Safety and health
Employee safety and health is fundamental to sustainability. The steel industry is committed to the goal of an injury-free, illness-free and healthy workplace and believes that all injuries and work-related illness can and must be prevented.
One of the measures we use to track our safety performance is the lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR). A lost time injury is defined as any work-related injury that results in the company employee or third-party contractor employee not being able to return to work the next scheduled work day. Returning to work with work restrictions does not constitute a lost time injury, no matter how minimal or severe the restrictions. The LTIFR shows the total number of lost time injuries per million hours worked. This metric is measured for company employees, contractor employees and combined workforce.
In 2010, 90 steel-producing companies, accounting for approximately 42% of global production, reported data. This was an improvement over 2009, for which 64 steel-producing companies, accounting for approximately 36% of global steel production, reported data.
worldsteel member companies are committed to eliminating accidents and injuries from the industry and significant improvements have been achieved over recent years. A graph showing the LTIFR from 2004 to 2010 is shown in the safety and health section of this website: click here.
worldsteel safety and health policy and initiatives
worldsteel member companies are committed to promoting and sharing best practice safety and health policy throughout the industry. Collaboration between organisations makes the entire industry a safer and healthier place to work.
worldsteel supports its member companies to achieve an accident-free workplace. The industry handbook, Accident-free steel, is available from the online bookshop for free. Other free publications are the guidance booklet for the worldsteel safety and health principles, and a poster that shows the six principles.
To learn more about worldsteel’s policy and initiatives in safety and health, use the link in the right column.
Member company safety and health initiatives
Some member companies have gone without any lost-time injuries for a considerable period. These companies know that such performance requires excellence in all aspects of their operations. This excellence also leads to better business performance.
The most successful steel companies are also the safest. Case studies highlighting some of our member’s safety and health initiatives are available from the links below.
