3.4. Occupational Health and Safety

Interview
with the Director
for Health & Safety
Dmitry Kolmakov
0.63
TRIF with a threshold value <1.9

Please name Unipro PJSC’s primary objective in occupational health and safety?

The primary objective in the area of occupational health and safety is to preserve the health and life of our employees. We want all employees and contractors of our Company to come back home to their families healthy and alive after the end of their shift.

How does the Company rank in terms of Uniper Group’s total injury rates? How would you characterise the changes in TRIF?

In 2018, Unipro PJSC secured a strategic target: zero workplace fatalities for its own and for its contractors’ employees. The TRIF (total recordable incident frequency) goal was exceeded, amounting to 0.63 with a threshold value <1.9.

If we look at Uniper Group as a whole, our Company is among the top three companies with the best TRIF values in 2018 together with Hungary and the United Kingdom. In the meantime, Uniper’s mean TRIF in the reference period amounted to 1.46.

Despite the active phase of repair and reconstruction works implemented at Berezovskaya GRES Power Unit No. 3 in 2018 (when up to 1,500 contractor employees were engaged on the site simultaneously), TRIF remained at the 2017 level, which can be deemed a success. Without including the aforementioned project, we succeeded in reducing the Company’s TRIF by 45% from 0.81 in 2017 to 0.52 in 2018.

How do you manage contractor employees in terms of ensuring safe working conditions?

Similar to previous years, the number of violations committed by contractor employees was much higher than the number of violations committed by the Company’s own employees in 2018.

With a view to improving the contractor management system in the area of providing safe working conditions, Unipro PJSC revised and approved the Contractor and Business Partner Management Standard in 2018. The standard regulates 6 stages of contractor management from contractor pre-qualification to contractor evaluation upon executing the contract.

In addition to existing management tools (safety briefings, preliminary testing of contractor employees, joint meetings with contractor managers and specialists for occupational health and safety, reporting accidents and violations of occupational health and safety requirements), the updated standard contributes to employee engagement and development of the occupational health and safety culture in the contractor companies that work with Unipro PJSC.

Please characterise the current effects and expectations from the implementation of the occupational health and safety management automated information system (OHSMAIS)?

First, they include higher safety of production processes by monitoring the current condition of hardware operated at hazardous production facilities, high-quality planning of control activities and timely implementation.

Today, we can say confidently that the mandatory industrial safety requirements for the Company’s hazardous production facilities are performed in a timely manner. We are aware of existing risks and able to manage them, which is a necessary condition to ensure production safety and the positive results from production activities.

Bearing in mind future development to the OHSMAIS, we expect improvements in the skills and awareness of the persons responsible for managing production control, timely response to and minimisation of hazards, and therefore, improvements in the performance of the Company’s production safety system.

Employees are the most important asset of Unipro PJSC and their health and safety is a priority area of the Company’s activities and an important component of its corporate culture.

In the reference period, the management of Unipro PJSC continuously implemented the three-year occupational health and safety strategy and approved the new cycle for 2018–2020. The Company’s strategic vision will be achieved by securing the occupational health and safety targets and implementing the priority initiatives.

The Company achieved its strategic target for 2018 — zero fatalities at Unipro PJSC facilities (including Unipro Engineering LLC) in 2018 and a TRIF of 0.63 (the threshold value is <1.9).*

Occupational Health and Safety 2018–2020

STRATEGIC VISION
International-level safety of the work environment, health and safety of the employees are the core values of Unipro PJSC corporate culture

Occupational health and safety performance in 2018

TRIF dynamics including Unipro Engineering LLC projects (Berezovskaya GRES — Power Unit No. 3, Fuel Receiving Station)

TRIF dynamics net of Unipro Engineering LLC projects

TRIF dynamics separately for Unipro Engineering LLC

Unipro PJSC key occupational health and safety indicators*

In the reference period, the Company managed to reduce the number of suspended teams by 63%.

Distribution of total recordable incidents (TRI) involving lost time injuries in 2018

3 out of 5 incidents resulting in injuries recorded by Unipro PJSC in 2018 involved the Company employees and 2 — the contractors' employees. All 5 injuries in Unipro Engineering LLC involved the contractors' employees.

In 2018, a larger portion of incidents was caused by foreign items. As compared to the previous reference period, there were no incidents when working in electrical installations (3 incidents in 2017).

TRI (by branch)

Elena Bulgakova

Leading Specialist of Safety, Occupational Health and Safety Department

You need to have relevant knowledge and experience to become a good specialist, and you must like your job, too.

I started working at the Occupational Health and Safety Department of Surgutskaya GRES at the end of 2011. My previous experience, including work at the plant, enabled me to settle into this new job very quickly.

A special assessment of work environment and maintenance of a catalogue of standards for providing employees with protective equipment are only a part of my duties, which allows me to master a new field of work, i.e. occupational health and safety budgeting.

I would like to share the accumulated knowledge and experience, so we conduct a number of trainings and activities for our colleagues and employees from other departments.

Furthermore, providing assistance and support to our colleagues from occupational health and safety departments, as well as other divisions of the branch and the Company as a whole, is another important factor.

Most near misses recorded in 2018 were accounted for by working at heights.

All lost time injuries, near misses, and incidents taking place in the Company were investigated and the root causes were identified. Furthermore, the Company developed the corrective and preventive activities communicated to the relevant personnel of the Company and contractors.

TRI (by type of works)

Distribution of near misses resulting in suspended work (by branch)

Distribution of near misses resulted in suspended work (by type of works)

Key initiatives in 2018

  • 4 meetings of the Occupational Health and Safety Committee held.
  • 6 monthly safety campaigns held (working at heights, in confined space, in electrical installations, etc.).
  • Every branch held a due diligence of occupational health and safety
  • Under the supervision of their directors, the branches organised the Centres of Competence in one of the priority areas: working at heights/scaffolding operations, working with hoisting devices, hot works, working in electrical installations and in confined space.
  • The Company approved Unipro PJSC Standard of Contractor and Business Partner Management.
  • Two stages of Uniper corporate audit in HSE Efficiency and Culture were completed.
  • The Company successfully passed the certification audit of Unipro PJSC activities for compliance with the requirements of OHSAS 18001:2007.
  • Unipro Engineering LLC passed the certification audit of the management quality system for compliance with ISO 9001:2015 in the area of occupational health and safety.

Implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Enhancement Plan

The Occupational Health and Safety Enhancement Plan for 2018 was implemented in full. The following key measures were implemented:

    1. The Company held 4 meetings of Unipro PJSC Occupational Health and Safety Committee chaired by the Chief Executive Officer. 40 HSSE enhancement measures were endorsed and implemented.
    2. The Company held 4 meetings of the Occupational Health and Safety Committee chaired by the Chief Executive Officer and attended by the representatives of Unipro PJSC, Unipro Engineering LLC, and contractors involved in the Repair and Reconstruction Project of Berezovskaya GRES Power Unit No. 3.
    3. Each individual top manager of the Company, its branches, and Unipro Engineering LLC developed and implemented a personal Safety Leadership Development Plan. The Knowledge River surveys forming part of the Destination Zero programme were used by the branch top manager (Director, Chief Engineer, and deputies) to develop the personal Safety Leadership Development Plans.
    4. All branches of the Company held “Leadership Team HSSE Identity” working sessions that involved 60 managers of Unipro PJSC functions. The Company held a working session “Leadership in Occupational Health and Safety” with the top managers of the Company’s contractors (36 participants) and Unipro Engineering LLC.
    5. Each individual branch has a Centre of Competence in one of high-risk areas for developing safety enhancement road maps.
    6. The Company reviewed the performance of the occupational health and safety management system in the branches in accordance with the requirements of the OHSAS 18001-2007 international standard. The review identified the strengths and weaknesses of the system and made it possible to issue recommendations for further enhancement of the occupational health and safety system.
    1. As part of the priority programmes aimed at high risk mitigation, the Company held 6 monthly safety campaigns to assess the implementation quality of statutory and regulatory standards in these areas. Long-term programmes aimed at high injury risk mitigation were developed and are currently implemented.
    2. The amount of input information to be processed was identified for 2018 with a view to delivering on the Implementation Road Map of the HSSE Risk Management System. The Company equally developed the Terms of Reference for the necessary system modules and made a study of the Russian market for availability of ready-made solutions that can potentially be upgraded. In addition, the Company tested the demo versions.
    3. The Company approved Unipro PJSC Standard of Contractor and Business Partner Management that incorporates Uniper’s requirements (6 stages). The Company trained 170 employees in the requirements of the standard and upgraded the АХАРТА module enabling risk assessment at the work planning and scheduling stage.
    4. An independent audit of works at heights was carried out. It enabled the Company to identify the risk areas, develop the design solutions intended to eliminate or mitigate the risks, introduce the work and rescue execution plans and cost estimates for the installation of safety systems when working at heights.
    5. The combined cycle shop of Shaturskaya GRES introduced the LOTO system (Lockout/Tagout) making it possible to rule out any potential hazards associated with unauthorised power supply during adjustment and repair works on electrical and thermal and mechanical equipment.
    6. All the branches of the Company developed and launched communication programmes to prevent high and low temperature hazards in summer and winter.
    7. Furthermore, the branches dismantled 152 tonnes (132% of the plan) of asbestos-containing material from their equipment as part of the long-term asbestos removal programme. The monitoring confirmed that the concentrations of asbestos fibres in the air do not exceed the Russian sanitary standard.
    8. Under the long-term remedial programme for the defects of process equipment service ladders and platforms, the branches remedied 86 defects (100% of the plan).
    9. The Company branches implemented 439 measures (144% of the plan) under long-term programmes intended to cure the breaches of health and safety requirements for works in electrical installations.
    10. As part of Berezovskaya GRES Power Unit No. 3 RRW project, the Company developed and implemented risk mitigation measures for works with hoisting devices, hazards associated with items falling from height and launched a monitoring of occupational hazards to improve the illumination and microclimate and reduce the dust and noise level.
    1. The Company administered a training in “Occupational Health and Safety Leadership” to the directors and heads of the occupational health and safety departments of the branches.
    2. The standard “Incident Reporting and Investigation Procedure” was approved. Furthermore, the Company administered a training in “Incident Investigation” to 156 managers from the functions of the branches and the Moscow representative office.
    3. The Company developed a programme for the identification of near misses and administered a relevant training. 80% of branch employees received the training.
    4. The results of the personal and “technical” competences evaluation were used to develop and implement personal development plans for the heads and specialists of the occupational health and safety departments of the branches.
    5. The Company created 13 animated videos on HSE matters containing the testing modules to brief the Company’s and the contractors’ personnel.
    6. Berezovskaya GRES Power Unit No. 3 RRW project:
      1. The contractors’ new employees were trained in the Company’s internal occupational health and safety requirements using the adaptation course.
      2. 153 line managers received training in “Leadership in Occupational Health and Safety” and 5,428 contractors’ employees received training in high injury risk mitigation.
      3. A training programme for the identification of near misses intended for contractors’ employees was launched.
      4. The employees of scaffolding contractors and specialists of the branch were trained in safe scaffolding installation and use practices.
      5. The contractors’ employees received training in the administration of first aid to people falling from height.
      6. In addition, the branch administered fire drills incorporating some elements of staff evacuation.
    1. The Company uses the audits of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (5 audits in the reporting period) to evaluate staff competence in specialised areas. The Company carried out a performance testing of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System in compliance with OHSAS 18001-2007 and of the measures adopted by the Company. The survey revealed positive changes in terms of capacity building in specialised areas.
    2. Shaturskaya GRES and Yaivinskaya GRES successfully passed two stages of Uniper’s corporate audit “HSE Efficiency and Culture” and implemented the improvement recommendations in a timely manner.
    3. It was the eighth time that the Company passed the certification audit of Unipro PJSC activities for compliance with the requirements of OHSAS 18001:2007. The Russian Register Certification Association accredited by international certification bodies — members of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) — noted that the occupational health and safety system introduced by the Company is characterised by strong performance and continuous improvement.
    4. A report on the key HSE indicators was presented to the Company management on a monthly basis for monitoring and awareness-building purposes.
    5. Berezovskaya GRES Power Unit No. 3 RRW project:
      1. The Company passed the certification audit of the management quality system for compliance with ISO 9001:2015 in terms of occupational safety.
      2. The Company fully implemented the Action Plan prepared subject to the findings of the audit conducted by Uniper.
    1. With a view to building the necessary safety culture, the Company trained 63 managers of branches’ functions under the “Safety Consciousness” programme.
    2. All the branches completed the “Lessons Learnt” programme, including a review of staff awareness of the incidents that took place, an efficiency check of the response measures based on the investigation of the incidents, and a revision of the Company standard “Incident Reporting and Investigation Procedure”.
    3. Smolenskaya GRES held an occupational health and safety tournament modelled after the “Brain Ring” trivia game.
    4. The Company organised partner health and safety checks between Berezovskaya GRES and Surgutskaya GRES-2 and between Smolenskaya GRES and Yaivinskaya GRES to share the best practices and foster symbiotic professional partnerships.
    5. All the branches held competitive reviews of occupational safety in their production functions. The winners earned the title of the Best Function in Occupational Safety and the employees most heavily involved in the review received prizes and financial awards.
    6. Shaturskaya GRES:
      1. Launched the “Health and Safety Hot Line” pilot project to provide the Company employees with additional opportunities to report the near misses.
      2. Launched the “Safety Star” project to encourage the branch employees to comply with the health and safety requirements.
      3. Held a health and safety review contest for the title of the “Best Contractor”. The primary objective of the contest is to encourage contractors’ employees to create safe workplace conditions and to encourage contractors’ staff involvement in the reporting of the near misses.
    7. Berezovskaya GRES Power Unit No. 3 RRW project:
      1. The branch completed the staff competence visual identification programme by placing the relevant stickers on the safety helmets.
      2. The branch introduced the staff incentive system involving the provision of a gift certificate on a monthly basis (“Best Work Supervisor", "Best Employee", “Best Health and Safety Specialist”).
      3. The branch implemented the communication programme devoted to preventing items from falling from height, working with hoisting devices, and hot works.

Occupational health and safety expenses

All health and safety activities scheduled by the branches in the reporting period were implemented in full.

373.7RUB mln

costs of activities on labour protection in Unipro PJSC in 2018

Allocation of expenses by activity type, %

Occupational health and safety expenses, RUB thousand

Occupational health and safety expenses, RUB thousand per employee

Special assessment of work environment

Pursuant to the requirements of Federal Law No.426-FZ “On Special Assessment of Working Conditions” dated 28 December 2013, Unipro PJSC conducted a special assessment of work environment at 1,550 workplaces.

The findings of the special assessment of work environment show that the Company has no class 3.3 or 3.4 workplaces.

Distribution of workplaces by class of working conditions, %

Plans for 2019

To improve the quality of occupational health and safety in 2019, the Company is planning to implement a set of activities intended to