Personnel safety management at the LOTOS Group
Every year, goals and targets are set for the LOTOS Group companies aimed at improving safety at work, adopting uniform standards across the LOTOS Group, and sharing expertise and experience between the OSH specialists.
The key objective of our OSH policy is to raise the awareness and degree of involvement in improving safety among the management and employees of all ranks, as well as contractors.
Good measures of our achievements in this area are:
- Absence of fatalities;
- Lost Time Injury Frequency LTIF – number of occurrences resulting in inability to work x 106/number of manhours worked;
- Number of implemented projects to improve safety at work and protect health; and
- Number of information and education campaigns promoting workplace safety.
Operational objectives with regard to safety, defined in the LOTOS Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy for 2012−2015:
- Implement projects improving safety at work and health protection;
- Increase employees’ ability to influence the safety and ergonomics of their working environment;
- Reduce the accident rate;
- Build a safety-at-work culture at the LOTOS Group, based on the management’s increased involvement in promoting proper attitudes.
By the end of 2015, the LOTOS Group had achieved all its safety targets set for 2012-2015.
Plans for the future:
We have taken steps to build a process safety management system which combines the engineering practice with the best management techniques. Its purpose is to prevent any process incidents, in particular those resulting in leakage of dangerous substances to the environment. In an organization such as the LOTOS Group, the appropriate process safety management is a standard and a necessity, both in the upstream segment and at the refinery.
Working conditions under control
At the LOTOS Group, we have in place an integrated quality, environment and occupational safety management system. Our Integrated Management System policy addresses issues related to fostering an occupational safety culture through clear leadership, responsibility and engagement of all employees, preventing accidents at work, occupational diseases and hazards. There are a number of internal procedures in this respect applicable within the organization.
Using modern technologies also adds to improved safety. To protect humans and the environment from an accidental release of energy from machinery and production units, we have implemented the Lockout-Tagout system, also called the LOTO system, for hazardous power lockout and labelling. The system is used during maintenance shutdowns, maintenance works and capex projects and to prevent an accidental start-up of machinery by unauthorized persons. In 2015, the Lockout-Tagout system was implemented at all the production plants of the LOTOS Group refinery in Gdańsk.
In our opinion, the occupational safety and health is strictly correlated with respect for human rights. In 2015, as part of quarterly trainings, 81%
of the 136 employees of LOTOS Ochrona attended a lecture devoted to human rights. They also participated in classes devoted to intervention techniques and use of physical force.
What else do we do?
We run regular educational programmes focusing on: stress management, healthy eating habits, quitting smoking, safety when handling heavy objects, physical exercise and activity, office ergonomics, organization of work at the workstation, safe use of chemicals, and noise protection. Taking care of our employees’ health, we provide them with a wide range of medical services.
Cooperation obliges
At the LOTOS Group, we attach great importance to maintaining a high level of occupational safety also at our cooperating partners. An example of initiatives we have undertaken in this respect is the ‘LOTOS Serwis Declaration of Safety’, prepared by LOTOS Serwis for investment and upgrade projects, ad-hoc repairs and plant engineering in the mechanical, electrical, and automatics sectors. By reading this document, prospective business partners may familiarize themselves with a system developed at the company to ensure occupational safety and health while work is performed.
