Management approach

GRI 403-1, GRI Sector disclosure LA6 OHS

At 50Hertz, protecting the health and safety of employees is the highest priority, as is underscored by the guideline on occupational health and safety, which is binding for all employees.  In the reporting year, the occupational health and safety management system pursuant to DIN ISO 45001:2018 was confirmed in a surveillance audit without any exceptions. As part of an annual internal audit plan, 10 audits were performed to continuously enhance the management system. Issues relating to occupational health and safety are an integral part of the weekly management meetings.

Every employee is instructed on how to be conscious of hazards, report them immediately and submit suggestions for promoting safe and healthy working conditions. Occupational health and safety was once again one of the key initiatives in 50Hertz’s business plan in the fiscal year, and is also part of Elia Group’s sustainability programme "Act Now".

The campaign "gib8" (pay attention) was extended by additional elements in order to raise 50Hertz employees’ and suppliers’ awareness of issues relating to occupational health and safety. In 2020, this resulted in two special introduction packages comprising audio-visual material and booklets used as support for the induction of both internal and external employees in specific onshore and offshore working environments. In the reporting year, the team responsible for the offshore rescue of persons in distress at sea was trained in a special safety session. Both the rescue chain and the personal protective equipment (PPE) proved to be effective in the process. The PPE worn by employees is always kept up to date, new PPE is wear-tested and the catalogue is adapted in line with the respective requirements.

We also conduct an annual occupational health and safety competition to further raise the awareness of and motivate our staff. On the one hand, the number of prior-year accidents for each location is taken into consideration and on the other, knowledge on occupational health and safety is tested and deepened in a practical section that differs every year. In the reporting year, the companies of Elia Group joined the EU initiative "Vision Zero" for the promotion of occupational health and safety in order to actively promote benchmarking and peer learning

The early recognition and prevention of work-related illnesses as well as maintaining the employability of staff are also integral components of occupational health and safety at 50Hertz. To achieve these goals, 50Hertz provides appropriate occupational medical care, which primarily focuses on personal protection and prevention of health risks. In addition, 50Hertz regularly provides all of its employees with occupational medical consultations, vaccinations and advice on ergonomics in the workplace. A qualified and confidential external consultation is made available at all times in the event of personal stress, conflicts or addiction issues. Employees can also participate in various public sports events. As an additional offering to promote healthy living, an app has been available to employees since June 2020, which comprises a wide range of personalised coaching sessions from the fields of exercise, mindfulness and nutrition – from workouts and physio modules through to meditation and recipes. The activation rate of the health app currently stands at more than 40%.

Safety toolkit with group-wide safety standards "We are all safety Leaders"

The Elia Group wants to play a pioneering role in the European energy transition and also be a leader in occupational safety. Therefore, safety is always a top priority. It is our common goal that all our employees and contractors return home safe and healthy every day. That's why we continuously invest in the safety of our plants and working methods as well as in our safety culture. With our initiatives 'Go for Zero' in Belgium and 'gib8' in Germany, we have already been on the right track for a long time. Now we are going one step further with the Elia Group Safety Toolkit.