Occupational health and safety
Occupational health and safety at each Grupa Azoty Group company is far too important to be compromised.
Occupational health and safety at each Grupa Azoty Group company is far too important to be compromised. We treat work safety as a priority and are aware – given the conditions characteristic of our workplace – that compliance with OHS rules is a matter of human life and health, not just regulations. All our companies have comprehensive occupational health and safety management systems in place. Our OHS Management System is based on ISO 45001:2018, which places strong emphasis on:
- OHS risk assessment;
- preventive health care and prevention of accidents;
- collecting and using information on incidents other than accidents;
- enabling all stakeholders to carry out safety improvement measures, including employees and social partners, in a consultative and participative process.
The OHS function at each Grupa Azoty Group company performs regular inspections and participates in accident and emergency teams. Any near-miss event reported by employees in electronic or paper form is reviewed. A register of hazards, near-miss incidents and observations is kept and updated on an ongoing basis in an online database. In order to prevent any unsafe situations, the companies share information by posting conclusions from investigation of near-miss incidents on an online platform.
Grupa Azoty S.A.
At Grupa Azoty S.A., occupational health and safety is governed by the work rules, which set out the rights and obligations of employees and the employer. The Company has also implemented an occupational health and safety management system conforming to ISO-45001.
- The performance of the systems is regularly evaluated through external audits, and conformity to standards is confirmed by relevant certificates. In 2021, an external audit conducted by DNV was successfully completed, confirming compliance with ISO-45001.
- The safety system includes:
- risk assessment and appropriately selected mitigation measures;
- an extensive system of non-compliance control and response;
- active participation of employees (risk reporting, social labour inspection);
- teams (committees) in place, including the OHS Committee, to evaluate projects and place new plants in service;
- compliance with all necessary legal requirements;
- We regularly conduct OHS training for our employees.
- We have developed a transparent and clear procedure for the performance of hazardous works by third parties working on the premises of Grupa Azoty S.A.
The Company has implemented appropriate occupational risk assessment activities in line with legal standards, ISO 50001 and an internal procedure. As regards the risk of major industrial accidents, the Company prepares a process safety analysis in the form of a Safety Report. The plant has an electronic system for reporting OHS hazards, near-miss incidents and accidents. The Company also has in place an internal procedure describing how to report and respond to such situations.
As regards occupational medicine, Grupa Azoty S.A. cooperates with the local healthcare establishment Mościckie Centum Medyczne (MCM), which performs all occupational health assessments and provides staff for the company ambulance. In addition, MCM physicians participate in the annual review of workplace conditions. The cooperation also includes preventive vaccination. The Company has implemented appropriate procedures to ensure the confidentiality of employee health data.
The Company’s strategy adopted in 2021 includes the objective to promote healthy lifestyle among workforce. The employees were provided with an opportunity to take advantage of sports and fitness membership cards co-financed by the Company. The employees can also use medical services offered by the LUXMED private healthcare chain.
BEST PRACTICE
In the Grupa Azoty S.A. Knowledge Academy online database, we have published six parts of the OHS programme for staff managers.
Grupa Azoty S.A. wants to involve its employees in the process of improving safety performance at the plant. We have created the positions of Company Social Labour Inspector and Divisional Social Labour Inspectors. The persons holding these positions are charged with the task of improving workplace safety and conditions on behalf of employees. The Company OHS Committee, comprising representatives of the trade unions and the Company Social Labour Inspector, meets once every quarter. The role of the Committee is to ensure OHS communication between representatives of the employer and those of the employees.
Our safety efforts also include activities involving other entities, such as local communities and other companies operating nearby, as well as defining safety rules together with subcontractors performing work on the premises of Grupa Azoty S.A.
The Company organises its own induction and periodic OHS training, as well as ADR, RID and chemical rescue courses. The Company has also taken steps to enable its employees to participate in the necessary external training in specialist fields related to electrical engineering licences, loading of dangerous goods into tanker trucks, operating cranes and lifts, etc.
We comply with the legal requirements applicable to upper tier establishments. We make regular updates to the Safety Report, Industrial Accident Prevention Programme, Internal Emergency Plan and information materials for the public on accident risks.
The process safety measures and the emergency response system, including the Company Fire Brigade, undergo constant improvement.
In 2021, no major industrial accident within the meaning of the Environmental Protection Law occurred at the plant.
Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn
The safety management system is based on ISO 45001 and covers all activities, employees, and workplaces.
Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn provides each new employee with training on identification of hazards, assessment of occupational risks and minimum health and safety requirements. For identified hazards and significant risks, the company analyses the possibility of removing the risks or mitigating their effect on occupational safety, taking into account the current financial, technical and organisational conditions. Based on approved specific objectives, an OHS improvement plan is prepared every year.
Each manager is required to provide staff under their supervision with information on risks to health and life at the individual workstations and on how to eliminate them. Employees can report risks related to their work and unsafe situations through such means as an anonymous intranet forum, their social representatives or in various ways in person.
Following an accident or near miss, steps are taken to prevent future reoccurrence. At least once a year, the company carries out an aggregate analysis of the causes of accidents and near misses and formulates improvement measures in the form of conclusions included in the periodic Safety Analysis and Assessment. The Group has also defined the rules and procedures to be followed in the event of an industrial accident.
Employees of the Kędzierzyn plant can report risks related to their work and unsafe situations through such means as an anonymous intranet forum, their social representatives or in various ways in person. They are protected from retaliation under the Grupa Azoty Group Code of Ethical Conduct, among other documents.
Appropriate OHS training policies have been implemented at Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn. The Group conducts, among others:
- general induction training and on-the-job training,
- position-specific training, followed by an examination to determine whether the employee may be permitted to work on their own,
- periodic training,
- ad hoc training with the preventive goal of discussing actual occupational accidents, industrial accidents or unsafe situations leading to risks to health and life or to the environment, and training provided in the event of significant changes in safety regulations,
- periodic training for administrative and office staff, staff managers, engineers and technicians are provided online.
At Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn, the safety management system documents are consulted with workers’ representatives. Periodic reviews are undertaken of the OHS status and applicable legislation. Employees also have access to an extensive source of OHS information posted on the company intranet. Employee representatives are involved in occupational risk assessments, post-accident investigations, selection of health promotion programmes and a behavioural observation programme. The occupational physician takes part in occupational risk assessments and meetings of the Safety Committee. For many years, employees of Grupa Azoty Zakłady Azotowe Kędzierzyn S.A. have been taking part in health promotion programmes run by the company. All employee health data are duly protected.
Each person holding a managerial position at Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn is required to provide staff under their supervision with information on the risks to health and life at individual workstations and on protective measures. The provision of such information and its acknowledgement are confirmed by dated signature of a staff member.
Anyone entering the site supervised by Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn is provided with information on hazards and safe work. We check the completeness of protective clothing and personal protective equipment of all drivers coming to load or unload goods.
Additional safety measures implemented at Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn include:
- upgrade and automation of production and loading facilities at the company’s plant, thanks to which no instances of exceeded energy expenditure limits or excessive hazardous exposures are recorded,
- 5S system has been implemented, which helps create and maintain an ergonomic, clean, and safe workplace,
- company ambulance with a rescue team on board, available to employees on a 24/7 basis,
- portable defibrillators at the company’s key facilities,
- general obligation to wear eye protection for all employees and visitors at the production facilities,
- inspections carried out jointly with officers from the Road Traffic Department of District Police in Kędzierzyn-Koźle to check compliance with road traffic regulations and perform sobriety checks.
Grupa Azoty Puławy
Grupa Azoty Puławy has an OHS management system in place compliant with the PN-N-45001 standard. The company has implemented a Quality, Environmental and Safety Policy that embodies its commitment to workplace safety, by setting out specific targets and tasks. Two companies of the Grupa Azoty Puławy Group had their occupational safety regulations incorporated into the integrated management system, while the other Group companies have safety policies in place.
Grupa Azoty Puławy performs regular inspections on its premises involving the Fire and Technical Safety Committee and the OHS Committee. The integrated management system is also subject to internal audits. All occupational health and safety training required by applicable regulations is provided to the company’s employees, and the work environment is monitored on an ongoing basis.
Occupational risks are assessed by the company on the basis of identified hazards, the results of such assessment prompting relevant OHS improvements. Employees can report risk exposures involved in their work by communicating them anonymously via the OHS feedback box or by informing the Social Labour Inspectorate. OHS matters are discussed during meetings of the OHS Committee, which take place once every three months and are attended by representatives of the company’s employees, as well as the technical and technical acceptance boards.
In 2021, the company provided induction and position-specific training as needed. Such training is delivered by qualified engineering staff of Grupa Azoty Puławy’s OHS function.
Grupa Azoty Puławy has engaged Medical as a provider of healthcare services. There is also an occupational health service unit at the company, which assists the OHS Committee in an advisory role and trains employees in first pre-medical aid. Under a relevant agreement, a 24/7 medical emergency unit has been set up. All medical data of employees are duly protected.
BEST PRACTICE
In 2021, blood donor sessions were held and free coronavirus tests were performed at Grupa Azoty Puławy.
Grupa Azoty Police
Since 2021, Grupa Azoty Police has operated an OHS management system compliant with the PN-ISO 45001:2018 standard. At Grupa Azoty Police general OHS rules are covered by the collective bargaining agreement, while specific provisions are contained in internal regulations. OHS training for staff,
Identification of hazards, assessment of risks and investigation of incidents associated with OHS were carried out in accordance with the dedicated PQ-O-H01 procedure. The company’s employees are engaged in the process of developing, implementing and assessing the OHS system, including through participation in the OHS Committee, the Social Labour Inspectorate, as well as meetings between senior executives, department heads, supervisors and technical staff held as part of the Safety Day.
At Grupa Azoty Police, periodic OHS training was provided as self-study courses for all positions. Training materials were sent to employees by electronic means, their knowledge to be confirmed by passing an examination test, as each employee had to return a scanned copy or photograph of the completed and signed test to the OHS Office. Induction training on OHS is provided in the form of on-site sessions.
Grupa Azoty Police has engaged Medika, a local medical centre, to provide occupational health services, including enhanced standard outpatient medical rehabilitation and ad hoc medical care. In addition, the company has introduced ‘DENT PLUS’, a dental care programme available as part of its occupational health package. The occupational health practitioner is a member of the OHS Committee and is also involved in the identification of OHS hazards. All health-related data of employees are duly protected.
The company additionally offers paid medical cover from LUXMED. The available options include Individual Packages (for the employee), Partner Packages (for the employee and one co-insured – spouse/partner/child), Family Packages (for the employee, spouse/partner and children) and Parent Packages (for the employee and parents). The additional medical cover is available via the company’s intranet and at the Employee Service Point. In addition, LUXMED holds free online meetings where it offers health protection advice. During the pandemic, free vaccination against COVID-19 was also available at the company.
No work-related fatalities were recorded at the Grupa Azoty Group in 2021, but one person employed by Grupa Azoty Police suffered a severe accident from a spill of concentrated sulfuric acid. After the accident, the company took decisive measures to prevent reoccurrence, providing staff in exposed jobs with specialist protective clothing and informing employees of the circumstances of the accident via internal communication channels. Refresher training was also provided and appropriate safeguards were put in place at the workstations.
There were also minor workplace accidents, in which a total of 118 individuals were injured, including 102 men and 16 women. The most common effects of minor accidents were burn wounds and injuries to upper or lower limbs. All those accidents were investigated in accordance with the procedures in place at the respective companies and, wherever possible, measures were taken to prevent reoccurrence.
Number of workplace accidents involving employees and other workers, by gender of the injured1
| 2020 | 2021 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Index | Gender | Grupa Azoty KĘDZIERZYN | Grupa Azoty POLICE | Grupa Azoty PUŁAWY | Grupa Azoty S.A. | Total number of accidents in 2020 | Grupa Azoty KĘDZIERZYN | Grupa Azoty POLICE | Grupa Azoty PUŁAWY | Grupa Azoty S.A. | Total number of accidents in 2021 |
| Number of minor workplace accidents involving employees, by gender of the injured | F | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 16 |
| M | 3 | 31 | 27 | 11 | 72 | 13 | 37 | 39 | 13 | 102 | |
| Number of minor workplace accidents involving other workers, by gender of the injured | F | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Number of severe workplace accidents (excl. fatalities) involving employees, by gender of the injured | F | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Number of severe workplace accidents (excl. fatalities) involving other workers, by gender of the injured | F | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Number of fatal workplace accidents involving employees, by gender of the injured | F | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Number of fatal workplace accidents involving other workers, by gender of the injured | F | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 35 | 31 | 12 | 82 | 14 | 46 | 46 | 18 | 124 | |
1 A restatement was made relative to data presented in the non-financial report of the Grupa Azoty Group for the 12 months ended December 31st 2021.
Accident rate among employees and other workers, by gender of the injured2
| 20213 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Index | Gender | Grupa Azoty KĘDZIERZYN | Grupa Azoty POLICE4 | Grupa Azoty PUŁAWY | Grupa Azoty S.A. |
| Accident rate for minor workplace accidents involving employees | F | 0.3 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1 |
| M | 1.5 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1 | |
| Accident rate for minor workplace accidents involving other workers | F | 0 | No data available | 0 | 0 |
| M | 0 | No data available | 0 | 0 | |
| Accident rate for severe workplace accidents involving employees | F | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Accident rate for severe workplace accidents involving other workers | F | 0 | No data available | 0 | 0 |
| M | 0 | No data available | 0 | 0 | |
| Accident rate for fatal workplace accidents involving employees | F | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Accident rate for fatal workplace accidents involving other workers | F | 0 | No data available | 0 | 0 |
| M | 0 | No data available | 0 | 0 | |
2 Accident rate is calculated as follows: number of all accidents recorded /total number of hours worked × 200,000. The rate was not calculated in 2020.
3 Number of hours worked by employees in 2021: Grupa Azoty S.A. (1,049,520 for women and 2,487,455 for men), Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn (697,864 for women and 1,768,431 for men), Grupa Azoty Puławy (1,128,722.5 for women and 4,169,020 for men), Grupa Azoty Police (770,950.44 for women and 2,857,928.27 for men)
4 Grupa Azoty Police has no data on the number of hours worked by individuals performing work under contracts other than employment contracts. The work of such individuals is remunerated on a monthly basis/based on agreed amounts.
