On the basis of communication with employees on occupational health and safety issues, in 2014, meetings took place both with executives and foremen of the plants of Thessaloniki and Almyros, Magnissia. Specifically, at the plant of Thessaloniki three meetings with the employees took place, while at the plant in Almyros, Magnissia six meetings took place. During the meetings all the relevant concerns of employees were discussed and recorded, in order to plan and carry out preventive and corrective actions where needed.
In order to inform employees and raise their awareness on health and safety issues, relevant posters and markings were created and placed around the premises. Furthermore, employees and associates are informed through a series of special brochures with health and safety instructions.
Prevention programmes for the health and safety of employees
Aiming to reduce accidents, control and/or eliminate hazards and continuously improve the Company’s performance in health and safety issues, prevention actions and activities promoting the health and safety of employees are planned and carried out annually.
Excellence in health and safety brings excellent business results
Prevention programme on employee safety
- Scheduled health and safety inspections are performed
- Accidents and adverse events are investigated so that root causes be identified and corrective and preventive actions taken
- Identification and assessment of work-related hazards
- Measures taken aiming to continuously reduce risk levels
- Supply and use of the most advanced personal protective equipment, depending on the requirements of each job
- Emergency response drills to ensure the preparedness of staff and the integrity of the equipment
Prevention programme on employee health
- Measurements of harmful factors
- Check-up for all employees
- Equipped clinic and scheduled visits by occupational doctor
- Individual medical records of employees, which are kept confidential
- Blood bank so that the needs of employees and their families are met
- First aid workshops
Performance in health and safety issues
The Company is committed to reducing safety related incidents and eventually eliminate them (zero accidents) and to maintain its record of no work-related diseases. The Company has set specific indicators and it measures its performance in this area on an annual basis.
- first aid courses (in cooperation with EKAV – the National First Aid Centre)
- employee training on health and safety issues at work
- employee training on behaviour-based safety issues
- employee training on emergency response issues
- employee training on fire safety issues (in cooperation with the fire service)
- employee training on safety at work at a height issues
- training on safety against electrical hazards
- training by a certified controller of lifting systems
- foremen training on HR management
- employee training on safety upon load lifting
- employee training on the safe use of forklift trucks
- employee training on the safe transportation of cylindrical loads
- employee training on oxygen cutting issues
The annual needs for employee training in this area are defined and prioritised based on ongoing hazard analysis, as well as through the investigation procedure of all safety incidents, in the context of relevant health and safety meetings and continuous communication with employees. In 2014 health and safety training reached 2,497 hours.
Participation by all employees is a condition for the Company’s continuous improvement in health and safety
Training events In-house
- Causes of accidents
- Work at a height – falling – slipping
- Emergency respond drills
- Load lifting – transfer
- Industrial gases
- 5S programme
- Conduct at work
Training events External
- First aid (EKAV- the National First Aid Centre, the Red Cross)
- Fire safety (the Fire service)
- Electrical hazards
- Specialised workshops by external associates
The Company health and safety at work policy is defined by the Management, is based on the cooperation, consent and participation of all employees, and binding upon all employees and partners.
The Company has developed indicators reflecting its performance in this area and aims to continuously improve them by carrying out relevant actions and programmes, such as:
- Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems in both plants (Sidenor Steel Industry and Sovel) with the participation of all employees and of the Management
- Safety inspections in all parts of the plants
- Thorough investigation and recording of all safety incidents and near misses, and implementation of improvement measures so that accidents are reduced
- Continuous review, search for and implementation of applicable and appropriate personal protective equipment
- Emphasis on employee training on health and safety issues
- Further enhancement of fire safety in the workplace
- Health monitoring of employees by the occupational doctor.
Company Commitment
- To adhere to the applicable health and safety laws and standards with regard to production activities.
- To provide all necessary human, technological and financial resources in order to monitor and continuously improve the Occupational Health and Safety Management System.
- To continuously identify possible hazards, evaluate them and implement all necessary control, protection and prevention measures for a safe work environment.
- To provide training for all employees on issues of health and safety aiming to raise their awareness and ensure their participation in prevention programmes.
Occupational Health and Safety Management System
Focusing on prevention, the Company manages health and safety issues in an integrated manner by:
- implementing an Occupational Health and Safety Management System
- running a health and safety team
- measuring and monitoring its performance in this sector
- planning and carrying out corrective and preventive measures, where necessary
- implementing health and safety programmes
- making significant investments in order to improve health and safety infrastructures.
The Occupational Health and Safety Management System implemented by the Company:
- is based on prevention
- aims to continuously improve health and safety conditions at work
- focuses on people, aiming to ensure their safety at work
- requires the involvement of all employees and partners
- conforms to the specifications of strict standards and is certified by an independent body.
Under the Health and Safety System, its compliance with the relevant applicable laws is evaluated on an annual basis. In 2014 there has been no incident of non-compliance with the national laws in this area. The Company applies the laws regulating the practices of recording, investigating and notifying such incidents to competent bodies. In particular, after a safety incident has been entered in the log of safety incidents, on-the-spot check and investigation of its conditions are carried out, so that its root causes are found. Following this, corrective and preventive actions are planned and implemented.
Furthermore, the Company monitors and records all near misses. Investigation is carried out for all near misses and a relevant report is drawn up (description of the incident, as well as information about the persons involved in it or the person who caused it, etc.), while immediate corrective and preventive actions are taken to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents.
Sidenor is the first steel industry in Greece to implement a Health and Safety Management System in all of its activities in accordance with the ELOT 1801:2008 and OHSAS 18001:2007 standards.