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Injuries Down in ArcelorMittal Companies
Feb. 15, 2010 In 2009, the total number of injuries with lost work days in ArcelorMittal Ostrava was nine, compared with a previous 21 injuries.
“Safety work and health protection is one of our priorities, and we adopted mainly a preventive approach,” said Safety Director Jiří Michálek. In the previous year, the company also invested in new reflective safety coatings in the risky areas and on the engines, in highlighting and lighting of zebra crossings, and in safety facilities on crane races.
The trend is similar in ArcelorMittal Ostrava subsidiary companies. The rolling mills of ArcelorMittal Frýdek-Místek reported no injury with lost work days last year.
“Concerning injury rate, this is the best result in the entire history of the company,” said Petr Jemelka, Head of the Safety Department. The number of injuries with lost work days has dropped year-to-year—injuries with lost work days has been reduced from 29, to 12, and now to zero.
ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Ostrava (former Tube Rolling Plant) reached the same result: In 2005 the total number of injuries with lost work days was 12, in 2008 it was four, and in 2009 zero.
ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Karviná (former Jäkl Karviná) reported 17 injuries with lost work days in 2006, two in 2008, and last year just one.
“We try to concentrate…our efforts in the area of prevention, to draw attention of our employees to safety issues. We consider ideas of our employees very precious,” said Michálek. The company also utilizes good practices from other companies of the international Group.
ArcelorMittal Ostrava a.s., the largest steel company in the Czech Republic, has an annual capacity of 3 million tonnes. Approximately 50% of the production is exported to 80 countries of the world. The company headcount is 5970 and together with its subsidiary companies, 7300 employees. The biggest shareholders of the company are ArcelorMittal Holdings A. G. (82,548% of shares) and Harvton Investment Ltd. (13,881% of shares). In fiscal year 2008, the consolidated profit of the company after taxation was CZK 6.077 billion, with the total revenues CZK 50.5 billion.