Safe at work

The masses, dimensions, temperatures, forces and outputs our employees have to deal with are enormous. This means that the slightest error could be fatal. So are people here constantly walking around terrified? Not at all.

At ArcelorMittal Gent, we give our people thorough training before they can actually start their job.


Safety introduction for new colleagues

Someone who is taken on at ArcelorMittal Gent first receives a comprehensive course on safety: two days in the safety department, then in the department where the newcomer will be working. The first thing he learns, is that wearing a safety helmet, safety goggles and shoes is a general obligation at ArcelorMittal Gent. That is the most visible aspect of our constant concern for safety. Apart from this, a whole range of more job-specific items are discussed, like in the fall protection course. Ultimately, we expect that working safely becomes an ingrained reflex. That is why we made the safety film  "Reflexes".



Fall protection course for newcomers


Moreover, we have a so-called “buddying” system. During his or her first year, every new employee is assigned a buddy. Not only does this buddy make the newcomer familiar with the day-to-day business, but he also points out the hazards that are characteristic of the newcomer’s job and makes sure he or she does not take any safety risks. This coaching programme fits in with our principle of “shared vigilance”, which means that employees pay attention not only to their own safety, but also to that of their colleagues.

Via safety sessions and safety discussions, all our employees are continuously reminded of the importance of safety. During these short and regular moments of training, the most diverse safety themes are discussed, from order and tidiness to first aid.

The safety department also offers several other courses, which focus on specific jobs and tasks. Every employee has the possibility to enrol for additional courses.

At ArcelorMittal Gent, we do not only work on safety as one large enterprise: every department also works individually on the safety awareness of its employees. Sections and even departments that have been working for years without any accidents occurring are a clear proof that this multilateral approach is the right option.

An accident with lost working time is an accident which causes you to stay at home for at least 1 entire day, not including the day of the accident itself.



Sid and Marc

Because safety must always be top of mind, we have launched an eye-catching campaign showing cartoons on company vehicles. The two main characters, Sid and Marc, refer to our previous name, Sidmar, and illustrate a number of basic safety principles. This campaign has also caught the group’s attention and is being launched in other ArcelorMittal companies as well


What does ArcelorMittal Gent expect from contractors?

Every new contractor is obliged to study the specific ArcelorMittal Gent safety regulations via e-learning. He receives his access badge only after having passed a test that examines whether he has fully understood all of these regulations.



The most recent safety figures show that the safety performances of external companies carrying out work at ArcelorMittal Gent have dropped to almost the same level as those of ArcelorMittal Gent’s internal employees.

Tremendous efforts and results do not go by unrewarded. On 26 February 2008, we issued our third safety award to the best performing contractor in terms of safety in the previous year. This time, the award went to the company GIEC nv.

Every year ArcelorMittal Gent also presents the best haulier with a safety certificate. In 2007, this was the company Transport Marcel Depaire NV, which scored best with regard to wearing personal protection equipment and securing cargo.

The frequency figure F is the number of accidents resulting in lost working time per million working hours. All Belgian companies with more than 50 employees are obliged to publish this figure each year.



What are the results?

The number of accidents at ArcelorMittal Gent is steadily falling.

With a frequency figure of 1.53 ArcelorMittal Gent’s result is over 10 times better than the Belgian average.




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