Labour Protection
Our health and safety measures are aimed at elimination of workplace injuries and occupational diseases, promotion of safe conduct and development of accident-prevention skills among employees, as well as at improvement of working conditions.
In 2015, we continued work to reduce the number of injuries. Our efforts were based on the findings of an assessment of employee injure risks, and on objectives that had been outlined by the Company’s Labour Protection Committee and regulations / guidelines.
Classes of Working Conditions Before and After SAWC in 2015
By the end of the reporting year, the number of injured employees in the Company’s branches increased from 3 to 5. The largest share of injuries was related to the driving of vehicles. At the same time electric injuries were on the downward trend: only one person was injured in each of 2014 and 2015 as opposed to 6 persons in 2013.
Human factor plays an important role in all injuries (neglect of safety requirements by operators; knowledgeable violation; personal carelessness; employee’s inability to assess risks; employees are sure that they will not be disciplined for violations by their supervisors).
To improve occupational safety, we take precautions to safeguard our employees before conducting any kind of repair work, assess risks to employee safety and develop corrective actions, and conduct regular safety checks on work carried out by our repair teams.
Details of additional health and safety
measures taken in 2015 are available in Appendix 1 to the Annual Report
Federal Grid Company conducted a Special Assessment of Working Conditions (SAWC ) to monitor working conditions at the workplaces
- In 2015, SAWC covered 8,965 workplaces in 34 PMES branches, 4 MES Branches and in the Executive Office with the total staff of 11,087 employees
- SAWC costs amounted to RUB11.87 million (80.6% were covered from the budgets of MES and PMES, and 19.4% were reimbursed from the Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation)
- Based on SAWC findings, the number of workplaces with hazardous working conditions reduced by 1.8 times and amounted to 0.97% of all workplaces covered by SAWC in 2015
The Company pays much attention to employees’ working conditions. A comprehensive programme has been developed and implemented to improve working conditions at the facilities of MES branches. Its aim was to provide the necessary sanitary and living services, thus creating healthy and comfortable working conditions that would mitigate risks to employee health.
Monitoring of Employee Health
Since 2002, no cases of occupational diseases have been registered in Federal Grid Company. The following medical examinations are conducted in Federal Grid Company in order to monitor employee health:
- Preventive and regular medical checks (screenings) conducted in accordance with Order No. 302n issued by the Ministry of Health Care of the Russian Federation, dated 12.04.2011, and with regard of Order No. 390 issued by the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, dated 31.08.2011
- Pre-shift and pre- and post-trip medical checks (screenings) conducted in accordance with Order No 835n issued by the Ministry of Health Care of the Russian Federation
- Psychiatric checks in accordance with Law No. 3185-1 of the Russian Federation, dated 02.07.1992, and Resolution No. 695 of the Government of the Russian Federation, dated 23.09.2002
- Regular checks (at least once every five years) at the professional pathology prevention centres and other medical institutions that are authorised to conduct preventive and regular checks for professional suitability and relationship between a disease and profession
Industrial Safety
Fires at Federal Grid Company’s Facilities
Hazardous industrial facilities are operated by Federal Grid Company in compliance with the requirements set by Federal Law No. 116-FZ, dated 21.07.1997, “On Industrial Safety of Hazardous Industrial Facilities” and other relevant rules and regulations.
Federal Grid Company operates 270 hazardous industrial facilities (HIFs) of III and IV hazard classes. Given that legislative requirements to industrial safety management systems are established for I and II hazard classes only, safe operation of Federal Grid Company’s hazardous industrial facilities, prevention of accidents and post-accident recovery are carried out via industrial control.
In 2015, the Company implemented the following major industrial safety projects:
- We identified, registered / removed from register and re-registered facilities, and assigned the hazard class in the State Register of Hazardous Industrial Facilities
- ВFederal Grid Company, together with the Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision and Ministry of Emergency Situations, proposed amendments to Article 10 of Federal Law No. 116-FZ, dated 21.07.1997, “On Industrial Safety of Hazardous Industrial Facilities.” These amendments require operating organisations to enter into service contracts with the professional emergency response entities or teams with regard of the hazard class of hazardous industrial facilities, its category, and accident severity at the given facility
- We drew up safety passports for hazardous industrial facilities and had them approved by the regional offices of the Ministry of Emergency Situations
No accidents and incidents were registered at the Company’s HIFs in 2005–2015. We meet all industrial safety requirements in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation.
Fire Safety
In order to comply with the fire safety requirements, the Company operates its facilities in accordance with the federal fire safety laws, Russian fire prevention rules, and internal regulations (such as Directive of PJSC Rosseti No. 6r dated 15.01.15) that set corporate standards in this field. Three process disturbances (fires) occurred at the Company’s facilities in 2015. No fires due to violation of fire safety rules (including those identified by the supervisory authorities) occurred at Federal Grid Company in all these cases.
The number of fires caused by process disturbances at the Company’s facilities did not increase over the past five years because additional measures had been taken to prepare for the danger period. Besides, the Company implemented a corporate programme aimed at raising the fire safety level and improving the quality of fire safety at UNEG facilities in 2011–2017.
Fire Safety Days are held regularly in all units of MES branches and in the Company’s subsidiaries. Based on their results, the Company draws up and implements measures to eliminate the identified irregularities and violations. A branch of MES Western Siberia won the 2015 annual inspection for the best fire protection system at the facilities.
Regular fire drills and trainings are held as part of the fire safety training programme for the Company employees, including trainings together with the firefighting units of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Besides, in 2015 the Company held personnel evacuation trainings in the buildings of its Executive Office and branches. It drew up post-training actions to eliminate irregularities and violations in the work of the fire protection systems in the buildings.