HEALTH AND SAFETY BEYOND THE EMERGENCY

When, on 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic, the Group immediately activated the anti-infection safety protocols required by the governments of the countries in which it operates. All employees were issued with personal protective equipment, production lines and logistics centers were set up in compliance with social distancing, temperature scanners were provided in accordance with the provisions issued by the National Authority and the safety protocol signed by the government with business associations and trade unions.

This approach to caring for the health of the Group's employees was also renewed in 2021 by scrupulously following the guidelines issued by the ministerial decrees.

The Group has identified the improvement of its performance in terms of health and safety in the workplace as an essential requirement within the framework of its company policies and to compete on the market. To ensure that the business develops in keeping with the goal of preventing risks to workplace health and safety, the management has decided to prepare and continue to develop a Workplace Health and Safety Management System compliant with the requirements of the OHSAS 18001:2007 standard.

Within this framework

1. a) the management defines the organization's workplace health and safety principles and guidelines, formalizing them in the document "Group Company Worker Health and Safety, Environment, Quality and Energy Policy";
2. b) the management’s representative is tasked with designing and defining a Workplace Health and Safety Management System consistent with the requirements of the BSOHSAS 18001:2007 standard and for ensuring that the rules are applied and kept in force;
3. c) function heads are responsible for verifying that their areas operate in accordance with the contents of the Manual and the relevant procedures;
4. d) the company health and safety policy is periodically revised to ensure that it is always relevant and appropriate to the nature and scope of the risks to workers' health and safety in the workplace;
5. e) The Workplace Health and Safety Management System Manual and the related procedures are consulted to ensure that the management system is functioning properly and are an expression of workplace health and safety policy as defined by the management. The Manual applies to all activities carried out by the Group, including the site planning and supervision process.

 

The various company organizations therefore drafted a series of documents describing the specific activities that influenced the company’s performance in this area. The adoption of a Management System commits the Group to constant improvement of its performance in this area by:

• identifying all the hazards relating to processes, operational and organizational activities, dangerous substances and preparations used;
• establishing its own health and safety policy and consistent targets and objectives;
• developing programs to achieve these objectives and the most appropriate methods to manage them;
• assessing, for all workers and potentially exposed subjects (self-employed workers, employees of third parties and occasional visitors), the risks associated with these dangers;
• identifying the legal requirements and regulations applicable to the company;
• implementing adequate monitoring, verification and inspection activities;
• regularly reviewing and continuously improving the system;
• establishing appropriate internal and external communication channels.

 

The Group's goal is to spread the general principles of the functioning of the Workplace Health and Safety Management System through:

• dissemination of the Policy at every level of the Organization and to interested parties;
• the definition of goals and milestones documented in programs indicating the means and resources required to achieve them;
• the definition of the responsibilities and the structure of the Management System;
• training and outreach for all personnel, particularly those with duties that may bear on workplace health and safety;
• activation of adequate internal and external communications channels;
• operational oversight of processes and activities associated with worker health and safety risks;
• the preparation for and response to emergencies, through the definition of procedures for preventing and mitigating the impact of potential accidents and emergency situations;
• the supervision and systematic measurement of the main characteristics of the activities and operations that may have an impact on worker health and safety, recording information that can be used to monitor the course of operational and performance oversight;
• the periodic assessment of compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
• the analysis of any accidents and near misses in order to prevent their causes;
• the performance of audits to ensure that it is applied.

Workplace medical services

The Group promotes medical service in the workplace and defines the relationship between the company physician and company personnel in a way that ensures appropriate medical supervision of workers for preventative purposes.

Hazard identification and risk assessment

There is a document within the Organization that lays out the procedure, criteria and methods for identifying dangers and assessing and monitoring workplace safety and health risks in accordance with applicable legislation. This procedure applies to all sectors of Company activity, and in general to all workplaces where Company employees render service.

 

Identification and appointment of the individuals involved in health and safety management:
the document is intended to establish the criteria and procedures for identifying and appointing the individuals tasked with ensuring health and safety of the workplace, as well as informing the parties involved of their responsibilities, in compliance with current legislation.

Management of incidents and accidents Iris Ceramica Group has designed a procedure that is intended:

• to identify, assess and record potential and actual accident events with consequences affecting individuals, property and the environment;
• to define methods and responsibilities for managing accidents, near accidents and injuries;
• to define any improvements to be undertaken in order to reduce the probability of occurrence or severity of the consequences of accidents, near accidents and injuries.

 

Worker participation, consultation and communication regarding environmental safety, health and management

In specific documents, the Group describes the methods of receiving, recording and responding to observations both internally and externally to the company regarding its environmental, energy and workplace health and safety management, and for circulating to the affected individuals the relevant information regarding environmental impact and energy efficiency, together with information regarding the dangers and risks to health and safety posed by its activities, facilities and plants. This documentation is also intended to define the methods of participation and consultation of workers and their representatives with regard to matters relating to workplace health and safety and energy conservation issues. Communication with workers takes place in accordance with the prescriptions of the following documents:

UNI EN ISO 9001 par. 7.4 “Communication”

UNI EN ISO 14001 par. 7.4 “Communication”.

BS OHSAS 18001 par. 4.4.3 “Communication, participation and consultation”.

UNI EN ISO 50001- par. 4.5.3 “Communication”.

Occupational accidents

Employees	M.U.	2019	2020	2021
hours worked	hrs.	1,528,694	1,341,074	1,402,156
TOTAL occupational accidents	no.	24	25	23
of which non-serious	no.	24	25	23
of which fatal	no.	0	0	0