The safety and health of employees are priority factors for JV “SMCC” LLP (hereinafter referred to as the Partnership).
All programs and initiatives aimed at creating safe working conditions, occupational health and safety, ensuring industrial safety are carried out in accordance with the requirements of regulatory legal acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of occupational health and safety and industrial safety as well as the provisions of internal regulatory documents of the Partnership and standards of JSC "NAC "Kazatomprom" (hereinafter referred to as the Company).
The Partnership has developed a Policy in the field of technical regulation, standardization, metrology, testing and quality management, environmental protection, industrial, radiation safety, labor protection and energy management systems. The Policy is the basis for setting goals and objectives in the field of occupational health and safety and industrial safety. Purposeful work on the implementation of the Policy is the duty and professional duty of each employee of the Partnership.
The Partnership strives to maintain an effective culture of occupational health and safety in order to ensure that the work performed is safe and every employee returns home unharmed and healthy. Also, the Partnership pays attention to security issues in contracting organizations operating on the territory of production units.
Every year, the company holds a number of events to improve the culture of occupational safety, develop occupational safety and health, the company strives to implement the best world practices in the field of occupational health and safety and industrial safety.
The Partnership has successfully passed certification in an international organization and has a certificate of compliance with the international standard ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Safety and Health Management System.
Occupational health and safety, industrial safety activities
The work in terms of internal production control and methodological guidance on occupational health and safety and industrial safety is carried out by the industrial safety sectors of the “Akdala” and “Yuzhny Inkai” mines (hereinafter referred to as the mines), subordinate to the Department of Industrial Safety, in accordance with the requirements of the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, decisions and administrative documents of the founders and internal regulatory documents of the Partnership. According to the approved organizational structure of the Partnership, the Department of Industrial Safety is subordinate to the General Director.
The company has a System of Occupational Health and Industrial Safety Management (hereinafter referred to as OHS and ISM). OHS and ISM contains the main provisions for the implementation of the Partnership's Policy, ways and methods of achieving goals and implementing measures for occupational health and safety and industrial safety. OHS and ISM regulates a set of measures aimed at the formation of safe and healthy working conditions, establishes uniform requirements for the organization of work and management of issues in the field of occupational safety and health.
A 4-step level of production control has been established in JV “SMCC” LLP. On a weekly basis, commission inspections of the state of industrial safety are carried out at the mines by the 3rd level of production control. Once a quarter, inspections are carried out in the Partnership units by the Commission of the 4th level of production control under the chairmanship of the General Director. The results of inspections by the 3rd and 4th stages of control are formalized by acts-prescriptions. The divisions also conduct operational and targeted inspections on occupational health and safety and industrial safety.
Every Thursday, a "Safety Day" is held in each division of the Partnership. All production personnel and specialists of the sites are involved in their conduct. Based on the results of the inspections, the circumstances and causes of accidents that occurred at the Company's enterprises are analyzed, measures are being worked out to prevent similar incidents at the enterprise, and the main events and issues in the field of occupational health and safety are also highlighted.
Weekly meetings on occupational health and safety and industrial safety are held at the mines with the participation of managers and chief specialists of mines, managers and engineering and technical workers (ITW) of departments. The meeting discusses the results of inspections of the 3rd and 4th levels of production control and the effectiveness of the 1st and 2nd levels of control, information bulletins on accidents, issues of road safety and control of vehicles through GPS trackers, the results of the assessment of the driving culture of drivers through QR codes, the analysis of identified dangerous conditions, dangerous actions and Near-Miss, frequency and reasons for their repetition, reports on conducted behavioral safety audits and issued Stop cards are considered, questions and suggestions on improving the safety culture and the involvement of all personnel.
To ensure safe working conditions, the levels of harmful and dangerous production factors in the workplace are monitored once a quarter. The monitoring results are posted on the information stand for occupational health and safety and industrial safety.
The Partnership is constantly working to bring to the attention of production personnel the importance of ensuring and observing safety measures, meeting the requirements in the field of occupational health and safety and industrial safety. Information stands located at each production facility contain the most important and up-to-date information.
The training of workers in occupational health and safety and industrial safety is carried out using modern training technologies, videos on various topics are being developed, attention is paid to equipping the occupational health and safety cabinet and information stands at the sites, with the placement of visual materials at the workplace.
The ongoing initiatives on occupational health and safety and industrial safety are not limited to carrying out the types of briefings and training for employees of the Partnership established by law. Much attention is paid to the issues of training personnel in skills and methods of safe work, improving their qualifications. Trainings are conducted on the following topics:
● Leadership in the field of industrial safety
● Internal trainer on "Occupational Safety Culture"
● "Three pillars of security"
● Identification of dangerous conditions, dangerous actions, potentially dangerous Near-Miss events
● Conducting behavioral security audits
● Application and design of the "Stop card"
● Five security steps
● Responsibility
● Risks in the field of industrial safety
● Application of Lock Out/Tag Out
● Occupational safety culture
● Defensive driving
● Provision of first pre-medical emergency care
● Internal Auditor of the ISO 45001:2018 management system
● NEBOSH
Occupational safety culture
According to the decisions of JSC "NAC "Kazatomprom", work has been carried out in JV “SMCC” LLP to implement a target model for integrated security management. As part of the adoption of the Vision Zero concept, the Partnership has implemented tools to improve occupational safety, prevent injuries, accidents and incidents.
Identification of dangerous conditions, dangerous actions, Near-Miss. The Near-Miss incident management system has been implemented at the enterprise since July 2018. Explanatory conversations and training were conducted with the staff to identify dangerous conditions, dangerous actions and incidents without the consequences of Near-Miss. Employees of all departments and all levels are actively working to identify dangerous actions, dangerous conditions and Near-Miss. The mine production safety sectors carry out a systematic analysis of registered potentially dangerous situations, the frequency and places of their registration with discussion at meetings on occupational health and safety and industrial safety.
Vision Zero. In accordance with the Vision Zero concept of zero injuries adopted by the Company, cascading communications were conducted in the Partnership in June 2019 with the participation of the Director of the Department of Industrial Safety of JSC "NAC "Kazatomprom", the general director and heads of structural divisions of the Partnership. The purpose of the event is the acceptance of personal commitments in the field of occupational health and safety and industrial safety by the first head of the Partnership, bringing the principles of the "Seven Golden Rules" of Vision Zero to the heads of departments and their acceptance of their personal commitments in the field of occupational health and safety and industrial safety. In turn, at the mines, the heads of structural divisions conducted cascading communications with subordinate personnel. Employees were explained about the safety culture at work, the Vision Zero concept and the need to improve occupational safety.
The foundation of the Vision Zero concept is seven "Golden Rules", which contain the basic principles of occupational health and safety and industrial safety in the workplace. The rules are clearly formulated and each unit, taking into account its specifics, uses them in order to reduce injuries to zero.
The concept offers seven "Golden Rules", the implementation of which will contribute to reducing the rates of occupational injuries and occupational morbidity:
1. To become a leader - to show commitment to principles.
2. Identify threats – control risks.
3. Define goals – develop programs.
4. To create a system of occupational safety and health – to achieve a high level of organization.
5. Ensure safety and hygiene in the workplace, when working with machines and equipment.
6. To improve qualifications – to develop professional skills.
7. Invest in human resources – motivate through participation.
Today, 100% of production personnel are covered by cascading communications with the acceptance of personal commitments.
Also, as part of the development and improvement of the occupational safety culture, training of our own internal trainers on the Vision Zero concept was conducted. Internal trainers regularly conduct trainings and lectures on occupational safety culture.
Behavioral Security Audit (BSA). In 2019, the Partnership conducted training of ITW under the program "Behavioral Security Audit". By Order No. 356-19 of 20.08.2019, the PRO UGHC 859-19 "Procedure for conducting a behavioral security audit" was put into effect. In 2021, the update of DP UGHK 014-2021 "Documented procedure for Conducting behavioral security audit" (hereinafter referred to as DP BSA) was carried out. According to the provisions of the DP BSA, schedules for holding pubs at mines are developed annually. In all divisions of the mines, BSA is conducted by the heads of structural divisions and ITW according to approved schedules. When visiting the mines, the General director also holds a BSA. Based on the results of the audits, reports are compiled and an analysis is carried out. The PUB is carried out when performing work both in relation to employees of the Partnership and in relation to employees of contracting organizations.
In order to form a culture of occupational safety among employees, to involve them in ensuring safe working conditions and occupational safety, various events are held in the departments on a periodic basis - contests, quizzes on occupational health and safety and industrial safety. According to the results of the contests, the winners are awarded with valuable gifts and rewards are paid.
Using Lock Out/Tag Out. In 2019, in order to prevent injuries to personnel, prevent unauthorized supply of electricity, water, compressed air or start-up of mechanical parts of equipment in the area of repair, adjustment, cleaning and other works, the Partnership introduced a system of blocking dangerous energy sources with the posting of Lock Out/Tag Out warning tags. At the mines, Action Plans were developed for the implementation of the locking system, the necessary locking devices and devices were identified and purchased. The "Instructions for blocking equipment with hanging warning tags" have been developed. The training of production personnel on the use of the "Lock Out/Tag Out" locking system was carried out. Stands with locking devices and devices are decorated on the plots.places.
Emergency preparedness
JV “SMCC” LLP constantly conducts activities to maintain the level of preparedness for accidents and emergencies. Accident response Plans are developed annually at the mines, which reflect the main possible types and of accidents, the procedure for personnel actions in case of emergency situations. According to the schedule of emergency training and training alarms by the personnel of the mines, as well as the contractor providing services for the fire protection of facilities and emergency rescue operations, the measures and actions necessary for the rescue of people, the organization of localization and elimination of accidents are being worked out. To ensure fire safety, maintenance of fire safety systems is carried out periodically in buildings located on the territory of the mines.