24 January, 2012Despite an improved performance in 2011 the Joint Global Health and Safety Committee (JGHSC) in ArcelorMittal plans to increase its efforts in 2012.
SPAIN: As part of an annual planning meeting in Aviles, Spain, January 18-19, trade union and management members of the JGHSC in ArcelorMittal reviewed the company's health and safety performance for 2011. An overall improvement had been achieved but sadly the goal of zero fatalities had not. The JGHSC discussed how to further improve performance in 2012.
One initiative would be a survey of members of local joint health and safety committees throughout the company globally to see how effective they are. The results of the survey would form the agenda for a global safety meeting to be held in the third quarter of 2012. Participants to the meeting would be asked to carry out some pre-work as part of the overall goal.
Rob Johnston, IMF Executive Director commented: "Fatality prevention in the company is improving, but we still have a long way to go. Today we have zero fatalities and I hope we can still say the same at the end of the year. We have proven that cooperation with trade unions does have a positive effect on safety performance. If more companies came forward and accepted a similar approach we could save many more workers' lives."
The committee also decided to undertake site visits in South Africa, Canada, Ukraine and Algeria in 2012. Dates are currently being proposed to the sites. Follow-up visits would also take place to the sites visited in 2011 to see what progress has been made.
A visit was carried out at the ArcelorMittal site in Aviles. The site employs 4000 workers of which around 60 per cent are blue collar and 40 per cent white collar. Around 8 per cent of the blue collar workers are women. The plant has a high density of union membership and UGT and CCOO are the biggest unions. Around 20 management representatives and union members of the local joint health and safety committee attended a question and answer session. Topics discuss included concerns over accident reporting and availability of capital expenditure during the current European crisis.
The plant itself keeps a very high standard of housekeeping. Some benchmark ideas could be implemented in other sites. Areas identified by the JGHSC for improvement included fire protection equipment and restroom facilities. Further assessment of risk due to possible paint fume exposure should be carried out.
One initiative would be a survey of members of local joint health and safety committees throughout the company globally to see how effective they are. The results of the survey would form the agenda for a global safety meeting to be held in the third quarter of 2012. Participants to the meeting would be asked to carry out some pre-work as part of the overall goal.
Rob Johnston, IMF Executive Director commented: "Fatality prevention in the company is improving, but we still have a long way to go. Today we have zero fatalities and I hope we can still say the same at the end of the year. We have proven that cooperation with trade unions does have a positive effect on safety performance. If more companies came forward and accepted a similar approach we could save many more workers' lives."
The committee also decided to undertake site visits in South Africa, Canada, Ukraine and Algeria in 2012. Dates are currently being proposed to the sites. Follow-up visits would also take place to the sites visited in 2011 to see what progress has been made.
A visit was carried out at the ArcelorMittal site in Aviles. The site employs 4000 workers of which around 60 per cent are blue collar and 40 per cent white collar. Around 8 per cent of the blue collar workers are women. The plant has a high density of union membership and UGT and CCOO are the biggest unions. Around 20 management representatives and union members of the local joint health and safety committee attended a question and answer session. Topics discuss included concerns over accident reporting and availability of capital expenditure during the current European crisis.
The plant itself keeps a very high standard of housekeeping. Some benchmark ideas could be implemented in other sites. Areas identified by the JGHSC for improvement included fire protection equipment and restroom facilities. Further assessment of risk due to possible paint fume exposure should be carried out.