Occupational health and safety

[403-2]

Workplace accidents by gender

Days lost by gender

Accident frequency by gender

Accident severity by gender

403-1

Employees at all of our largest companies are represented by OHS committees. The compositions and remits of individual committees are similar. They include representatives of the employer (delegates from HR and OHS units and occupational physicians providing preventive care to employees) and of the employees (trade union delegates and social labour inspectors). OHS-related issues are comprehensively provided for in the Group’s formal agreements with trade unions. At Grupa Azoty S.A., safety-at-work issues are regulated in the ‘Work Rules’, and are regularly consulted with the Company’s social labour inspector and, once a quarter, discussed at meetings of the OHS committee. In the case of Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn, relevant provisions are incorporated into the integrated management system. The Management Board holds regular monthly consultations with trade unions, while its individual members consult specific matters with labour organisations. At Grupa Azoty Puławy, OHS matters are addressed by the OHS committee and discussed at monthly meetings between trade unions and the management board. At Grupa Azoty Police, general OHS rules are covered by its collective bargaining agreement, while specific provisions are contained in internal regulations. Consultations are held during the OHS committees’ meetings at least once a quarter.

Percentage of workforce represented in formal OHS committees

All of the largest Grupa Azoty Group companies have in place CCTV, safeguards and procedures dedicated to preventing accidents which could put staff at risk of death or serious injury. They also maintain well-trained fire services capable of effective rescue operations, with additional support from supernumerary chemical rescue and technical rescue teams working in a continuous system.

In 2017, the Group companies updated their safety reports, given the execution of new investment projects, upper-tier establishment notifications and implementation of the SEVESO III Directive, Internal Rescue Operation Plans and Industrial Accident Prevention Programmes. The above documents have been submitted for approval by the relevant provincial commanders-in-chief of the State Fire Service. In addition, in 2017 joint inspections were carried out at the Grupa Azoty Group by three national supervision and inspection bodies: State Fire Service, Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection, and National Labour Inspectorate.

Although you have only recently taken over as Head of the Plant Safety Department at Grupa Azoty Police, you have already had to take at least one prompt and weighty decision. The Gorzów Wielkopolski cathedral was on fire, and the firefighters on the scene needed help...

Jarosław Konopacki, acting Head of the Plant Safety Department at Grupa Azoty Police: Responsible decision-making is part of my job and the duties I have taken on. I started out my career as a firefighter, and so I know well what it takes to do this job. When I was notified by the shift commander that the State Fire Service was asking us to dispatch our fire engine with a 50-metre-long aerial ladder to help fight the fire of the Gorzów Wielkopolski cathedral, approximately 130 km south of our Police fire station, I only checked whether we had a back-up engine in our area, i.e. the Police County, and within 10 seconds I ordered our unit to go to Gorzów Wielkopolski to aid our colleagues on the scene. Nine minutes later, the fully manned fire engine left our station for Gorzów. The assignment surprised the crew a bit as it was the first time they were going so far away from our usual area of operations. Serving the Police County is one thing, but going across provincial borders to rush to an emergency is quite another. Frankly, our engine is past its prime and weighs a lot, so it cannot exactly reach a flying speed. Anyway, some drivers in Szczecin proved really effective at slowing us down on our way across the city. We were not able to speed up until we reached the S3 road, which links the Province of Szczecin with the Province of Gorzów Wielkopolski.

What are the day-to-day responsibilities of the Company Fire Brigade?

Jarosław Konopacki: We do two types of work: prevention, which entails inspections by fire and process failure prevention specialists, issuing opinions, maintaining records, and delivering training, e.g. to new hires (we trained close to 2,500 staff last year only), and emergency response. Our rescuers work in four 24h-long shifts. After each shift, they have 72 hours off. Each shift is 12 strong and comprises: the shift commander; an on-duty dispatcher, who watches the entire plant through a CCTV monitoring system and has a radiophone to receive emergency reports; drivers, section leaders, team leaders, and rescuers. In total, the Company Fire Brigade is composed of 56 people. On the top level, its operations are overseen by the commander-in-chief, his deputy, fire and process failure prevention specialists, chief engineer, and chemical and technical rescue coordinator.

And what about the equipment?

Jarosław Konopacki: A decision has already been made to purchase a new hydraulic platform, which, when fully extended, will be 62 metres high. As far as I can remember, the company has always taken care to equip the fire brigade well. Following the company’s integration with Grupa Azoty S.A., all our company fire brigades joined the so-called fire protection working party and exchange their experience using that platform. We also attend training sessions at the Grupa Azoty Rescue Education Centre (CERGA), which has its own firefighter proving grounds, among other facilities. Firefighters from across the Grupa Azoty Group also select a single joint team which takes part in the Firefighter Combat Challenge. The Police fire brigade have been very successful in this area. They have competed across Europe and even as far as in Dubai, always honourably representing the company.

Firefighters are the most trusted profession in Poland. Who can become a firefighter?

Jarosław Konopacki: Anyone who meets formal requirements, i.e. has completed the required level of education, is physically fully fit, and possesses mental traits which allow him or her to cope with tough working conditions, including stress, high temperatures, heights, etc. You must also be able to think on your feet. Empathy in your attitude to others is another important trait expected of candidates. A firefighter may feel afraid, but only to the extent that it stimulates him and helps him or her choose the most reasonable course of action. Know-how is also important – when on the scene, you need to be able to quickly assess the condition of the structure that is on fire, its strength, etc., relying on your knowledge of mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Last but not least, you need to be able to work as part of a team. Rescuers must trust each other, and they must also trust their commander, who often has to promptly take difficult and binding decisions, often deviating from generally accepted safety principles. We observe a great deal of interest among the general public in joining the fire service – whenever recruitment is announced, there is never a shortage of candidates.

Do your units often have to rush to the plant, with their emergency lights flashing?

Jarosław Konopacki: When you see them speeding towards the chemical plant with the beacons on, they are most likely going there to take part in a drill on the plant premises to improve their skills. They may, however, be going there to attend an actual hazard, fire, or accident, which do sometimes happen. In short, firefighters must be regularly drilled – practice makes perfect, and, besides, the more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat.