We take a systematic approach to managing safety and preventing incidents - such as spills, fires and accidents - that place our people, our neighbours, the environment and our facility at risk. This starts with implementing HR/HSE Policy and supporting integrated management systems. We require all our employees and contractors and their laborer to follow basic Safety Cardinal Rules in line with our Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Policy and Commitment. Our company’s integrated Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Management System provides a framework for managing HSE at our plant. This ensures that we manage health & safety systematically and have the right resources, skills, tools, standards and procedures in place.
In implementing the policy and attaining high standards of safety, we have developed a multiple-pronged strategy of 5’E’s viz. Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Enthusiasm, a nd Examples. A brief description on these strategies is given below:
Engineering
The most fundamental requirements of safety; Engineering Controls, are formulated during the conceptualization of any project and care is taken that these controls are implemented at the stage of handing over of projects to operations. These are again crosschecked by foolproof systems such as Engineering Change Control Forms and Handing over Procedure for Equipment Safety (HOPES), which is now commonplace for employees.
We strongly believe that by enhancing the awareness level of employees and contractor laborers on safety matter, we progress swiftly towards our goal of Zero Accident. To attain higher awareness level on issues of occupational health and safety, we developed an internal team of qualified trainers on HSE issues. In addition, SIIL has been engaging several external, reputed training agencies such as the National Safety Council and St. John's Ambulance Association for specific HSE subjects. Major topics include safety implementation techniques, personal protective equipments, safety in maintenance activities, confined space entry, safety in material handling, electrical safety, chemical safety, behavioral safety, road safety, defensive driving, etc. Figure below indicates man-hour trained for year 2007-08. Furthermore regular peptalk and toolbox meetings are conducted on the shop-floors to inculcate safety culture amongst the people at shop-floor.
Enthusiasm
Safety in operations exhibited by employees is closely monitored and employees who excel and lead by example are recognised and motivated through incentive programs like the Green Slip Issuance entitling employees to a cash reward. In addition, employees are encouraged to participate in safety related competitions and Safety Stewards are fully empowered to decide on actions required to implement safety in their own areas.
Enforcement
We have also put in place enforcement systems, which dis-incentivise any unsafe act. It includes the issuance color slips such Yellow Slip / Orange Slip / Red Slip, according to the degree of violation of HSE requirements. For example employees issued with yellow slips incur negative marking in their performance appraisal system in addition to financial penalty.
Examples
We celebrate important days such as Safety Day and Fire Services Day annually in a befitting manner. The purpose of celebrating such events is to instigate the importance safety amongst our employees and reinforced that safety is everyone's responsibility and is a top priority for the management.
Some measures which we have taken to propagate the outmost importance of safety in our company with the aim of moving towards the goal of achieving zero accident are:
Safety as the first agenda in all meetings
Extensive propagation of Zero tolerance on Safety Cardinal rules
Risk Assessments of our processes and HAZOP study for all major projects
Linkage of individuals Performance Appraisal system towards their contribution towards safety
HSE Steward System to bring in ownership towards safety
Compliance with internal safety standards and procedures is mandatory
Dedicate cell for contractor work staff for imparting training on health & safety
Radar safety score card system for continuously monitoring the safety performance of the department
Use of software, Work Safe Online, leveraging IT support for online hazard and accident reporting
