- a system to prevent the machine-to-man and machine-to-machine collisions in mines,
- machinery design changes aimed at reducing the exposure of operators to harmful agents in the working environment, improving visibility or eliminating the number of workers directly present in high risk areas,
- construction of modern monitoring systems for seismic activity, rock mass condition or water hazards,
- introducing new solutions in the scope of personal protective equipment of employees,
- technical and organisational solutions ensuring adequate working conditions in relation to climate risk,
-
changing the habits of employees using different communication channels and forms of communication, including:
- OHS Vortal,
- social profiles in which KGHM participates,
- CCTV,
- educational emails,
- traditional publications (articles, posters, information fiches).
In 2022, the Group continued the implementation of the Employee Safety Improvement Program – “Think About The Consequences” as well as a Program to prevent the most common hazards to workplace safety by utilising innovative technologies in accordance with the Company’s updated strategy till 2023 with an outlook for subsequent years.
The aim of these programs is, on the one hand, to change the attitudes and habits of employees and, on the other hand, to implement modern technology solutions that reduce or eliminate the exposure of employees to hazards existing in the Company’s working environment.
The “Think About The Consequences” program is gradually being developed by adding new initiatives.
The company also uses other methods to involve employees in changes in the area of occupational health and safety, such as:
- cyclical training – “minutes for OHS”,
- ad hoc training courses,
- behavioural audits,
- cross audits,
- system of employee initiatives,
- OHS alert – contact boxes.
In 2021, at the Company’s Head Office, jointly with JRGH and the research and development unit, KGHM Cuprum Sp. z o.o., Research and Development Centre, the first training course on working at height with the use of VR 360o technology was prepared and is successively implemented in individual divisions. In 2022, on the basis of training videos prepared by KGHM Cuprum Sp. z o.o. Research and Development Centre, training courses using the VR technology were developed for the Głogów Copper Smelter and Refinery. Employees of the Głogów Copper Smelter and Refinery had the opportunity to learn in a virtual environment how to perform one of the activities in the operation of a flash furnace and to complete elements of the training for working at heights. Based on the idea of Industry 4.0, the Head Office of the Company, together with KGHM Cuprum Sp. z o.o. Research and Development Centre, designed and developed an interactive instruction in VR technology in the field of CPR for all employees of the Company, as well as a training course checking the acquired knowledge with the use of situational distractors.
Accident rate in KGHM Polska Miedź S.A.
KGHM strives to eliminate dangerous or potentially dangerous situations in the workplace.
In 2022, the Company once again recorded a significant reduction in the number of accidents1 at work, calculated on a year-on-year basis – a decrease of 16 accidents (from 165 to 149 people injured). The number of workplace accidents in 2022 in KGHM Polska Miedź S.A., excluding accidents due to natural causes (rock bursts, destressings, tremors, roof collapses) was lower by 8 (a drop from 150 to 142).
Most of the registered workplace accidents (about 98.7%) were minor, causing only temporary inability to work. Their main causes, in order, were:
- loss of balance by workers,
- contact with (being hit by) moveable/ immoveable objects,
- rock falls.
1 Workplace accident within the meaning of the Act of 30 October 2002 on Social Insurance Against Work Accidents and Occupational Diseases (Journal of Laws 2002 No. 199 Item 1673, as amended).
In 2022, a total of 7 workplace accidents were recorded in the mines of KGHM Polska Miedź S.A., which were caused by natural hazards inherent in the rock mass. These incidents represented 6.4% of all workplace accidents in the mines during this period. KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. is continuously improving its safety record in the mining of the copper ore deposit.
LTIRFKGHM (Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate KGHM) is an important performance indicator for monitoring the safety status at KGHM. LTIRFKGHM is the ratio of the total number of workplace accidents standardized per 1 million hours worked by employees of the technological process at KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. at that time. In 2022, it was at 5.05 and at the same time it was 72.8% less than the 2010 figure and 10.3% less than the 2021 figure (5.63). So far, this has been the best result in the Company’s history, achieved as a result of the attitude and commitment of all company employees.
LTIFRKGHM rate in the Parent Entity in the years 2010-2022
2 as above
GRI
-
403-9
| 2022 | 2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KGHM Group | KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. | KGHM Group | KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. | |
| Accident rate | 7.2 | 5.1 | 6.1 | 5.6 |
Methodology: Indicator calculated according to the formula: number of accidents * 1,000,000/ number of hours
| 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| KGHM Group | KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. | KGHM Group | KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. | ||||||
| Position type | Type of accident | M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F |
| White-collar positions | Light | 20 | 20 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 1 |
| Severe | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fatal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Blue-collar positions | Light | 354 | 30 | 131 | 0 | 304 | 28 | 158 | 0 |
| Severe | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 0 | |
| Fatal | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total number of accidents | 440 | 149 | 372 | 165 | |||||
Accident rate in the Group's international assets
In Chile, KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. conducts mining operations through two entities, which have separate OHS management systems adjusted to the legal requirements and mining conditions in that country. These systems encompass both the employees in these entities as well as sub-contractors. They are aimed at achieving the long-term vision “Zero harm”. KGHM Chile SpA, which oversaw the Franke mine until April 2022 and also engages in its own exploration and other undertakings, recorded 1 workplace accident in 2022 (vs. 1 recorded in 2021) with a TRIR of 0.27.
The Sierra Gorda S.C.M. joint venture recorded 9 workplace accidents in 2022 (compared to 9 registered in 2021), with a TRIR of 0.17.
In 2022, the entities in which KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. conducts mining operations in Canada, the United States and Chile, recorded altogether 2 more workplace accidents (up from 21 in 2021 to 23 workplace accidents). The consolidated TRIR (Total Recordable Incident Rate) for these operations was 0.34. It was 0.02 higher than in 2021 and, at the same time, 89% lower than the figure recorded in 2010.
TRIR3 rate in the Group’s international assets in the years 2010–2022
3 TRIR (Total Recordable Incident Rate) calculated using accepted methodology as the number of accidents at work meeting the conditions of registration as defined in the ICMM (International Council on Mining & Metals) standard, in total for the employees of KGHM INTERNATIONAL LTD., KGHM Chile SpA and Sierra Gorda S.C.M. and sub-contractors for these entities, per 200,000 worked hours.