Accidents must be avoided
There are no shortcuts to our vision of an accident-free workplace: rather, what is required is a systematic and ongoing programme of risk assessments, action plans and improved procedures. The rest is about the attitude of individuals and their behaviour – about each person taking individual responsibility and the time to think twice, and actively following procedures.
All of Boliden's mines and smelters have procedures for risk analyses, deviation reporting and health and safety inspections, all of which help us put in place efficient accident-prevention measures. We invest in safer machines and equipment, but we also work with management systems in accordance with the OHSAS 18001 occupational health standard.
A look back over the last few years shows that, in general terms, the trend is moving in the right direction, both within Boliden and within the mining and smelting industry as a whole. In 2005, the accident frequency within the Swedish mining industry was 13.8 accidents per one million hours worked (LTI)*. The figure for 2011 is 7.7 accidents per million hours. The corresponding figures for the Boliden Group are 11.9 in 2005 and 4.9 in 2011.
*) Source: SveMin