NF7 Health and Safety
Management systems
Each non-administrative Sandvik facility employing more than 25 individuals is required to attain external ISO 45001 certification within two years of commencement or acquisition. At the end of 2023, 90 percent of the relevant sites were certified in accordance with ISO 45001 standards.
Health and safety metrics
We utilize a wide range of leading and lagging indicators to assess health and safety performance across all Sandvik locations. Notable metrics include the Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) and Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR), both of which have exhibited positive long-term trends. In 2023, the LTIFR (LTIs per million hours worked) decreased to 1.1 (1.3), and the TRIFR (total number of recordable injuries per million hours worked) decreased to 3.0 (3.1). Hand and finger cuts and pinches were the most common injury types.
Acquisitions continue to exert a negative impact on both TRIFR and LTIFR trends, and we are working actively to bring these numbers down to the same level as more established Sandvik sites. We have implemented various health and safety initiatives, including targeted injury prevention campaigns and safety meetings, with an ongoing commitment to maintaining a strong focus on safety.
Regrettably, a tragic fatality occurred at one of our Australian production units during the year. The investigation into the incident is currently underway and Sandvik is cooperating with local authorities.
|
2022 |
2023 |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Work-related incidents |
Employees |
Non-employees1) |
Total workforce |
Employees |
Non-employees1) |
Total workforce |
||||
Number of fatalities |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
||||
Number of LTI |
90 |
15 |
105 |
88 |
7 |
95 |
||||
LTIFR2) |
1.3 |
1.4 |
1.3 |
1.2 |
0.65 |
1.1 |
||||
Number of TRI |
218 |
30 |
248 |
233 |
31 |
264 |
||||
TRIFR2) |
3.2 |
2.9 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
2.9 |
3.0 |
||||
Exposure hours, hazards and near misses |
|
|
|
|||||||
Million exposure hours |
69.2 |
10.4 |
79.6 |
76.1 |
10.8 |
86.9 |
||||
Hazards reported |
– |
– |
64,266 |
– |
– |
71,039 |
||||
Hazards closed out |
– |
– |
60,650 |
– |
– |
67,618 |
||||
Hazard close out ratio (%) |
– |
– |
94.4 |
– |
– |
95 |
||||
Near misses reported |
– |
– |
3,845 |
– |
– |
3,912 |
||||
NMFR |
– |
– |
48 |
– |
– |
45 |
||||
|
||||||||||
Training
We strive to equip every employee with the necessary skills, knowledge, and competencies to execute their tasks safely, thereby reducing the risk of occupational injury, illness, and environmental harm. In each Sandvik location, we identify and document the fundamental qualifications and competencies required for each occupation, conducting training needs analyses. Attendance at crucial training sessions is mandatory, and records of attendance are maintained.
Occupational health and well-being
Sandvik offers health and well-being programs to its employees across all locations. These initiatives cover a diverse range of topics, including work/life balance, healthy eating, and stress management.
Occupational risk management
All Sandvik locations are required to incorporate occupational health risks, such as exposure to noise, dust, fumes, and other hazardous materials, in their location risk assessments as an integral part of their EHS Management Systems.
We consistently strive to substitute hazardous materials in our production with less harmful alternatives. Where replacement is not feasible, we actively minimize the use of hazardous materials. We invest in new equipment and refining processes to diminish employee exposure to hazards, including noise, dust, and gases. Our products and solutions are thoughtfully designed with a focus on enhancing operators' health and safety, reducing their exposure to chemical hazards.
For example, our battery-driven underground mining equipment plays a crucial role in mitigating potential health impacts from diesel particulate matter and other engine emissions.
TRIFR by business area
LTIFR by business area
TRIFR and LTIFR, Group
§ Reporting principles
Health and safety data is sourced from our EHS reporting system, providing a comprehensive array of EHS performance indicators on a monthly basis. The key figures compiled are based on information available at the date of the most recent year-end accounts, which may require that historical figures are adjusted. All EHS data refers to continuing operations. Acquisitions are included in the actual data set once they are merged with Sandvik and start reporting EHS data.
An LTI (Lost Time Injury) refers to an incident resulting in a full shift away from work. An RWI (Restricted Work Injury) involves an injury where an individual can be at work but cannot perform all of their regular duties. An MTI (Medical Treatment Injury) is an injury requiring medical treatment but allowing the individual to perform all of their usual work tasks. Worked hours are defined as exposure hours, encompassing all hours exposed to risk by employees, contractors, and subcontractors. These exposure hours are collected and entered into the EHS database on a monthly basis.
Incidents categorized as “high-consequence injury/illness” in GRI reports are integrated into our data for Lost Time Injuries. In 2023, we recorded one (1) incident meeting the criteria for a six-month absence. Our approach to mitigate these low frequency/high severity injuries/illnesses is a key part of our management system and is handled within the processes for serious potential incident management including, for example, in our work with critical controls.
Information on occupational illnesses and frequency rates is an integral part of our EHS reporting processes. Capturing illness data can be challenging, often surrounded by regulatory obligations, particularly concerning worker privacy. Complicating matters is the fact that occupational illnesses may not be detected until some time after exposure, and there may be non-work-related factors contributing to the illness, making it challenging to recognize as work-related. This uncertainty increases the complexity of handling illness data.
Occupational illness is defined as physical or mental harm or disease that develops over time during the course of work, not resulting from a single instantaneous event. Determining an illness as work-related is a complex process.