13 October 2011 // Press centre Metinvest Group
Metinvest has become the first company in Ukraine and the only in Eastern Europe to have its efforts in the field of occupational safety improvement highly commended by the World Steel Association (worldsteel). Metinvest received one of the four awards for the Best Occupational Safety Improvement Project. Implementation of the project resulted in a 19% reduction in lost-time injuries at steelmaking facilities of Metinvest.
This year, the expert jury of the Worldsteel has considered 22 projects submitted by the member companies. Worldsteel recognized four member companies: Metinvest, Tata Steel Europe, Gerdau and NatSteel for excellence in their safety and health programmes. The companies demonstrated a commitment to the international industrial safety principles against the three key criteria: their implemented programs 1) meet the Worldsteel’s health and safety principles, 2) are able demonstrate a positive impact upon safety metrics, and 3) can be easily applied to the other member companies.
Metinvest launched its Safety Culture Change Project in the second half of 2009 at the steelmaking facilities of the Group with the introduction of a set of corporate safety standards. To change its safety culture, Metinvest recognised the importance of training, investing in training facilities and developing recently retired managers as internal trainers. This approach gained “the world’s best practice” appraisal in McKinsey’s analytical report “Building the Future: Solving the Social Problems through a Business Strategy”. Currently 53 people are engaged at Metinvest’s enterprises as the internal trainers. During 2009-2010 more than 8,000 people were trained in the best labor safety practices (64,890 man-hours). As of October 2011 the number of the trained employees of the company has exceeded 19,000.
"Minimization of production-related traumatism is one of the fundamental goals of our Strategy. Guided by international industrial safety principles, we are doing our best to utilize the innovative approaches to the employees training, implement the most advanced methods and practices, — noted Igor Syry, Metinvest’s CEO – Being involved as a Worldsteel’s member in exchange of experience allows us not only attaining improvements, but do so within the shortest possible time and the best possible way".
- Editorial notice:
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Safety and Health Excellence Recognition Programme. In 2008, worldsteel launched an excellence recognition programme. Member companies submit examples of how they place a high priority on safety and health performance through various initiatives and projects. A jury of experts selects the most outstanding submissions.
Major assessment criteria:
- positive embracement of the worldsteel safety and health principles;
- ability to demonstrate a positive impact upon safety metrics;
- easy applicability to other member companies.
The names of the companies are announced at the worldsteel annual conference.
Key events:
- 2008 – 5 companies were recognized within the programme at an annual worldsteel conference.
- 2009 – at the 2009 conference 3 companies obtained Safety and Health Excellence Recognition.
- 2010 – the experts of worldsteel reviewed the submissions of 21 company and recognized the 4 - United States Steel Corporation, Blue Scope Steel, POSCO, Tata Steel.
- 2011 – 22 submissions were made by the Association member companies.
METINVEST GROUP is an international vertically integrated steel and mining group of companies, operating assets in each link of the production chain from iron ore and coal mining and coke production, through to semi-finished and finished steel production, pipe rolling and coil production and production of other value-added products. The Group comprises mining and steel production facilities located in Ukraine, Europe and the USA and has a sales network covering all key global markets. Metinvest Group is structured into three operating divisions: Coke and Coal Division, Iron ore Division, Steel and Rolled Products Division and has a strategic vision to become the leading vertically integrated steel producer in Europe, delivering sustainable growth and profitability resilient to business cycles and providing investors with returns at above the industry benchmarks.
The major shareholders of the Company METINVEST B.V (a holding company of Metinvest Group) are SCM Group (71.25% ownership) and Smart-Holding (23.75% ownership) partnering in Company’s management.METINVEST HOLDING LLC – is the managing company of Metinvest Group.