rises, so will cement consumption. In the upcoming ten years, it is anticipated that cement usage will rise. The need for infrastructure development in developing nations like India, Indonesia, and Nigeria will push cement consumption to record levels (IEA, 2018; Chen et al., 2015; Shen et al., 2017; Review, 2022). Limestone, iron ore, alumina, silica, and waste materials are among the primary raw materials used in cement production (Naqi and Jang, 2019). According to the United Nations Environment Programme (2014), there is mounting evidence of the loss of non-renewable resources, such as sand. Additionally, the cement industry consumes a lot of energy, and fossil fuels account for the majority of the energy used to heat the mixture of limestone, clay, silica, alumina, and iron ore (Peys, 2022). As the cement sector generates 5-8% of the world's total CO2 emissions, reducing carbon emissions has been a significant problem (Turner and Collins, 2013; Galusnyak et al., 2022; Kahawalage et al., 2023; Sai Kishan, 2021). Numerous studies have been done on various carbon reduction techniques, such as carbon taxes, alternative raw materials, and sustainable energy production; however, the majority of the cement sector still uses fossil fuels. There is no way to replace limestone entirely because the calcination of limestone also generates enormous volumes of CO2. The cement industry is also to blame for a number of other environmental and social issues in addition to GHG emissions. Near cement facilities, health issues connected to dust, water contamination, and land degradation are widespread (Dey and Ramcharan, 2008; Barabadi and Lu, 2015; Mishra, 2004; Sangwan et al., 2019). These issues are more common in developing nations like Nigeria and other African nations because there is still a lack of awareness of environmental, health, and safety laws and because businesses and communities are far less willing to embrace sustainable practises. The environmental issues will worsen as cement usage rises in developing nations (Palermo et al., 2022; Mohamad, 2022; Silva et al., 2022). Employee safety precautions are not well monitored because there have been reports of snake bites in limestone quarries in Pakistan (Jamali, 2022). Additionally, social confrontations with nearby villages over the acquisition of land for quarrying have been reported. Sumarno and Wiratomo, 2019; Abdi, 2018). On the other side, cement production also expands employment prospects and generates support positions in the building sector. V -CEMENT MANUFACTURING PROCESS Follow the cement manufacturing process from the limestone quarry through delivery of the finished product in such a way that potential health hazards in every section are identified, followed by the safety advice for optimum production. Mining Site: The process for producing cement begins with the extraction of the raw materials, primarily limestone and clay. A clay quarry is up to 25 kilometres away from the plant area, while a limestone quarry is located right next to the facility. After drilling and blasting, the limestone is extracted from open-cast mines and placed into dumpers that transport the materials and discharge them into the hoppers of limestone crushers. The clay is removed from open-pit mines and placed onto dumpers, which move the goods and discharge them into storage areas with open yards. It is then delivered by trucks and unloaded into a clay crusher's hopper. There are three different kinds of clay that are used to make cement: silty clay, Zafarana clay, and kaolin. Cement Crusher Section: The limestone and additives are initially crushed in a jaw crusher (primary crusher) simultaneously, and the crushed material is then fed into an impact crusher (secondary crusher), where the clays are mixed to further reduce the particle size to under 50 mm. A bulk material analyzer is passed over the discharged raw mix, which is loaded onto a conveying belt and contains 30% clay and 70% limestone. The raw mix is fed into a raw mix storage facility. The mix is then transported to a raw mill bin known as the raw mix bin for grinding after being removed transversely from the stockpile by reclaimers. Raw Mill Section: This is the point at which drying, grinding and homogenization of raw material takes place. In order to dry and finely grind the raw mix of high-grade limestone, sand, and iron ore, they are supplied from their bins to raw mills known as air-swept mills. The drying chamber and the grinding chamber are the two chambers in the raw mill that are divided by a diaphragm. The hot gases entering the mill are put to use in raw mills for drying after they exit the preheater (preheater/kiln system). The drying materials next enter the raw mills' grinding chamber for fine grinding. A set number of balls in various diameters, from 30mm to 90mm, are present in the grinding chamber. A separator separates the coarse and fine products from the hot gas and grinding materials at the mill output. The latter, referred to as reject, is transported via an air slide to the mill inlet for regrinding. A multistage "cyclone" is used to separate gases and fine materials once the hot gas and materials enter it. The multi- cyclone is used to gather the fine material known as raw meal, which is then fed into an Aeropol air slide for lifting. For the purpose of separating the fine materials from the gases, heated gases containing very fine materials are introduced into an electrostatic precipitator. Preheater dust, or electrostatic separator dust, is a very fine material that is extracted from filters, fed onto screw conveyors, mixed with fine material, and then transferred to an air lift vessel by air slide. In an air lift, uncooked meal is compressed and hoisted by compressed air to the silo, where it is stored and homogenised in a concrete silo. Raw material removed from the silo and now referred to as kiln feed is fed to the top of the preheater for pyro-processing using an air lift known as the Poldos. Kiln Section: This is where clinkerization takes place simply by pyro-processing kiln feed into the preheater-kiln system, cement clinker is created. The five-stage multi-stage cyclone preheater, combustion chamber, riser duct, rotary kiln, and grate cooler make up the preheater-kiln system. Hot gas from the combustion chamber and rotary kiln heats the kiln feed in the preheater. In order to create the clinker components C3A, C4AF, C2S, and C3S, the preheated kiln feed is then partially calcined (made powdery) in a combustion chamber and riser duct, followed by complete calcination in a rotary kiln at a temperature of roughly 1400 C. Natural gas serves as the primary heat source. In the main burner rotary kiln, natural gas is burned as the primary fuel (at a rate of 100 percent), with a mixture of 95 percent natural gas and 5 percent heavy oil used in the combustion chamber. The heat needed to turn the kiln feed into clinker is produced by the fuel. The grate cooler is used to cool hot clinker discharge from kilns, which lowers the temperature from 1350–1450 C to 120 C. Different cooling fans in the cooler draw the amount of cooling air needed for clinker cooling from the atmosphere, feed it into the cooler chambers, and pressurise the cooler plate and clinker bed. The clinker is transported to the clinker storage once it is discharged from the cooler and enters the pan conveyor. A portion of the hot air removed from the cooler is used as secondary and tertiary air for combustion in the rotary kiln and combustion chamber, respectively. The clinker is transferred from the clinker storage to cement ball mill hoppers for cement grinding. Cement Mill Section: Each material is taken from its corresponding hopper and fed to the cement mills: clinker and gypsum for OPC, limestone for limestone cement, and slag for slag cement. The first and second chambers of the ball mill combine to grind the feed into a fine powder. A set number of balls, ranging in size from 17 mm to 90 mm, are charged into each of the two chambers. The material from the mill discharge is fed into a bucket elevator, which transports it to a separator, where it is divided into fine and coarse products. To achieve finer particles, the latter is sent to the mill inlet, and the finished product is kept in concrete silos. Packing Plant: Cement extracted from silos is conveyed to the automatic electronic packers, where it is packed in 50-kg bags and dispatched in trucks. IMPACTS OF CEMENT Cement production has both considerable positive and negative effects. Positively, people can get work in the cement industry and have business chances. This is crucial for the nation's economic growth. Quarrying limestone, which is used as the primary raw material for cement, has a negative influence on the environment since it alters the local biodiversity and affects living things. The high energy requirements for mining, manufacturing, and shipping cement, as well as the resulting air pollution that includes the production of greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide), dioxin, NOx, SO2, and particulate matter, are environmental concerns. Environmental degradation and concerns with energy consumption are inevitable given the rising need for cement supplies. In order to create Portland cement, raw materials must be mixed, and as a result, mining operations require an open mining process. Quarrying is done with the aid of bulldozers, dump trucks, and other powerful earth-moving equipment. To create the normal clinker composition, enough calcium, silicon, aluminium, and iron components are required. The major components of cement are lime and silica, whereas iron lowers the reaction's temperature and gives the material its distinctive grey colour. Limestone, shale, and clay are prepared, dried, crushed, combined, and heated in cement ovens to 1200°C to 1450°C to form the clinker in the cement manufacturing process. Chemical processes in the burning area require a high temperature. Clinker is a nodular substance that forms inside the oven and is subsequently allowed to depart. Next, clinker is used as the primary component of cement. To create regular Portland cement, it is crushed and combined with other components like limestone and gypsum (Huntzinger and Eatmon, 2009). A life-cycle assessment of Portland cement manufacturing: comparing the traditional process with alternative technologies. For the purpose of heating the cement ovens, dryers, and pre-warmers, a sizeable amount of fossil fuels and alternative fuels are burned during the process. Additionally, equipment like cement ovens and crushing plants use a lot of energy. As a result, a tremendous amount of energy is used to produce a large amount of cement. From the very beginning of the cement production process to the very end, pollution especially air pollution is a factor. According to studies, the atmosphere receives about 0.8 metric tonnes of CO2 for every tonne of cement produced [(He et al., 2020)). A tonne of Portland cement is said to produce around a tonne of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions, and 2% to 8% of the world's electricity is used in the cement manufacturing process [(Gonzalez-Corominas et al., 2016)]. The atmospheric CO2 content has increased by 47% since the start of the Industrial Revolution.   Air toxicity  Dust emissions are a significant contributor to environmental pollution in the cement industry. For instance, dust is produced during the transportation, loading, and unloading of the clinker to be deposited outside the silo (Gregg and Andres, 2008). In fact, CO2 is one of the main greenhouse gas emitters and a key factor in global warming (NASA, 2023). CO2 will be emitted along with water vapour at high temperatures during the synthesis of CaO during the manufacture of cement (PCC, Climate change 2014). It accounts for 5% to 7% of the world's CO2 emissions from all industrial energy usage, while CO2 makes up about 65% of greenhouse gases (Shen et al., 2015). Chronic cough, phlegm production, lung function impairment, tightness in the chest, skin irritation, conjunctivitis, stomach ache, headache, exhaustion, laryngeal carcinoma, and colon damage are the most common health issues brought on by exposure to such a dangerous substance. The lack of or poor condition of dust collection systems, poor housekeeping, lack of availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), use of defective PPE, or non-use of PPE due to ignorance are causes of such diseases because workers do not adequately protect themselves through personal protective equipment. These circumstances are frequently linked to exposure concentration and duration, employee cleanliness and behaviour, susceptibility and tolerance levels, the state of the substance, and regular usage of the proper personal protective equipment. Ingestion, skin or eye absorption, and inhalation (breathing in) are the three main ways that people are exposed. Pollution of Water Cement making also contributes to dust pollution, which can impair air quality and visibility. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention explicitly indicate that after the dust has been drained, it might contaminate the water and have a negative impact on human or even animal health. Contamination of groundwater or river water supplies is caused by waste water run-off into the atmosphere. Building, urbanisation, and human activities on land all contribute to the problem of soil degradation in places with an increasing population (Ding et al., 2015). Additionally, poor land management can result in soil erosion and water run-off through the landscape rather than appropriate infiltration, which is one of the reasons driving soil erosion (Y, 2016). Noise Production Furthermore, the cement-making process is the main source of noise pollution. Noise pollution was caused by the processing of raw materials, the burning of clinker, the storage of resources, and the usage of large machinery (Anon, n.d.). Industrial noise is divided into three categories by the noise processing process: complicated gas noise, electrical and magnetic noise, and mechanical noise (G, n.d.). The main causes of noise in cement plants are electromagnetic noise from electric engines, mechanical noise from milling and crushing equipment, and gas dynamic noise from blower activities (Saima et al., 2012)s. In addition to having a negative impact on hearing, noise pollution has a negative impact on the anatomy and physiology of various human body systems, including the neurological, digestive, and cardiovascular systems [42]. Long-term exposure to high-noise cement mill environments increases the likelihood that an individual may suffer from induced hearing loss or neurasthenia syndrome, which includes memory loss, hypertension, sleeplessness, dizziness, headaches, and fatigue. High levels of road and industrial noise are currently thought to be one of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Additionally, the noise pollution during work hours makes it harder for the workers' safety to be maintained because it affects their ability to identify any danger signals [43]. Fig. 2 presents a summary of the influence of cement production overall. Health and Safety Control Approach; Dust removal is one of the most important processes, as it is linked to the processing and storage of raw materials (including crushing and milling), solid fuels, movement (e.g., trucks or conveyor belts), heating systems, clinker coolers and mills, and other activities. Cement has a significant impact. packaging and packaging bags, as well as clinker and limestone burning. The packing of heavily contaminated (dust) cement is a stage in the manufacturing process. When a cement kiln is heated to a higher temperature, nitrogen oxide (NOX) is released. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is primarily produced through mineral combustion and limestone breakdown. The cement manufacturing system is subject to both fundamental and particular risks, which include the following: • Safe behaviour • Work equipment • Safety labelling • Personal protective equipment (ppe) • Manual load handling Methodology A study is conducted in this section to show the breakdown of work that contributed to the dissertation's methodology's achievement. This dissertation's objective is to provide a systematic framework for comprehending the impact of HSE and compliance on the Lafarge Cement Industry and determining whether new policies for improvement should be adopted as well. To accomplish this goal, a qualitative research strategy was used. Information obtained in The primary data for this dissertation was gathered through semi-structured interviews with industry leaders in order to better understand the subject. 3.2 Analysis  The methodical pursuit of information in order to establish facts and draw novel inferences is what is referred to as research. The majority of professions engage in research for knowledge acquisition and business development (Chandra & Hareendran, 2018). A specific subject or problem serves as the traditional guide for the research process, which aims to acquire data in a methodical manner. It is most successful when approached gradually (Habib et al., 2014). This framework includes five main steps to solve the problem, as shown in figure 3.1, beginning with the problem setup step where the problem's scope and major assumptions are identified and concluding with the knowledge extraction step where policies, significant choices, the design of the system, and the operation of the system are taken into consideration.   Since the knowledge gathered is typically used as input for the issue setup for the following project or significant decision-making cycle, this final stage is crucial. In this way, decision-makers may adjust to shifting demands and issues while taking into account shifting social and organisational goals. Before the early 2000s, for instance, costs, profits, and capacity utilisation were the primary concerns for decision-makers; however, in recent years, this concern has expanded to include environmental impact, primarily to address global warming brought on by CO2 emissions, and today's society and policy-makers are pushing for more socially responsible operations. With the use of this framework, we take into account the many problem objectives and assess how they relate to one another. 3.3 Research Techniques   However, cement is created through a complex process, and we evaluate the full process of cement production to accurately reflect the business. The majority of studies in the cement sector from the point of view of HSE and compliance are focused on cement manufacturing. In order to represent an end-to-end HSE and compliance viewpoint, our solution to the issue takes into account the phases of raw material extraction, distribution, and production in the cement industry. It might be difficult to incorporate sustainability considerations into existing supply chain models (Ahi and Searcy, 2015); in addition, altering the design and management of current supply chains to take sustainability into account requires more work. In developing nations, there is a lack of integration of sustainable principles in HSE and compliance. It is challenging to persuade businesses to adopt sustainable practises in the absence of strict rules. Therefore, it is crucial to create a framework that incorporates the advantages of sustainability and offers proof of improvements in HSE and compliance without putting a financial strain on the parties involved. Figure 2 shows a typical cement manufacturing process. When preparing the raw materials, the primary raw materials, including limestone, silica, alumina, and iron, are mined and blended in varying proportions based on the specific usage of cement. In a kiln, the mixed feed is heated to a temperature of roughly 1470 °C before being quickly cooled. The clinker is then combined with other additives, including gypsum, and the combined mixture is processed to create cement. The cement is either packaged or moved in bulk for the production of concrete. The process of making cement is shown in Fig. 2, with the four raw materials—limestone, silica, alumina, and iron—heated to 1470 °C and ground into a fine powder after being combined with gypsum. Research Objectives For the purpose of creating a complete model, it is essential to identify and quantify the most important HSE and compliance sustainability indicators. We need the parameters to be as accurate as possible in order to create a realistic model that can incorporate knowledge-based information. Based on a survey of the literature and the advice of industry experts in the cement sector, we determined the parameters. The following environmental indicators are taken into consideration in 3.4.1: 1. GHG Emissions: GHG emissions are one of the most thoroughly studied and documented indicators. The mitigation of CO2 emissions is the main topic of research in the cement industry (Jokar and Mokhtar, 2018). 2. Air Quality: The quality of the air is a socioeconomic indicator. We define air pollution in the context of mining for raw materials as the quantity of particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10) produced from mining for raw materials and fuels used in cement manufacture. Because the majority of cement businesses are situated close to limestone quarries, we did not take into account the amount of particulate matter produced by the transit of raw materials to the cement production facility in this paper. The terms PM 2.5 and PM 10 refer to the size of airborne dust and pollution particles. The parameter estimates come from the literature as well as from a cement manufacturer. The range of values for these criteria can be fairly wide because they rely on the location of the mines, the topography of the terrain, and governmental policies. 3. Mining trash: The amount of trash produced during mining operations, or the mining waste generation rate, is an important environmental indicator. Other environmental issues like water poisoning, air pollution, and land degradation can be caused by mining waste. 4. Water Contamination: Acid mine drainage and inappropriate waste management can contribute to water contamination. As a result, appropriate water treatment steps must be taken. In our model, we take measures for water purification. After going through water treatment, we require that all water be non-toxic. 5. Land Deformation: The removal of top soil layers (overburden) in order to access the needed material is a significant environmental indicator known as land deformation. Environmental laws often guarantee land and mine reclamation in the industrialised world, but this is not the case in the developing world. We take into account a cost-related land reclamation measure. 3.4.2 Social Indicators: In our model approach for HSE and compliance, we take into account the following social indicators: 1. Fatalities, serious injuries, and routine injuries are rare in cement production because of the industry's high level of automation. We take into account the wounds received during the cement supply chain's mining stage. These variables are employed to calculate the likelihood of worker injuries. A fairly excellent prediction of probable injuries can be produced if safety precautions put in place by regulatory organisations are followed. Many countries have been keeping records of mining injuries and fatalities for decades. 2. Social Conflicts: According to Sumarno and Wiratomo (2018), social conflicts with local populations are widespread in emerging nations. Conflict resolution has an accompanying financial cost. Conflict resolution is a cost for which we lack accurate data, so we treat it as a parameter without a set value. 3. Employment: The production of cement affects employment significantly; it has the potential to boost other industries (such as mining and construction) and generate job opportunities. 3.4.3 Economic Indicators: Setup costs as a fixed cost; fuel, raw material, and holding costs as operational costs; electricity costs as operational costs; land reclamation, water treatment, waste management, employee compensation, and dust collection as sustainability-related operational costs. 3.5 Research Methodologies There are two basic strategies that can be used to acquire data and information when conducting research. Which are:  Quantitative analysis  Qualitative analysis Quantitative Research 3.5.1 According to one definition, quantitative research analyses phenomena in terms of numerical data and is often studied using mathematical techniques, particularly statistics. To find correlations or test hypotheses, quantitative research requires gathering and evaluating numerical data (Yilmaz, 2013). Qualitative Research (3.5.2) Comparatively, qualitative research is a sort of research that gathers and examines non-numerical data in order to comprehend people's conceptions, viewpoints, and views. In order to develop hypotheses, it entails delving deeper into problems that exist in the real world. In contrast to the 'how many' and 'how much' of quantitative research, qualitative research focuses on understanding the 'how' and 'why. Qualitative research is not linear in the same manner that quantitative research is because of its open-ended and flexible character. The potential of qualitative research to describe human behaviour patterns that might be challenging to quantify is one of its key benefits (Tenny et al., 2022). According to Kilani and Kobziev (2016), a qualitative approach was determined to be the most suitable methodology for this study since it enables the collection of detailed and in-depth data regarding the attitudes, perspectives, and experiences of industry experts. Additionally, because it enables the discovery of fresh data and concepts, qualitative research is highly suited for exploratory investigations like this one (Teherani et al., 2015).   3.6 Information about the process Focus groups and interviews are the two primary methods of data collection used in qualitative research. The most popular technique is interviewing, in which participants are questioned about their perspectives and opinions through a series of pre-planned, open-ended questions. Focus groups, in contrast, are talks led by a researcher who provides parameters and themes for the group to discuss. Focus groups and interviews both aim to elicit participants' perspectives and are often adaptable (Denny & Weckesser, 2022). The most effective method for collecting data for this research project was interviews, since they give the researcher a greater understanding of each participant's perspective and eliminate any potential for bias that could arise in focus groups, which can result in homogenised data. Additionally, it was recognised that focus groups can be more difficult to plan because they depend on a large number of people being available coincidentally (Gill & Baillie, 2018). For this study, ten interviews were held to collect primary data. The interviews included 10 questions that looked at the benefits and drawbacks of real estate investment for UK DC pension funds in order to evaluate whether a larger commitment was necessary. You can select from a variety of interview formats, including organised, semi-structured, and unstructured ones. In a structured interview, each participant is asked a preset series of questions with little opportunity for further discussion. While a semi-structured interview gives the interviewer latitude to explore subjects of interest, it is guided by a few preset questions. Even less limiting and possibly regarded as more like a discussion, unstructured interviews While this allows for flexibility, it can make it challenging for the researcher to compare data across interviews (Wilson, 2016). Semi-structured interviews were used for this study topic because they offered a basic framework but also gave participants some leeway to elaborate if they so desired. The interview questions were prepared in advance (see Appendix I for further details); however, there was some latitude allowed during the interviews to allow participants to elaborate on their responses further as needed. 3.7 Conducting the interviews Email messages were sent to potential participants to gauge their interest in taking part in an interview. A follow-up email was sent after potential participants indicated their desire to take part in the study to inform them of the questions they would be asked during the interview and to ask when an appropriate date and time would be. Participants were also told about the confidentiality rules and that all interviews would be recorded but destroyed once the study was submitted. All interviews were conducted electronically because it speeds up participant recruitment and makes it easy for the researcher and participant to connect without having to travel. Additionally, researchers can benefit from a virtual interview's recording and transcript features while examining the discourse (Engward et al., 2022). 3.8 Sample size and population For qualitative research, sampling is frequently convenient (based on accessibility or cost), snowballing (where participants recruit new subjects from their network), or purposive (where participants are chosen based on traits needed for the study). Purposive sampling was utilised in this study because it made it possible to find and choose appropriate individuals with a variety of knowledge and expertise on the topic matter (Palinkas et al., 2013). Additionally, snowball sampling was employed to get in touch with people who the original participants had recommended. Experts in the real estate investment and DC industries can be considered the target audience for the interview. 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