Just like every year, Arkema has joined in the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April, inspired by the International Labour Organization (ILO). Looking to join the ranks of the best-in-class chemical manufacturers in terms of safety, the Group continues to engage in many awareness initiatives.
Arkema places safety and the protection of its personnel’s health at the center of its priorities. The Group, which has made this issue a major driver of its Corporate Social Responsibility policy (CSR), is actively engaged in improving its employees’ working conditions: behavioral approach with peer observation, systematic safety briefings at the start of operations and meetings, information kits on safety rules distributed around the world, improvement of workstation ergonomics, etc.
Initiatives that have borne fruit and helped cut by half TRIR (total recordable injury rate, per million man hours) since 2012. Now at 1.6, it is one of the lowest in the chemical industry, representing 69 accidents for the 25,000 people working for the Group around the world (Arkema’s own 19,800 personnel as well as subcontracted personnel).
Arkema aims to make further progress and achieve a 1.2 TRIR by 2025. “Improving safety is not something you can dictate, it implies sustained effort. This year Arkema has decided to focus on new recruits, who are more exposed to risks, and to roll out on each of its production sites awareness initiatives specifically for those new arrivals in order to share the Company’s ‘safety culture and expertise’” explains Florence Bonetti, Human Factors Officer within the Safety Environment Division.
Accordingly, rigorous safety training at every Arkema site is provided for all new recruits as part of their workstation induction and training, which can take up to six months or longer depending on the nature of their posts. “‘Safety always in mind’ is not just a motto; vigilance and behaviors that help prevent risks must become automatic reflexes for everyone” concludes Florence Bonetti.