Abengoa’s occupational risk prevention policy abides by the different occupational health and safety regulations in force in the countries in which the company operates, while seeking the integration of occupational risk prevention into company strategy through information and training.
Fulfillment of the objectives set throughout the year within the companies, the integration and participation of workers in the execution of prevention activities, follow-up and control of the system by management, and the advice received by the company in prevention issues ensure implementation at Abengoa of an occupational risk prevention culture that has a significant impact on reducing work-related accidents and illnesses and on the continuous improvement of safety conditions in the workplace.
In accordance with prevention policy and the Common Management Norms, committees on prevention have been set up at all group companies to be responsible for monitoring and control of the system. These committees comprise company management, individuals in charge of each area, and the prevention service technicians.
Work-related accident rates are remarkably low at Abengoa in comparison with data from similar sectors and taking into account the nature of the company’s activities. Thus, the number of accidents in 2010 totaled 26.69 (number of accidents entailing leave for every one thousand workers), and a serious accident rate of 0.28 (number of lost working days for every one thousand working hours).
The following are data from 2010:
By geographical areas, the absentee rate is as follows:
Europe (Spain), 2.21 %; Europe (rest), 5.08 %; Asia, 0.85 %; Latin America, 2.74 %; North America, 0.53 %;Oceania, 7.74 % and Africa, 3.65 %.
The number of work-related accidents leading to authorized medical leave over one day totaled 837, of which 77 occurred during commutes to and from work. These accidents entailed 15,948 lost working days, of which 1,714 are attributed to in itinere accidents.
Three work-related accidents resulting in fatality occurred in 2010, due to cardio-respiratory arrest, falls from an electrical tower and shaft, and chest trauma.Por áreas geográficas, el porcentaje de absentismo es el siguiente:
Involvement and commitment of all employees to ongoing improvement of the prevention system at each Abengoa company continue to constitute the cornerstones to the management system.
In order to verify the safety conditions under which the activities of the work centers and worksites are carried out, visits were conducted to assess occupational health and safety conditions. Based on deficiencies and anomalies observed, the corresponding Troubleshooting Report (TSR) and Improvement Action (IA) systems were generated.
In accordance with defined goals and programs, in 2010 the number of visits made to companies and organizational units totaled 2,387, including audits, inspections, and measurements. Subsequently, depending on the cases of non-conformity detected and the recommendations issued, the corresponding TSR and IA were implemented, totaling around 2,783 TSR and 1,546 IA.
In 2010, Risk Prevention sessions were held in Spain and Brazil for managers. The purpose of these sessions is to raise awareness and disseminate company culture with respect to occupational risk prevention on all levels. For the company, combating work-related stress and preventing other problems that may affect employees as a result of their activity constitutes a priority and source of concern and therefore the company strives to prevent and mitigate these problems through, among other initiatives, training programs and informational talks.
Based on the different pathologies detected among the staff, lectures and information sessions were held on acute respiratory disease, parasitosis, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, HIV among others. In addition, workshops were organized to raise personnel awareness of the consequences that emotional and mental stress brought on by different factors (work, family-related, etc.) can have on their health.
Abengoa’s Common Management Norms establish, as a strategic objective for all companies, the implementation and certification of prevention management models in accordance with the OHSAS 18001:2007 Standard.
At present the number of certified companies is 79 of a total of 116, which represents 84.22 %.
In accordance with the company’s internal norms, companies evaluate compliance by contractors in the area of Occupational Risk Prevention. These internal norms require that suppliers and contractors sign up to Abengoa’s Social Responsibility Code, which expressly specifies occupational health and safety conditions for all employees.
Abengoa’s Human Resource function (GIRH) was awarded the Gold Seal for European Excellence (+500) from the European Foundation for Quality Management, thereby becoming the first company to earn this seal in the human resource area and joining the exclusive group of 35 companies in Spain to have earned this recognition. This international endorsement is awarded by the Club of Excellence in Management to entities and organizations that apply management principles based on quality and excellence as a strategy for ongoing improvement.
GIRH was conceived in 2002 as a product of the trajectory, expertise and experience already in existence at each one of the Human Resource Departments throughout the range of Abengoa companies.
Since its inception, GIRH managers deemed it essential to align the company’s organizational structure with work and task organization, and this led to the adoption of a process-based model to enable fulfillment of the strategic plan. Efforts were also dedicated to standardizing company processes to obtain:
The European Excellence model, moreover, implies a global approach to business management aimed at fully meeting the needs and expectations of all stakeholders in a balanced manner, and increasing the company’s competitiveness in the medium and long term. It also enables individual and integrated assessment to be conducted in order to gain a global overview of the company.
For Abengoa, commitment is the key to achieving excellence in performance and obtaining the best results.
Therefore, the Managerial Intercommunication Program (MIP) was implemented in 2010. The primary objective of this program is to ascertain workers’ perceptions of their professional career and development through questionnaires and interviews. The aim is thus to make the most of participants’ abilities and talents by finding the best place for them within Abengoa. Knowing their concerns, expectations, commitments and motivations contributes to direct and personalized management of their professional careers, and is realized, depending on each case, through the application of individualized solutions and plans.
MIP participants were addressed in a personalized manner by company management, and in some cases through the Human Resource Department. A variety of individual and group action plans were also drawn up.
Campus Abengoa, an online training and management platform, has been consolidated to become the key tool for applying the company’s training model.
Since the initiative was launched in 2007, there has been a remarkable progression in online training. 2009 saw an increase of 57 % with respect to 2008, and this year there was an even higher progression, placing the company above the average of major Spanish companies in this area.
Online instruction focuses primarily on corporate training and risk prevention, two essential underpinnings of the company’s training model.
The company has therefore designed its own major catalog of extensive contents, including, among others, courses on finance, social responsibility, climate change, Common Management Systems, occupational risk prevention, and the use of corporate applications.
Employees highly value being able to manage their own time devoted to training, which has led to very positive overall satisfaction throughout the company.
Communication is a key component of Abengoa’s philosophy. For the company, external communication and internal communication constitute a strategic tool for meeting objectives and in fostering fluid, straightforward and direct dialog with all of its stakeholders.
Effective internal communication can help to involve all employees in fulfilling corporate mission and meeting company objectives, while at the same time fostering integration and cohesion among the entire staff from a professional and personal standpoint.
Noteworthy among the company’s internal communication channels and tools made available to its employees to carry out and promote multidirectional communication are the following:
As a result of the relocation at the end of 2009 to Campus Palmas Altas (CPA), the new Abengoa corporate headquarters in Seville, a specific communication program was launched and implemented over the course of 2010. The aim of the initiative was to provide the 3,000-plus employees who moved to the new facilities information on the new business complex: location, distribution, services, etc.
Worthy of special mention among the initiatives carried out under the communication program are the following:
Each one of the sections offers employees practical CPA information, including the latest news, services available, etc. Thus, through the Sustainable Mobility Office, conceived to promote, implement, manage and coordinate initiatives geared towards achieving more sustainable mobility at CPA, users can check information on company bus service routes and schedules; as well as other sustainable transportation alternatives for commuting to and from work, including bicycle use, carpooling, in addition to further information on efficient driving courses, demonstrations and promotions involving bike and conventional and electric motorcycle sale and rental, etc.
The Food Court section includes information on restaurant service: restaurant hours, weekly menu options, nutritional information on the different food choices, a camera link to see restaurant occupancy rate, recommendations and advice for leading a healthy lifestyle, location and availability of vending machines, etc.
The Daycare section includes useful data and information on the facilities for parents whose children between the ages of three months and three years of age make use of this service: rules of operation, ideology, activities, schedules, installations, etc.
The Notices section also keeps all CPA users up to date on the latest news, changes, etc. related to day-to-day events at corporate headquarters.