Work accidents and professional illness results
In Codelco, Occupational Health and Safety is based on our vision and mission, Value Statement, Corporate Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Management Policy, and on an organizational structure capable of responding to the challenges in these areas.
At Codelco we are confident that all work-related accidents and professional diseases can be prevented through efficient and timely management, and a strong and coherent leadership.
On the basis of the Occupational Health and Safety structural design launched in 2011, we have proposed, in the field of occupational accident rates, to achieve by the year 2015 a record of five years with no fatalities, an Accident Frequency Rate below 1, and to automate those processes which may be hazardous to our workers and eradicate silicosis by the year 2030, in accordance with the policy of the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization.
While this year we had to mourn fatal accidents, we reaffirm, as always, our commitment to the life and dignity of people, and for this reason, we continue with the task of avoiding accidents in all our work sites.
(LA7) Rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days, and absenteeism, and number of workrelated fatalities by region and gender. In 2011 we had to mourn the loss of four workers, two from Codelco and two from contractor companies, in the Chuquicamata, El Teniente, and Andina divisions.
While the number of fatal accidents decreased with respect to 2010, we have not yet met our goal of having zero fatal accidents. For this reason, next year we will begin the implementation of at least four Fatality Control Standards per division, in pursuit of achieving our goal.
a) Global Frequency Rate (own + contractor employees)
During 2011 we reached a global frequency rate of 1.39 accidents per million hours worked, which is 31% less than the results for 2010.
b) Global Severity Rate (own + contractor employees)
The Global Severity Rate this year reached a value of 335 days lost due to worker injuries per million hours worked, which is 32% less than the results for 2010.
c) Disability resolutions due to professional diseases and work accidents
In 2011 we recorded 51 new disability resolutions1 of own workers. Of these, 16 are new silicosis resolutions, 24 hearing loss, 5 of muscular-skeletal pathology and 6 work accident after-effects resolutions. The foregoing meant a 42% reduction when compared to the total for 2010 (88).
Own workers with occupational disability that remain active2
d) Days lost due to professional diseases
1 Resolutions issued by the Preventive Medicine and Disability Commissions (COMPIN), with Loss of Earning Ability greater than or equal to 15%.
2 Because a worker can have disability from two or more diagnoses simultaneously, the number of professional disabilities is lower than the number of resolutions shown in the table.
JOINT COMMITTEES ON HYGIENE AND SAFETY
(LA6) Percentage of total workforce represented in formal joint management-worker health and safety committees that help monitor and advise on occupational health and safety programs. During 2011, 44 Joint Committees on Hygiene and Safety (JCHS) operated in all our work sites, representing 100% of the workers, comprised by representatives for both workers and management in order to detect and assess the risk of accidents and professional diseases. The seventh meeting of JCHS (ECOPAR), was held in October in Santiago. It’s aim was to share the progress made in the implementation of the Structural Project for Occupational Health and Safety, and review their role in its implementation and dissemination. Similarly, their contributions and requirements in order to improve and enhance their performance were collected.
(2.10)
Awards received in the reporting period.
Andina receives 12 awards from the
National Security Council, six of them in
the “National Security Council” category,
and the other six in “Risk Prevention
Efforts”. These awards answers to
one of the most relevant values of our
Corporation, “Respect for People’s human
life and dignity”. The awards were
presented by the safety management of
the division during 2010, benefiting the
solidification of our preventive culture
in this area.
SAP PROJECT - ENVIRONMENT, OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
Given the priority of workers’ health and safety for Codelco, we are implementing the EH&S (Environment Health and Safety) modules of SAP, which is a computer system for supporting management. During 2011 the final phase of the development of this system was completed, which included tools and features for managing incidents, findings, identification of hazards, risk assessment and occupational health processes. With this, we expect a traceable system for managing these variables in an integrated manner to be available throughout Codelco.
