Safety walks and HSSE awareness raising campaigns targeting both employees and value chain workers are conducted on an ongoing basis to ensure safety is embedded within our corporate culture. Greater focus is placed on improving the HSSE walks by encouraging open dialogue while they are in progress. This promotes understanding of the challenges in the operating fields and increases trust between the workforce and management. Feedback is fed into the HSSE plans (at local level and at Group level) and monitored in our HSSE reporting tool. Practical Life-Saving Rules (LSRs) training will be continued and delivered systematically in the Safety Centers, some of which were refurbished and some of which were newly built in 2024, for which the training concept and material have been fully reviewed and updated.
The LSRs are discussed with employees and value chain workers (e.g., contractors at our facilities) on an ongoing basis during awareness programs, workshops, management walk-arounds, safety walks, and during various team meetings. We believe psychological safety, promoting open dialogue, and establishing a culture in which health and safety are integrated into every employee’s role are effective ways to empower people to work safely. Workers are engaged in initiating, implementing, evaluating, and improving health and safety programs. They work closely with their managers to find joint solutions to common problems, which helps managers pinpoint issues while motivating and encouraging workers to improve their own safety. Activities to promote safety are a constant focus in our organization, with concrete actions implemented on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. These initiatives are designed to ensure the ongoing safety of all employees and foster a culture of safety awareness and proactive risk management across the organization.
Engagement activities related to HSSE topics occur at multiple levels across the OMV Group. At the corporate level, these include the development of an annual Group HSSE plan, the communication and alignment of Points of Contact (PoC) across Safety Centers, support for HSSE systems within the organization, and the implementation of a Group-wide communication strategy. Additionally, corporate initiatives encompass HSSE campaigns and events such as HSSE Manager Days and the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. At the local level, engagement activities feature regular meetings and HSSE days, ensuring that information is integrated into both local and Group HSSE plans and internal communication campaigns. OMV allocates substantial financial and human resources to health and safety activities. This includes funding allocated for engagement activities such HSSE campaigns, HSSE walks, training programs and workshops, as well as dedicated health and safety personnel.
The effectiveness of our health and safety engagement is assessed through feedback from participants, including both employees and contractors, as well as through annual internal audits. When negative feedback is received or safety walks identify unsafe practices, the root cause is investigated and reported. Internal audits are conducted to ensure our safety measures and protocols comply with our internal guidelines. Improvement ideas identified are then incorporated into the annual HSSE plans. In addition, to ensure effective health and safety management, our performance metrics and progress toward our targets are tracked monthly and reported annually.