Nothing is more important than the safety and health of people who work in the steel industry
Brussels, 28 April 2016 – The World Steel Association (worldsteel) has published its position paper on Safety and Health, reiterating its commitment to safety and health principles with a belief that ‘nothing is more important than the safety and health of people who work in the steel industry’.
Six Safety and Health principles for the steel industry:
- All injuries and work-related illness can and must be prevented
- Managers are responsible and accountable for safety and health performance
- Employee engagement and training is essential
- Working safely is a condition of employment
- Excellence in safety and health drives excellent business results
- Safety and health must be integrated into all business management processes
Edwin Basson, Director General of worldsteel said: “Protecting the safety and health of everyone who works in or around the steel industry is of vital importance to all worldsteel members. The duty of care and social responsibility demands that everyone should be able to work in a safe and healthy work environment.
The steel industry has achieved a significant reduction of 71% in its Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) over the last decade. Whilst the figure shows impressive improvement, there is still much progress to be made until we reach the ultimate target for the industry – ‘zero incidents’.
Today we mark the 3rd Steel Safety Day which was launched to create a safer working environment across the entire steel industry worldwide. In 2016 we are focusing on ‘Falling from height’, one of the five most common causes of incidents in the steel industry”.
• The World Steel Association (worldsteel) is one of the largest and most dynamic industry associations in the world. worldsteel members represent approximately 85% of the world’s steel production, including over 150 steel producers with 9 of the 10 largest steel companies, national and regional steel industry associations, and steel research institutes.
• The Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) is a calculation made on the basis of each time an employee or contractor is prevented from starting their next scheduled shift due to a work related injury, divided by 1 million man hours.