New structural projects
In 2011, two major structural projects were launched seeking to transform our management in environmental, community, and worker health and safety matters, to bridge the gaps that we still have in these areas. To carry out these projects, it has been necessary to identify our weaker aspects and design new standards for their management.
What is a structural project?
It is a project of great magnitude, central
to Codelco’s future development,
and without which the company would
stop operating.
STRUCTURAL PROJECT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITIES: MOVING TOWARD NEW SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS
In August of 2011 we launched the Structural Project on Environment and Communities, with two clear lines of action: one focused on bridging social and environmental gaps; and the other focused on transforming our management to ensure a future performance of excellence in order to become the benchmark in these matters by 2020. To do this, we have established three major objectives: short, medium and long term.
Project objectives and deadlines
Project Action Focus Points
What is the diagnosis?
Within this structural project, we identified
some causes that explain our environmental
vulnerabilities. One of them
relates to a lack of standards for ensuring
compliance with environmental
regulations, and to foster a contribution
beyond them. Along with this, we must
overcome weaknesses in sustainability
knowledge management and optimize
competences in this matter, placing it at
the center of our organizational culture.
Finally, our relationship with the community
must ensure a permanent social
license to operate.
Environmental Vulnerabilities
In 2011, we identified 92 vulnerabilities and classified them according to their level of impact and frequency, resolving some of them this year. We hope to resolve the rest between the years 2012 and 2015.
New environmental and community standards Why have new standards? We are the leading copper producer and, as such, we must be a world-class company. Our success depends on it. For this reason, we have started working on sorting and simplifying internal regulations on environmental, territorial and community matters, and we have proposed to pursue more demanding goals which will enable us to improve our sustainability performance.
These goals imply the development of eight environmental and three community standards. Each one of them has a purpose, criteria for identifying impacts and risks in each area (and defining baselines and management), and strategic indicators.
STRUCTURAL OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PROJECT: MOVING TOWARDS THE GOAL OF BETTER STANDARDS IN THE WORKPLACE
In April 2011, Codelco’s top management decided to execute the Occupational Health and Safety Project as a Structural Project. This project, which includes own and contractor workers, addresses the need to make a break in the management of these matters, addressing risk and hazard elimination at their origin, ensuring the prevalence of engineering controls in the processes.
The project was defined on the basis of five focal points, which explain the reality in occupational health and safety and that, therefore, are management targets.
Project objective
To generate a change in how occupational
health and safety is managed, in
accordance with a unique methodology
and systematic definition of standards,
generating competencies and continuous
verification and control.
Management Focal Points
Project Progress in 2011
Health and Safety at Work Plans and Programs
On fatality control:
We have developed Fatality Control Standards (FCS) with the objective of eliminating or controlling serious and fatal accidents, which were identified as the main causes of accidents within the organization and the mining industry. We defined 12 general standards which are transversal and homogeneous throughout the Corporation, and seven particular standards applicable to some work centers.
- We drafted the Technical Guidelines for the FCS with the implementation criteria of each of the Fatality Control Standards
- We devised the Checklists as a tool to bridge the gaps between the FCS and the processes and procedures for each task, in order to generate an implementation plan that will allow us to eliminate them.
- We began realizing Gap Diagnosis to measure and identify each of the standard’s current compliance, on which basis it is possible to plan the solutions to the differences found.
On health at work
We defined general criteria to provide a safe and healthy working environment through ten fields of action.We also initiated the development of operational standards for the control of silica and arsenic exposure and nonergonomic conditions.
- Health Monitoring: We signed the Standardization of Worker Health Assessments in the Mining Industry Agreement, whose objective is to have a methodology, procedures, minimum standards and common. criteria to assess the pre-occupational and occupational health of the workers applying for or working in mining operations. These assessments allow the worker to apply for or work in any job with exposure to the same dangers, agents or conditions as those for which he was assessed, even if a change of employer, agency or contract administrator is undergone.
- Occupational Hygiene: We monitor the polluting agents present in our work sites as well as respiratory protection usage efficiency. Among our main results are 90%compliance in silica levels and over 80% compliance in the efficiency of respiratory protection, in all our divisions.
- Alcohol, drugs and tobacco: Given the high impact the consumption of these substances have on accident rates and health, we continue to carry out random testing programs led by the Quality of Life Department.
On leadership:
We defined four courses to strengthen a solid preventive culture in our workers, imparting one on “Leadership and Strategic Management in Occupational Health and Safety”, geared toward training operations, maintenance and project leaders in the areas of occupational health and safety; and tendered three on management of human factors in safety, hazard identification and risk assessment and investigation of incidents, to impart during 2012.
On behavioral safety:
We carried out a diagnosis of interventions in behavioral safety to learn about the situation of the Behavior Observation programs in the Corporation, and we established the minimum requirements for updating the Corporate Guideline for Preventive Behavior Management.
On learning:
We made a diagnosis on the courses offered on occupational health and safety, concluding that there was no uniform and transversal training process in the divisions. After this diagnosis, we advanced in the definition of a general, standardized formation for the mining sector, drafting the proposal for an Induction Program that will be developed during 2012.
In addition, we created and standardized, at a Corporate level, a single format for Fatal, Serious, and High-Potential Incidents Reports. Through this form, this type of events are disseminated and the immediate actions and checks which must be performed throughout Codelco to prevent their recurrence are established. During 2011, 135 reports were issued.
