OREANDA-NEWS. June 13, 2012. DTEK started a large-scale research of the health needs of power and coal mining companies’ employees as part of the development of its Occupational Health Strategy. It is the first research of that kind conducted by a private company not only in Ukraine, but also in the CIS. Late May, DTEK signed an agreement with the Institute for Occupational Health of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine that is conducting the research and expected to finish it in July 2012.

 The objective of the researchers is to study both occupational and general health trends of DTEK’s employees and to find out links between health conditions and occupational activities. The research will be based on statistical data and findings of medical examinations over 2009-2011. The trends revealed during the research will become the basis for recommendations on the improvement of the sector health care and prolongation of occupational longevity.

 ‘Neither Ukraine, nor other countries have conducted similar researches to prove the link between the occupation and health ailments. We studied the market and decided to apply to the Institute for Occupational Health of the NASU as it is the best health researcher. We are having a lot of tasks, among them, to design special mechanisms for the prevention, diagnostics and treatment of employees’ diseases. DTEK has set up a working group to design a strategy for occupational health development. As a forward-looking company, we are naturally concerned about people who will work in the company in twenty years. We are well aware that the health and well-being of our employees is the foundation for our business success in the future’, said Grigoriy Koldunov, Director of Sotsis, a company in charge of social projects at DTEK.

 The research will cover the employees of the following power and coal mining companies: DTEK Skhidenergo, DTEK Dniproenergo, DTEK Pavlogradugol, DTEK Dobropolyeugol, DTEK Mine Komsomolets Donbassa, Kurakhovskaya CCM, Pavlogradskaya CCM, Dobropolskaya CEP and Mospino CPE.

 One of the priorities of DTEK social investment is health protection of DTEK employees and local communities. The company is implementing several comprehensive health programmes. In particular, in 2012, three coal groups, DTEK Sverdlovanthracite, DTEK Rovenkyanthracite and Krasnodonugol (the latter is a part of Metinvest), jointly with the United Nations, launched the project “Improving the Health and Safety of Miners in Eastern Ukraine.” DTEK is also upgrading medical equipment and developing a telemedicine network via which specialists from leading medical centres can provide video consultations to doctors at local hospitals.