The Group views the health and safety of its employees as well as the residents living in local communities as a fundamental core value of its operations. The strategic choice of Sustainable Development in the corporate governance the Group exercises is summed up in its safe and accident-free, economically viable operation, which respects both the environment and society.

Occupational Risk Management

The Group applies a precautionary approach in the field of occupational risk management so that potential health and safety risks can be anticipated and as a result, controlled.

Specifically, potential risks are identified and consequently controlled according to the criteria set forth by Greek legislation (Law 3850/2010) as well as European and international codes and good practices. Occupational risk assessment studies were conducted and are available in all of the Group’s facilities, and include measures that need to be taken to eliminate or control hazards - thereby keeping them at low and acceptable levels.

The studies are developed by taking employees’ opinions and viewpoints into account.

Employees fill out questionnaires concerning the nature of their work as well as the environment that they work in. These studies are revised whenever working environment changes or at least every five years.

These revisions are communicated to all Group’s personnel so that each and every employee is aware of the risks that he/she may face as well as the required actions that need to be taken in order to eliminate or minimize them.

During the planning of corrective safety actions, immediate priority is given to those considered most critical, as classified according to their ranking in the Risk Assessment Matrix.

Occupational Health

Ensuring employee health is an integral part of the company's policy and the Health Surveillance Process. Thus employees undergo periodic medical examinations which take their job description, age group and gender into account.

Employees’ health surveillance is supplemented with additional tests conducted by occupational physicians.

Occupational Safety

In 2016, approximately €9 million were invested in safety improvements in the Group’s facilities located in Greece and abroad. These fixed investments do not include the supply of personal protective equipment, the supply and maintenance of instruments and safety equipment, and the supply of firefighting materials and other consumables.

Group safety investments 

Group’s Safety Achievements

With the objective of further raising employee awareness concerning accident prevention and the safe operation of the facilities, the implementation of the Rewarding Safety Performance Policy continued for teams of employees who achieved pre-set working hours without lost workday injuries.

20% reduction in accidents compared to 2015.

In 2016, the following goals were achieved:

•    EKO - 2,000,000 hours without any lost workday injuries

•    DIAXON – 900,500 hours without any lost workday injuries

Holistic Safety Management

With the aim of continuously improving performance and achieving excellence in regards to Safety, HELLENIC PETROLEUM started in 2015 the development of a Holistic Safety Management program in the Group’s industrial facilities, that is based on the standards of other large international groups of the oil & gas industry . The philosophy of the Holistic Safety Management is based on managing safety in an organized and structured manner that systemizes the implementation of necessary procedures.

Holistic Safety Management consists of 21 Pillar-Systems that cover every aspect of the industrial facilities’ operation.

To achieve excellence in Safety, each Pillar-System contains the description of the requirements that must be met, the roles and responsibilities for their implementation, and the methodology for evaluating and measuring performance.

During 2016, interactive workshops (lasting 1-2 days each) were conducted by an experienced Safety Advisor on “Safety Leadership”. In total, 250 executives from the three refineries (managers, heads of departments, supervisors, moderators, and engineers) attended.