New ArcelorMittal Ostrava Workers Don Orange Hardhats for Safety
08/19/2008 - ArcelorMittal Ostrava introduces a new safety measure that will allow quick and easy identification of new employees, who will be wearing orange helmets.
New orange helmets have begun to appear among the thousands of conventional blue and white helmets worn by workers at various operations of ArcelorMittal Ostrava.
The company intends for the new helmets to serve as a useful safety measure by allowing the quick and easy identification of new employees, who will be wearing orange helmets. “This differentiating element is a signal for other workers that the person is not very experienced and may endanger himself or others,” explained Sanjay Samaddar, Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Official Czech statistics show that more than 30% of industrial accidents happen to employees who have performed their jobs for less than one year. The figures are even more alarming for those whose working experience is shorter than three months. “This phenomenon has been examined by the company’s Safety Leadership Group, whose members are Senior Management representatives and Trade Union leaders,” said Samaddar, who is the head of the Safety Leadership Group.
“The Safety Leadership Group do not take measures just on paper, but take genuine actions that will lead to safety improvement. One of such actions is the orange helmets, by which we would like to distinguish less-experienced workers,” he added.
Orange helmets are a suitable differentiating element. “They are well noticeable among other helmets. It is good that workers will know at first sight that there is a new person at their workplace, who needs to be paid close attention to,” said Leopold Laskovský on behalf of the Trade Union.
The company will require all seasonal and temporary staff as well as all new employees to wear the orange helmets. After six months, the new employee’s foreman is to decide whether the employee can be provided with a regular helmet. The foreman can require a new employee to wear the orange helmet for up to one year.
“It is no shame being inexperienced. Experienced workers are very proactive in sharing their experience and knowledge,” said Samaddar.
Samaddar himself wears the orange helmet when visiting the shop floor, because he only joined ArcelorMittal Ostrava approximately five months ago. He wears the orange helmet in spite of having several years´ experience working with other units of the ArcelorMittal Group. “Consistency is a must when new rules are being introduced. If the rules are to be adhered to by the company employees, they have to be obligatory for the Management as well,” explained the Chairman.
Samaddar himself wears the orange helmet when visiting the shop floor, because he only joined ArcelorMittal Ostrava approximately five months ago. He wears the orange helmet in spite of having several years´ experience working with other units of the ArcelorMittal Group. “Consistency is a must when new rules are being introduced. If the rules are to be adhered to by the company employees, they have to be obligatory for the Management as well,” explained the Chairman.
ArcelorMittal Ostrava has continued to significantly reduce the number of accidents at its plants, year after year. In 2007, with seven-and-half thousand employees, the company reported only 25 lost-time accidents, which was less than half the amount reported in 2006. The 54 lost-time accidents reported in 2006 also marked a 50% reduction from the previous year’s 104 accidents.
This May, both ArcelorMittal Ostrava and its subsidiary ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Ostrava were among the 13 companies which were awarded the Safe Company certificate by the representatives of the Government Office for Labour Inspection and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Last September, ArcelorMittal Ostrava was awarded five stars for safety (the highest possible score) by international company IRCA Global.
This May, both ArcelorMittal Ostrava and its subsidiary ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Ostrava were among the 13 companies which were awarded the Safe Company certificate by the representatives of the Government Office for Labour Inspection and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Last September, ArcelorMittal Ostrava was awarded five stars for safety (the highest possible score) by international company IRCA Global.
ArcelorMittal Ostrava as is the largest steel company in the Czech Republic and a part of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel group. The company produces more than 3 million tonnes of steel annually and exports approximately 60% of its production to more than 80 countries all over the world. The company has 7450 employees; the total number of employees including the subsidiaries is 10,300. Its major shareholders are MITTAL STEEL HOLDINGS AG (71.579%); Havrton Investment Ltd. (13.881%); and the Ministry of Finance (10.969%).
In the accounting year of 2007 (which ended on February 28, 2008), the company generated a consolidated profit (after taxation) of CZK 9.2 billion. Total revenues were CZK 57.7 billion. ArcelorMittal Ostrava is one of the biggest tax payers in the Czech Republic.
