Unfortunately, the changes also include natural hazards, which are exacerbated by the increasing depth of mining. Mines are extracting coal deeper and deeper under increasingly difficult conditions. To minimize natural hazards, mining companies are constantly carrying out preventive measures, which are increasingly costly.
Last year, Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa spent more than PLN 1.14 billion on preventive occupational health and safety measures. This year, the Company has planned to spend more than PLN 1.16 billion on employee safety. In the first quarter of 2023 alone, JSW spent PLN 374 million.
Last year, the Company spent the most (PLN 800 million) on prevention of natural hazards, i.e.: fire hazard - PLN 258 million, methane hazard - PLN 236 million, climate hazard - PLN 123 million, caving hazard - PLN 100 million, coal dust explosion hazard - PLN 63.4 million, water hazard - PLN 12.6 million and rock burst hazard - PLN 7 million. Other costs included, among others, the purchase of personal protective equipment - PLN 47 million, work clothing and footwear - PLN 12 million, training costs - PLN 7.5 million, employee health care - PLN 14 million.
- For the management of JSW, the safety of employees is paramount. We are all aware that today's mining industry demands more from us. Through massive investment in the prevention of natural hazards, we strive to create the safest working conditions possible for our employees. We are able to fight most of the hazards occurring underground in the mine, we have them identified and defined, but we must remember that mining is about fighting nature, which sometimes surprises us - says Tomasz Cudny, President of the Management Board of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa S.A.
Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa is also investing in improving working conditions in, among other things, air-conditioning of the mining pits, drainage of the levels, use of dust collectors and sprinkler systems, as well as the modernization of methanometer central units and measuring equipment.
Training
The Company places great emphasis on the quality of training and courses to improve employees' skills. Training is given to all the employee groups, taking especially into consideration persons working in conditions involving natural risks. In order to ensure high quality training, since last December, training and qualification improvement courses for the Company's employees have been conducted by JSW Szkolenie i Górnictwo.
JSW is the first mining company to launch an internal training and information platform the "Crew head’s zone and more". The aim of the platform is to offer a broad range of tools and information used to expand knowledge and improve professional qualifications. The platform provides detailed OHS information. Through the platform, employees can participate in monthly competitions on knowledge of OHS rules and regulations.
Vital support during the training of newly hired employees is provided by the "Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa Mines 360°" app developed in 2022. It allows them to see the Company's representative facilities and sites without leaving home, creating a realistic picture of a coal mine. The multimedia walkthrough allows you to walk the miner's daily "trail" from the mine gate, down to the longwall. The "JSW Mines 360°" app is the first of its kind in Poland to popularize knowledge about coal mines and the dangers they present.
This innovative look at mining has a very important educational aspect. The "JSW Mines 360°" app won the first award in the "Organizational and Educational Undertakings" category in the 48th edition of the National Competition for Improvement of Working Conditions, organized by the Ministry of Family and Social Policy.
JSW cares about employee health
Due to the unique working conditions in the mines, JSW has introduced mandatory extended occupational health medical examinations for its employees. The expanded scope of the examinations includes mandatory additional cardiovascular disease prevention examinations for the employees of JSW and companies providing services at JSW's mining operations.