OREANDA-NEWS. February 09, 2009. Azovstal Steel Plant operating under umbrella of Metinvest Group has declared 2009 as "year of occupational health and safety", reported the press-centre of Azovstal Steel Plant.

The activities in this area are carried out according to a three year strategy of Metinvest in health and safety. The plant introduced a special health and safety supervision mode aimed at defining the priorities in the area of health and safety in 2009 and imposing responsibility on each employee for compliance with the health and safety requirements.

Special health and safety supervision mode will be organized and implemented from 2 February to 23 February by employees of Health and Safety Department together with the representatives of territorial office of State City Industrial Supervision Agency in Donetsk Oblast, who are providing instructional support services to the plant.

The plant has planned to implement the following activities in this area:

Additional comprehensive inspections of compliance with health and safety regulations by structural units of the plant;

The strengthening of control and ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements by imposing personal responsibility on each employee;

Adjustment of emergency response programs;

Full inspection of buildings and structures;

Due diligence and replacement of personal protection equipment if necessary;

Holding special trainings and implementation of regular testing for staff on the issues of health and safety.

"We are going to reach international level to be able to play equal with the world metal leaders. The most important stage is to ensure health and safety and environmental protection", underlined Dmitriy Livshits. –  As for the issue of occupational safety we will focus on raising of awareness and understanding of employees rather than providing some material support. This is about the change of staff management system. We will focus on people's actions. We will try to change employees' behaviour; we want to get into the situation when no supervision is needed to ensure safe work.

Profile:
In 2008 Azovstal carried out 123 internal and 1 certified audit of occupational health and safety management system; as the result the plant got a certificate of compliance with the international standard OHSAS 18001:2007. In 2008 health and safety expenses of the plant totalled UAH 190 million.