- Fulvio Conti: everyones investments and commitment led to major improvements.
Rome, November 30th 2009 - Seven days, from November 30th to December 6th, devoted to the safety issue. Today, Enel launched the International Safety Week, which will involve the Group's 85,000 employees in the 24 countries where it operates. Beginning this year Endesa will also participate in the events.
"Safety is our highest priority", said Fulvio Conti "It is not acceptable for people to lose their lives or get hurt working for Enel or anyone else. In recent years, thanks to the commitment shown by everyone in our Group and major investments, Enels safety indicators have improved, with a 61% reduction in injuries. But we can not be satisfied until we have reached our target of zero accidents."
Between 2004 and 2008 Enel achieved the following results:
- the number of workplace injuries decreased by 61%, from 983 to 383;
- the frequency rate of injuries per million hours worked decreased by 59%, from 9.4 to 3.91;
- there was a significant reduction in the severity rate (the number of days lost due to injury per thousands of hours worked), which declined by 47% in the last five years.
Enel has undertaken major investments and launched new training initiatives to improve safety. Between 2004 and 2008:
- investment in safety doubled in 2008 to 750 euros per employee;
- in the same year, the number of training hours tripled to 15.5 per person per year.
During the week, hundreds of initiatives will be organised, involving all of the Group's 85,000 employees and its contractors in the 24 countries where Enel operates, in order to raise safety awareness, improve processes and help achieve the ambitious goal of "zero injuries". From November 30th to December 6th 2009, Enel managers will be directly engaged in over 100 Safety Walks, a series of visits to power plants and construction sites to promote injury prevention through verification of compliance with regulatory requirements, the adoption of safe behaviour, and the status and maintenance of facilities and equipment. Also scheduled are over 70 simulations, from the evacuation of buildings to fire drills, as well as 350 training courses and seminars, workshops (also involving contractors) and local initiatives with the involvement of schools and families.
The weekly Italian calendar sees plenty of activities, with events from Piedmont to Sicily. In Liguria, at La Spezias Eugenio Montale power plant, on December 1st, there will be a workshop dedicated to the Protocol of Understanding on Safety in the La Spezia harbour to which several local authorities, INAIL and associations will take part. In Turin, on December 2nd and in Piacenza, at La Casella power plant, on December 3rd, meetings will be held on management and control tools on third party companies. In Bologna, on December 4th, a workshop will be organized on the topic of safe driving together with INAIL, Police Authorities and the Italian Red Cross. In Sicily on December 3rd, an extraordinary evacuation exercise at a wind farm with fire drill will be held.
Over more, in Rome, on December 3rd, all the companies who signed the Protocol of Understanding on Risk Prevention (E.On Italia, Edipower, Sogin, Terna, Tirreno Power, RFI, Edison and Acea) will meet at Enels Auditorium.
The first edition of the International Safety Week won the 2008 Sodalitas Social Award for the best human capital enhancement campaign.
To achieve the "zero injuries" goal, Enel has launched a plan to improve safety management, divided into 9 action areas: the promotion of a culture of safety, process improvement and relations between contractors and suppliers, effective communication, rapid reaction to events, improved training, planning and clarity of objectives, structural accident prevention in the workplace, safety organisation and sharing of experience.