Concern for safety
Risk to health and life is an inherent part of mining. However, we are certain that plentiful threats do not have to translate into accidents as long as the occupational health and safety area is managed in a reliable and systematic way. This is why safety and health protection at JSW are considered equally as important as production levels and financial results.
JSW has introduced and applies an Occupational health and safety management system, which is based in particular on consistently implementing the following tasks:
- development and publication of occupational health and safety policy and targets, showing the top management's involvement,
- specification of responsibilities and authorisations for employees as regards occupational health and safety,
- provision of appropriate training and motivation of employees for safe and healthy work,
- oorganisation of an efficient communication system for occupational health and safety,
- assessment of occupational hazards,
- development of rules for responding to workplace accidents,
- implementation of corrective and preventive measures related to occupational health and safety,
- monitoring and auditing the occupational health and safety management system.
In accordance with the Integrated management system policy, the company's leadership have undertaken to provide essential measures and resources intended to shape safe attitudes among employees and to monitor threats and reduce their impact on the workplace. Emphasis is also placed on continuously raising employees' qualifications.
JSW's key procedures related to occupational health and safety include: Identification of threats and assessment of occupational hazards, Workplace accidents, occupational diseases and near-misses, Monitoring occupational health and safety, JSW S.A. procedures for mass accidents or industrial disasters. Other procedures that specify rules for operational management of importance to employees include: Managing human resources and Internal and external communication.
No exemptions from the requirements of the occupational health and safety management system were intensified at JSW, concerning both employees and service providers.
In order to improve working conditions and protect employee health, occupational hazards are identified and evaluated directly at JSW's entities. Assessments of occupational hazards for specific groups of jobs are performed by a team of employees with essential knowledge in:
- assessing occupational hazards,
- identifying hazards at the jobs being assessed,
- assessing harmful impacts of hazards,
- specifying and selecting preventive measures.
The risk identification process is compliant with the procedure "Identification and assessment of occupational hazards," which is part of the Integrated Management System.
The systematisation of rules concerning investigations of causes and circumstances of work-related accidents, occupational diseases and near-misses at JSW entities is incorporated in the procedure "Work-related accidents, occupational diseases and near-misses" within the Integrated Management System.
| KEY OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY STATISTICS AT JSW GROUP | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Expenditures on occupational health and safety (PLNk) | 979,726.6 | 834,415.0 |
| Number of accidents at work - total accidents | 412 | 404 |
| Number of fatal accidents at work | 3 | 7 |
| Number of accidents at work - major accidents | 4 | 0 |
| Number of accidents at work - light accidents | 405 | 397 |
| LTIFR BY JSW ENTITY* | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| KWK Borynia-Zofiówka-Jastrzębie | 5,38 | 6.02 |
| KWK Budryk | 11.05 | 13.04 |
| KWK Bzie-Dębina w budowie | 3.58 | - |
| Knurów-Szczygłowice | 8.25 | 5.70 |
| KWK Pniówek | 8.56 | 8.08 |
| ZWP | - | 4.19 |
| Management Board Office | - | 1.48 |
| TOTAL JSW | 7.54 | 7.42 |
Health prevention
Due to the working conditions at JSW's mines, employees are subject to an extended scope of preventive medical examinations. The extended scope of examinations covers mandatory additional examinations concerning prevention of cardiovascular diseases for own employees and mining services providers at JSW.
Employees are admitted to work in specific jobs on the basis of a medical certificate confirming a lack of contraindications for performing such jobs. All data concerning employee health is stored at an occupational medicine service centre.
In hard coal mines, due to the specific mining conditions, employees are exposed to harmful and arduous conditions in the workplace. The most frequent occupational disease among current and former employees at JSW’s mines is pneumoconiosis. Other diseases such as occupational hearing damage, chronic musculoskeletal system diseases, vibration white finger have been eliminated or reduced to incidental occurrences.
In 2019, JSW recorded 51 cases of pneumoconiosis (2018: 43), including 44 cases involving former employees. To reduce the exposure of JSW mine employees to factors causing occupational diseases, mine-specific prevention programs for occupational hearing damage and pneumoconiosis are in place, in cooperation with the Institute of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health in Sosnowiec and in-mine occupational health and safety personnel.
At other companies, activities in the area of occupational health and safety are performed in accordance with the existing legal regulations and individual internal regulations and procedures.
Work-related accidents and occupational diseases
| 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| JSW Group | ||
| total work-related accidents involving employees | 412* | 404 |
| light work-related accidents involving employees | 405 | 397 |
| major work-related accidents involving employees | 4 | 0 |
| fatalities among employees | 3 | 7 |
| Accident frequency rate (accident at work per 1000 employees) | 13.5 | 14.3 |
| total work-related accidents involving service providers: | 109 | 86 |
| light work-related accidents involving service providers: | 107 | 84 |
| major work-related accidents involving service providers: | 2 | 2 |
| fatalities involving service providers: | 0 | 0 |
| Number of identified occupational disease cases | 51 (pneumoconiosis) | 46 (pneumoconiosis) |
| including JSW SA | ||
| total work-related accidents involving employees | 310 | 310 |
| light work-related accidents involving employees | 304 | 303 |
| major work-related accidents involving employees | 3 | 0 |
| fatalities among employees | 3 | 7 |
| Accident frequency rate (accident at work per 1000 employees) | 13.8 | 14.3 |
| total work-related accidents involving service providers: | 108 | 77 |
| light work-related accidents involving service providers: | 106 | 75 |
| major work-related accidents involving service providers: | 2 | 2 |
| fatalities involving service providers: | 0 | 0 |
| LTIFR for JSW SA | 7.54 | 7.42 |
| Number of identified occupational disease cases | 51 (pneumoconiosis) | 43 (pneumoconiosis) |
In hard coal mines, due to the specific mining conditions, workers are exposed to harmful and arduous conditions in the workplace. The most frequent occupational disease among current and former workers at JSW’s mines is pneumoconiosis. Other diseases such as occupational hearing damage, chronic musculoskeletal system diseases, vibration white finger have been eliminated or reduced to incidental occurrences. To reduce the exposure of JSW mine employees to factors causing occupational diseases, mine-specific prevention programs for occupational hearing damage and pneumoconiosis are in place, in cooperation with the Institute of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health in Sosnowiec and in-mine occupational health and safety personnel.
At other companies, activities in the area of occupational health and safety are performed in accordance with the existing legal regulations and individual internal regulations and procedures.
Training for employees
To ensure a high level of knowledge in the area of occupational health and safety and appropriate professional qualifications for employees, all JSW entities were implementing a training plan concerning occupational health and safety as well as workshops and courses for raising qualifications. This training applied to all employee groups, with a particular emphasis on people employed where natural hazards occur.
Activities in the area of occupational health and safety are consulted with employees, who are involved in some of them. Employees participate in developing instructions for the safe performance of work, process of identifying hazards and assessing occupational hazards in the workplace, as well as in consultations regarding solutions intended to ensure safe technological processes.
On a quarterly basis, the Company's entities hold occupational health and safety committees, which are composed of an equal number of the employer's representatives, including occupational health and safety personnel, a doctor providing preventive healthcare for employees, and employee representatives, including a social labour inspector. The committee's aim is to review working conditions, conduct a periodic occupational health and safety assessment and provide feedback on the employer's prevention measures for work-related accidents and occupational diseases, formulating conclusions regarding improvements in working conditions and cooperating with the employer in compliance with occupational health and safety obligations.
Foreman’s Section and more
W JSW funkcjonuje i jest stale rozwijana wielokrotnie nagradzana Internetowa platforma szkoleniowo-informacyjna „Strefa sztygara i nie tylko”, która ma na celu dostarczenie pracownikom różnorodnych narzędzi i informacji, służących do podnoszenia świadomości i pogłębiania wiedzy w zakresie bhp oraz podnoszenia kwalifikacji zawodowych. W 2019 roku na platformie odbyła się VI edycja „Internetowego konkursu z zakresu znajomości zasad i przepisów bhp”, natomiast w siedzibie JSW X edycja „Konkursu z zakresu znajomości zasad i przepisów bhp o Puchar Prezesa Jastrzębskiej Spółki Węglowej S.A.” w której wzięli udział przedstawiciele wszystkich zakładów górniczych JSW.