Concern for safety
Mining along with a host of related other activities are some of the most dangerous professions in terms of workplace accidents, including fatal accidents. This is why occupational health and safety issues at JSW Group must be treated with equal importance as production and economic results. When it comes to occupational health and safety management, the objective seems to be obvious, i.e. to limit the number of accidents.
Objectives:
- zero fatal accidents
- reducing the number of accidents at work (including accidents involving third party employees)
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
- organisation 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
Directors' Proxies for Integrated Management Systems are appointed at JSW SA's entities and Coordinators are appointed for specific management systems.
In accordance with the Integrated management system policy, the 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.
| BASIC OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY STATISTICS AT JSW GROUP | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expenditures on occupational health and safety (PLNk) | 991 290,9 | 979 726,6 | 834 415,0 |
| Number of accidents at work - total accidents | 391 | 412 | 404 |
| a) Number of fatal accidents at work | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| b) Number of accidents at work - major accidents | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| c) Number of accidents at work - light accidents | 385 | 405 | 397 |
| LTIFR BY JSW ENTITY* | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| KWK Borynia-Zofiówka-Jastrzębie | 5,61 | 5,38 | 6,02 |
| KWK Budryk | 10,26 | 11,05 | 13,04 |
| KKWK Bzie-Dębina under construction | 7,28 | 3,58 | - |
| Knurów-Szczygłowice | 3,13 | 8,25 | 5,70 |
| KWK Pniówek | 9,67 | 8,56 | 8,08 |
| ZWP | 1,80 | - | 4,19 |
| Management Board Office | 1,23 | - | 1,48 |
| TOTAL JSW | 6,61 | 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.
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
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| JSW Group | |||
| total work-related accidents involving employees | 391 | 412* | 404 |
| light work-related accidents involving employees | 385 | 405 | 397 |
| major work-related accidents involving employees | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| fatalities among employees | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Accident frequency indicator | 12,8 | 13,5 | 14,3 |
| accident frequency rate (accident at work per 1000 employees) | |||
| total work-related accidents involving service providers: | 63 | 109 | 86 |
| light work-related accidents involving service providers: | 63 | 107 | 84 |
| major work-related accidents involving service providers | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| fatalities involving service providers: | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| number of identified occupational disease cases | 52 (47 - pneumoconiosis, 3 – work-related hearing impairment, 1 – vibration syndrome 1 - epicondylitis of the humerus) |
51 (pneumoconiosis) | 46 (pneumoconiosis) |
| including JSW SA | |||
| total work-related accidents involving employees | 288 | 310 | 310 |
| light work-related accidents involving employees | 282 | 304 | 303 |
| major work-related accidents involving employees | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| fatalities among employees | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Accident frequency indicator | 13,1 | 13,8 | 14,3 |
| accident frequency rate (accident at work per 1000 employees): | |||
| total work-related accidents involving service providers: | 60 | 108 | 77 |
| light work-related accidents involving service providers: | 60 | 106 | 75 |
| major work-related accidents involving service providers: | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| fatalities involving service providers: | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LTIFR for JSW SA | 6,61 | 7,54 | 7,42 |
| number of identified occupational disease cases | 46 (43 - pneumoconiosis, 2 – work-related , 1 – vibration syndrome) |
51 (pneumoconiosis) | 43 (pneumoconiosis) |
| Expenditures on occupational health and safety (PLNk) |
991 290,9 |
979 726,6 | |
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.
In connection with the epidemic threat in 2020, committee meetings were held as video conferences, as stationary meetings or were cancelled.
Foreman’s Section and more
The "Foreman's Section and more" is a multi-award-winning training and information platform at JSW, which is intended to provide employees with various tools and information to raise awareness and enhance knowledge in the area of occupational health and safety and to raise occupational qualifications. The 7th edition of "Online competition for familiarity with occupational health and safety rules and regulations" was held on the platform in 2020.
In order to ensure a high level of knowledge, hazard awareness and appropriate professional qualifications as regards occupational health and safety, a training plan on occupational health and safety training as well as training and courses for raising qualifications are available at all JSW entities. Strong correlation between the employees' professional qualifications, the level of employment and workplace safety made it necessary for JSW entities to continue specialist training and courses and supplement the employees' qualifications (with observance of restrictions related to COVID-19). This training applied to all employee groups, with a particular emphasis on people employed where natural hazards occur. Due to the necessity to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 transmission, a decision was made to create an e-learning platform at JSW for periodic occupational health and safety training for selected groups of employees of JSW and JSW Szkolenie i Górnictwo in a self-learning formula with the use of electronic means of communication and the internet.
More information on activities in the occupational health and safety area is available in our 2020 Sustainability Report in the Sustainability section of our website.