Safety first and foremost

We aim for an accident-free working environment

Viru Keemia Grupp place the safety of its employees and subcontractors and the minimisation of the environmental impact first and foremost. We are committed to creating a working environment where no serious work accidents happen.

Process safety and occupational safety is ensured in all the Group’s companies through a systemic approach and efficient cooperation. The life and health of every employee is our priority.

In order to ensure occupational safety, we adhere to strict occupational safety requirements which we regularly check by way of workplace inspections and issuing work order permits. We believe that achieving the goal of zero work accidents is possible through carefully planned and systemic improvement of working conditions and occupational safety.

We also improve risk management in processes, invest in innovative technologies, increase the reliability of our equipment and promote safety culture.

In order to achieve the Group’s target of providing an accident-free working environment, each manager has made personal commitments to improve safety in production. These commitments are reflected in the performance indicators established for managers, thus helping to ensure that safety is always first and foremost.

The main objectives formulated in the safety policy are the following:

Reduction of production injuries, occupational diseases, accidents and adverse environmental effects: by reducing the occurrence of work accidents and occupational diseases, our aim is to ensure that all the employees can work in a safe and healthy environment.
Organisation of safe production through comprehensive analytics and the management and minimisation of production risks: we apply thorough analysis and risk management to ensure safe production and prevent accidents.
Implementation of the best possible practices: we apply the best area-specific practices in order to constantly move forward and help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Keeping our eyes on clear objectives and systemically engaging all the interested parties in our activities, we use our best efforts to ensure increasingly better results.

The Group’s priorities in the area of safety

Our main priorities in occupational safety and safety culture are:

The management’s commitment to occupational safety
The management’s active participation and commitment in ensuring safety at all levels. The management always places safety first and foremost, creating and promoting safety culture in the entire organisation. The management’s commitment is expressed in regular safety visits, participation in safety training and constant communication with the employees in order to ensure the fulfilment of safety requirements.
The employees’ awareness and consistent safety culture at every level
The promotion of high awareness and safety culture among all the employees. We constantly offer training and instructions in order to increase the employees’ awareness of safety requirements and best practices. Each employee is responsible for their own safety and the safety of their colleagues, which creates a strong and uniform safety culture.
Ensuring the reliability and safety of production processes
The integration of safety into all the production processes. We use the best available technologies and practices to ensure the reliability and safety of production processes. Regular maintenance and inspections help prevent faults and reduce the risk of accidents.
Secure and safe working conditions
The constant improvement of working conditions to ensure safety and security. We create and maintain workplaces that meet the strictest safety requirements. We constantly monitor working conditions and apply improvements in order to reduce risks and ensure a safe working environment.
The constant improvement of the injury prevention system
The constant improvement of the injury and work accident prevention systems. We develop and apply efficient prevention measures to reduce the number of work accidents and injuries. We use the results of the analyses of accidents to improve the existing systems and prevent possible accidents in the future.

Absence of fatalities caused by work accidents
The prevention of fatalities caused by work accidents both in the Group and among contractors. We are committed to our workplaces being completely safe and to preventing any fatalities. We use the best practices and make our best efforts to ensure the safety of our employees.
Absence of large-scale accidents
The prevention of large-scale accidents in all our activities. We constantly focus on risk management and take measures to prevent large-scale accidents. If an emergency arises, we are ready to respond promptly and efficiently.
A risk-oriented approach
The implementation of a risk-based approach in ensuring work protection and production safety. We systematically assess and manage risks in order to ensure safety in all our activities. We apply risk analyses and risk management measures to reduce threats and create a safe working environment.
Systemic cooperation with contractors
The establishment of efficient cooperation with contractors in safety-related matters. We closely cooperate with contractors in order to ensure their compliance with our safety standards. We instruct and support our contractors so that they adhere to our safety requirements and best practices.
The application of the principle of consecutive procedures
Every subsequent activity is shaped on the basis of the results of the previous procedure. We apply a constant improvement cycle where every activity is based on the analysis and results of the preceding activities. This approach ensures that our safety measures are always up-to-date and efficient.

The Group’s safety policy document was approved in March 2023. The policy covers all the important safety principles with which all the Group’s employees have to comply regardless of their position.

The main aim of the Safety Policy is to ensure a safe and fault-free working environment where no accidents happen. Ensuring a safe and healthy working environment for employees is of primary importance, as this in turn ensures the achievement of the desired objectives in all the areas of activity.

The document consists of 11 chapters. The Safety Policy describes the main terms and definitions used therein, defines the terms of liability, fault and zero tolerance and the structure of safety management. It also presents the principles of risk management, conducting instruction and training, performing works and inspecting the working environment. A special emphasis is on the investigation of incidents.

In order to facilitate and support the creation and implementation of a safety management system aim at risk prevention, the Group has established the following positions and roles: the Group’s safety manager, the subsidiary’s safety manager, working environment specialist (in subsidiaries), working environment representative, working environment council member, occupational safety mentors.

Pursuant to the Safety Policy, everyone is personally responsible for their safety and for their activities not endangering others. Every employee must also immediately report all the accidents that have happened to him or her as well as all dangerous situations which may end in an accident involving him or her or his or her colleagues.

The Group’s Safety Policy is available here

A programme for improving the efficiency of the level of occupational safety

Our programme for improving occupational safety and the conditions of the working environment and for preventing and eliminating extraordinary situations includes the following activities.

Preventing accidents and injuries
Taking systemic measures to prevent accidents and injuries is a central part of our occupational safety programme. We conduct regular risk and safety audits in order to identify potential sources of danger. In the case of all the identified risks, we apply preventive measures which include technological solutions and making changes to work processes. We also constantly inform and train employees in order to increase awareness of safety requirements and best practices.
Implementing an occupational safety culture
The promotion of a safety culture in the entire organisation is of critical importance in achieving our objectives. Our employees regularly participate in safety training and exercises which contribute to ingraining safe conduct in everyday work. The management sets an example by adhering to and promoting high safety standards, thereby creating a positive and inclusive safety culture.
Ensuring protective equipment for employees
We supply all the employees with the necessary protective equipment which meets the highest safety standards. Protective equipment includes personal protective equipment such as helmets, protective glasses, earplugs, gloves and protective clothing. We constantly monitor the condition of the protective equipment and ensure their timely replacement. We also organise regular training to ensure that the employees know how to correctly use and maintain the protective equipment.

Exercises and instructions
Regular exercises and instructions are important in order to ensure our employees’ readiness for extraordinary situations. We organise both theoretical and practical exercises which cover various safety situations and extraordinary incidents. Exercises help employees to obtain the skills and knowledge necessary for responding promptly and efficiently in crisis situations. We also hold regular instructions where the employees receive additional information and instruction on occupational safety and environmental protection.
Preventing occupational diseases
Preventive measures to avoid occupational diseases are an important part of our programme. We perform regular health checks and assessments of health risks in order to identify potential threats of occupational diseases. We also apply ergonomic workplace solutions and improve working conditions to reduce risks to the health of the employees.

For several years now, the Group is applying the following measures that promote safety culture:

Safety visits
Conducting safety visits with the participation of line managers is an important part of our safety culture. These visits allow the managers to directly communicate with the employees at workplaces, identify possible sources of danger and provide immediate advice on their elimination. Through regular safety visits, we can ensure that all the work processes meet the applicable safety standards and requirements.
Safety and Health Month
The annual Safety and Health Month includes various safety-related activities and events, including the organisation of safety days. The aim of these events is to increase the employees’ awareness of safety requirements, share the best practices and offer practical training. The safety days are focused on specific topics, such as occupational safety, health protection and risk management, offering the employees valuable knowledge and skills.
Registering dangerous situations
We have implemented a system which allows our employees to simply and promptly register dangerous situations.

Joint exercises with the Rescue Board
In cooperation with the Rescue Board, we organise regular joint exercises to prepare our employees for various emergency situations. These exercises cover realistic scenarios and practical exercises which help the employees to learn to effectively respond in extraordinary situations. The joint exercises strengthen our cooperation with the Rescue Board and ensure that our safety protocols are up to date and efficient.
Töötajate kaitsevahendite tagamine
Varustame kõik töötajad vajalike kaitsevahenditega, mis vastavad kõrgeimatele ohutusstandarditele. Kaitsevahendite hulka kuuluvad isikukaitsevahendid nagu kiivrid, kaitseprillid, kõrvatropid, kindad ja kaitseriietus. Me jälgime pidevalt kaitsevahendite seisukorda ja tagame nende õigeaegse uuendamise. Lisaks korraldame regulaarselt koolitusi, et töötajad teaksid, kuidas kaitsevahendeid õigesti kasutada ja hooldada.

Occupational safety exercises

We apply all kinds of precautions to prevent any accidents, even theoretical. We pay the greatest attention to preventive measures and training employees in how to act in an emergency. Every year, the Group holds events the aim of which is to increase the employees’ awareness of production, fire and occupational safety, to finish the respective skills and improve the quality of training in this area.

The main events include the following:

training, preparation and further qualification of employees in the form of classroom and distance learning;
updating production safety and work protection training and control programmes;
implementing a special training system for employees operating dangerous sites;
supporting the promotion of safety culture.

Emergency exercises take place once in a quarter and in every shift. We have established close and consistent cooperation with the Rescue Board, which helps ensure the necessary actions in the case of a large-scale accident and reduce the consequences of the accident. We also hold regular joint (fire) exercises with the Rescue Board, aimed at increasing the employees’ awareness and promoting occupational safety culture. We also practice the movement of information and cooperation between various parties and test the functioning of chains of command. The exercises help us to discover all the bottlenecks and make the necessary adjustments.

The Group uses electronic and video instruction for both its own employees and the employees of subcontractors.

An exercise that put theory to the test

In March 2022, joint fire exercise of VKG Oil and the Rescue Board was held with the main aim of testing the company’s readiness in accordance with the emergency response plan and practice the actions of the employees in the case of a large-scale accident. We also wanted to practice the movement of information, the functioning of chains of command, and cooperation with various parties.

According to the legend, column K-2 of the generator oil distillation equipment depressurised, as a result of which the product started leaking. One of the operators tried to eliminate the leak, but the product self-ignited. The operator fell into the fire and two colleagues rushed to his aid, trying to save him from the fire.

The exercise started with the fire, of which the Emergency Response Centre was immediately informed. Rescue and ambulance crews were sent to the scene of the accident. The joint exercise included saving casualties, extinguishing burning liquid with foam, protecting endangered objects, and testing the designated water supply. The exercise involved professional rescue workers from the Kohtla-Järve and Jõhvi rescue crews and volunteer rescue workers from the Purtse and Mäetaguse volunteer rescue crews.

Not everything worked as smoothly as could have been hoped, but this is a great advantage of exercises. An exercise is not aimed at putting on an ideal performance, but at identifying all the bottlenecks and making the respective adjustments. Every exercise helps put theoretical knowledge to the test also in practice. It is clear that such cooperation allows us to act smoothly and surely in the case of an actual alarm. This way, we can be best prepared for any situation.

According to the Rescue Board, training exercises like this one are extremely important for both the company and the rescue workers. It is a very important experience which helps us to coordinate activities in the case of an actual accident and work together as a team. An exercise also provides an opportunity to get familiar with the industrial territory, the location of equipment and different access roads, which ensures better and more efficient preparedness for managing a large-scale accident, if one should happen.

After the exercise ended, the parties exchanged thoughts, shared their observations and drew interim conclusions. The joint exercise will be concluded only after a thorough analysis of the activities of all the parties. In conclusion, it can be surely said that it was a valuable experience and I think such exercises could take place regularly,” Leino Vaigla said, summarising the results.

Ksenia Moskvina

VKG safety manager

Cooperation with the trade union in the area of occupational safety

The trade union organisation operating in the Group also actively participates in occupational safety matters.

As a partner of the Group, the Trade Union of Chemists is involved in various processes, such as complying with safety requirements, preventing injuries and occupational diseases, ensuring personal and collective protective equipment, informing the employees of occupational safety, and other ways of implementing an occupational safety culture.

Cooperation with local communities

VKG is a large production facility that creates a lot of jobs for the local residents. As at the end of the reporting year, approximately 1,600 employees were employed in the oil shale extraction and processing segment, mainly local residents. Our oil shale processing facilities are located within city limits and therefore the safety of the population and the employees is our priority. We apply process safety and occupational safety programmes, striving to minimise the risk of production accidents. We assign the improvement of occupational safety culture an important role in this process.

Cooperation with subcontractors

The Group has established uniform requirements for employees and subcontractors performing works at the Group’s sites or in the interests of VKG in the area of production safety, occupational safety and environmental protection. These requirements include the obligation to plan and perform activities in accordance with the applicable legal acts and the standards of international law. While carrying out projects, all the parties also have to prevent any adverse effects on nature, including the plant and animal kingdom.

The respective mandatory terms and conditions have been included in the contracts for works and services concluded with subcontractors. In addition, we constantly instruct subcontractors and regularly communicate with them to ensure the fulfilment of the uniform requirements.

Specialists conduct exercises and explanatory instructions for the employees working at the Group’s sites, covering the use of personal protective equipment, the safe use of means of transport, environmental protection, and other requirements established by normative acts. Our aim is to ensure that all the employees and subcontractors are well informed and ready to comply with all the safety and environmental requirements.

Mental health

Viru Keemia Grupp values the mental health of its employees and is committed to ensuring their wellbeing. As an employer, we offer free of charge and anonymous psychologist services to our employees in order to support them in coping with mental health challenges. These services were launched in the summer of 2020, after the assessment of psychosocial risk factors conducted in 2019.

By now, we can say that on the one hand, it is good that these services are not used on a massive scaler. At the same time, the unstable condition in the world and changes that require fast adaptation leave a mark on our mental condition and seeing a psychologist may therefore prevent possible problems.

In order to keep the topic of mental health in constant focus, we organise regular training and seminars that address maintaining mental health, coping with stress and adapting to changes. In April 2021, we organised a mental health week where specialists from the NGO Peaasjad (Head Matters) talked about maintaining mental health, the difficulties of the coronavirus, and coping with changes. We continued addressing the topics of mental health also in the framework of the safety month of 2022, offering constant support and knowledge to our employees.

Our training programmes and information events take place regularly throughout the year in order to ensure that our employees are always aware of mental health issues. Our aim is to create a working environment where the topics of mental health are open for discussion and every employee knows that they have access to the necessary resources and support.

We believe that supporting mental health is of key importance from the viewpoint of both the personal wellbeing of the employees and the overall success of the organisation. For this purpose, we continue to constantly pay attention to the topics of mental health and make sure the necessary support and training is always available to our employees.

In addition to individual consultation, we also have experience with group consultation. For instance, such a session was held after the tragic incident at VKG Energia and colleagues had the opportunity to talk about it and cope with the difficult period together. The heads of departments or subunits may also contact a psychologist for an assessment of the internal climate of their work collective. In one subunit, a survey of employees was conducted together with a psychologist. The questionnaires were developed and the survey results were processed by a specialist who gave the manager recommendations for future actions.

‘I Choose’ is our joint choice

In 2022, we conducted a Group-wide safety training course in which 90% of our employees participated. The study programme ‘I Choose’ was aimed at improving our safety culture, systemising the knowledge in this area and analysing our behaviour models.

As at the end of 2023 four VKG’s subsidiaries (VKG Kaevandused, VKG Oil, VKG Energia and VKG Logistika) held the international ISO 45001 standard certificate which allows us to develop an occupational and process safety management system that is integrated into all the business processes.

The initiative ‘Report Danger!’ has been created for promoting safety culture

In 2017, the Group created a near miss registration system which allows every employee to promptly and conveniently report dangerous situations that occur at work. This system helps us to prevent work accidents by promptly responding to emerging problems and engage all the employees in making the working environment better.

There are several options for registering dangerous situations. The easiest and the most accessible way for all the Group’s employees and subcontractors is via the Group’s website www.vkg.ee. In addition to this, QR codes can be used, which direct the user directly to the dangerous situation reporting form, making reporting even more convenient and faster. In 2022 and 2023, a total of 5,80 dangerous situations were registered via the system, and the timely resolution of these helped prevent accidents.

Dangerous situations are situations which in certain circumstances may end in an injury or proprietary damage. For instance, failure to use protective equipment at work may end in an injury. Performing work where risks are higher than usual without obtaining the respective permit increases the risk of injuries. Thus, dangerous situations and near misses or almost-accidents are the foundations of the ‘pyramid of injuries’ – they can, indeed, be prevented by identifying the causes and eliminating these.

Special attention must be paid to work accidents that nearly happened. The line between potential and actual injury is hair-thin particularly in the case of such incidents. A most elementary example: an employee tripped on a protruding metal object, but did not fall or hurt himself – this is called a near miss. In a coincidence of different circumstances, the employee could have hurt his foot or fall – and that would be an injury. The easiest way is to mark the protruding component with a sticker or paint. Would that work? This is a point of dispute, as people cease noticing markings over time. It is more efficient to remove the dangerous item or redirect the people’s path of movement. We must learn to notice the root causes for the occurrence of various situations.

Employees are also engaged in the promotion of occupational safety via openness and communication. All the employees can run for the position of a working environment representative and take part in the work of the Working Environment Council. Working environment representatives are elected by the employees and work together with the employer’s representatives to improve the working environment and ensure safety.

As an important measure for promoting safety culture, the Group has established 9 lifesaving rules compliance with which is mandatory for all the employees, including subcontractors and visitors. These rules have been created to ensure the safety of each employee and visitor and to promote safety culture in the entire organisation.

Hear the voice of employees, or a system of working environment representatives

All the employees have the opportunity to run for the position of a working environment representative and thereby take part in the work of the Working Environment Council. Engaging employees in work safety discussions and workshops is our common everyday practice.

Working environment commissioners are the carriers of the voice of our people, whose aim is to notice and register problems and thereby make the working environment better. Working environment representatives actively and closely cooperate with working environment specialists and are involved in various workgroups. For instance, we organise joints trips for working environment specialists and representatives to other enterprises in order to see their functioning and successful practices.

The working environment representatives of our subsidiaries meet up regularly; the frequency of such meetings is regulated separately in each company. Once a year, the general meeting of all the environment representatives is held, convened by the Safety Manager. In VKG Oil, for instance, meetings with the working environment representatives take place once in a quarter. A motivating incentive system has been developed and the working environment situation at other departments (where the representatives themselves do not work) is also checked.

Safety and Health Month

The Safety and Health Month that has already become a tradition is held in April and serves as a sort of an additional impulse to pay attention to the topic of safety and a call to acknowledge and take more seriously the matters of personal safety both at the workplace and outside it. Safety starts from everyone’s personal informed attitude! We can only create a positive occupational safety culture together and in cooperation! For this, we have to openly exchange information and hold dialogues that are based on trust and mutual respect.

We always choose a topical theme that is in the Group’s focus for the Safety and Health. Dur9ing the month, we offer our employees a number of interesting information classes with open dialogues, incident analyses of their own company and those of other companies, and active play, always ending the month with a discussion circle where ordinary employees, safety enthusiasts, top managers and external experts exchange their thoughts.

Statistics for 2022 and 2023

A total of 21 accidents were registered in the Group in 2022 and a total of 26 in 2023. In 2022, one of our employees lost their life when fulfilling work duties. Across the severity of health damage, the Group registered two work accidents that ended in a bodily serious injury (the fatal work accident is recorded under serious accidents in the diagram below) and twelve work accidents that ended in a mild bodily injury in 2022 and in six work accidents the victim only required first aid. The determination of the level of severity was abolished in 2023 in connection with the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The Group established its own classification and in 2023 registered 19 work accidents with loss of work capacity (temporary, the employee needed a certificate for incapacity for work to be drawn up) and seven work accidents with no loss of work capacity (the employee either needed first aid at the workplace or went to a healthcare institutions for medical assistance, but returned to work).

Levels of severity of work accidents 2017 - 2023

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

With loss of work capacity

Without loss of work capacity

The main causes of work accidents in 2022 and 2023 were:

violation of the occupational safety requirements by the employee;
non-conformity of the path of movement/work room with safety requirements;
failure to use personal protective equipment;
insufficient organisation of work,
underestimating the risk factors;
using dangerous practices.

The number of registered dangerous situations

1000

2000

3000

Kokku

2 993

2 335

1 085

VKG

Viru RMT

VKG Logistika

VKG Energia

407

203

VKG Oil

1 585

1 469

801

VKG Kaevandused

815

487

2023

2022

2021

Below is a presentation of the past four years’ total recordable incident rate or TRIR indicator which shows the number of work accidents per million working hours.

The most important measures for improving the working environment in 2023:

establishing the Group’s Safety Policy and implementing its principles;
continuing to increase the safety awareness of all the employees through training;
improving the system for registering dangerous situations;
organising a campaign for reporting dangerous situations;
developing and implementing a procedure for handling incidents;
performing an in-depth analysis of the causes of work accidents and faults that have taken place in the Group and checking the preventive measures;
increasing the awareness of the employees and subcontractors and promoting safety culture;
preparing video instructions;
improving communication;
developing and implementing a uniform procedure for working environment inspection, including introducing safety visits;
harmonising the system of instructing the employees and conducting examinations (new employees, employees with high-risk behaviour, long-term employees).

2020–2023 TRIR AVERAGE VALUES

	2020	2021	2022	2023
Viru RMT	7,74	3,42	0	0
VKG OIL	1,54	2,56	2,19	2,31
VKG Energia	1,09	3,40	0	0
VKG Logistika	1,65	0,00	0	0
VKG Kaevandused	0,92	1,62	1,63	2,90
VKG Keemia Grupp	0	0	0	1,20
The Group’s average	1,75	2,0	1,43	1,90

In 2024, we continue to consistently contribute to the improvement of the working environment and occupational safety. The focus is on the following goals:

increasing the quality of investigating incidents;
harmonising the principles of working environment inspection;
increasing the awareness of the employees in the area of safety.

Preparedness for the elimination of emergency situations

The Group has developed and implemented a set of measures aimed at the prevention and elimination of emergency situations in the industrial enterprises of the Group. Within this system:

measures to prevent emergency situations are planned and implemented;
the protection of employees and production facilities is ensured;
the functioning reliability of production facilities is increased;
the risk of occurrence of emergency situations of technical origin is reduced;
proprietary damage in the case of emergency situations is minimised;
the consequences of emergency situations caused by natural and technological factors are eliminated in accordance with the respective action plans.

The Group has established a plan of regular exercises and training sessions. In exercises, the employees practice the following practical activities:

reporting the occurrence of an emergency situation;
bringing the accident and rescue unit into readiness for action;
fault-free stoppage of technological equipment;
localisation of accidents;
using individual protection equipment and primary firefighting equipment;
helping casualties.

Chemical safety

VKG takes part in the activities of the chemical industry at the local, national and international levels.

The Group is a member of the Estonian Chemical Industry Association (ECIA) and is thereby closely involved in the implementation of the initiatives of CEFIC, the umbrella organisation of the European and global chemical industry. We committed to the Responsible Car (CR) initiative as early as 20 years ago.

The aim of chemical safety is to reduce the risks related to chemicals in order to prevent the occurrence harmful effects. At VKG, risks arise from the properties of and possible exposure to the hazardous chemicals produced and used. Based on the existing risks, measures are taken to reduce these.

Accounting and reporting of hazardous chemicals

The availability of sufficient information about the properties and conditions of use of chemicals in the company is a prerequisite to the management of chemical risks.

VKG keeps account of hazardous chemicals and maintains the relevant reporting and harmonises and improves it at the level of the entire company for more than 10 years by now. Cooperation between subsidiaries, synergy and encouraging learning from each other are the Group’s priorities in this area. Keeping accounts shows where additional information needs to be gathered and which jobs are exposed to hazardous chemicals, which helps assess the risks in using the chemicals and provides information for reducing the risk at workplaces and controlling the waste released to the environment.

Product liability

REACH is Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals.

REACH obligates all the producers of chemical substances to identify the properties of their chemicals and register these. Thus, VKG has submitted to the European Chemicals Agency registration files on all the substances which are produced in quantities of one (1) tonne or more per year. The registration files are very extensive, specific, complex and detailed documents that contain information about the properties, use and safety requirements of substances. REACH allows enhancing the results and usefulness for the entire European chemical industry and increasing the trust of the public towards the safe handling of chemicals.

The safety certificates of the chemicals produced are tools for conveying information about the chemicals in the supply chain and safety data sheets provide information about potential threats to human health and the environment. By forwarding safety data sheets to users, VKG ensures that clients receive sufficient and correct information. VKG takes care to provide the clients sufficient information for safely using and handling our products and makes sure the clients understand the forwarded information (the so-called producer liability principle). The aim is to ensure that the users have the information to take the necessary measures to protect the employees’ health, safety and the environment.

The objectives of a well-functioning system of safety data sheets

to promote product liability and ensure the proper handling and use of chemicals across the entire value chain by providing relevant and reliable information;
to facilitate and develop communication with clients so that they trust the supplier’s knowledge about the composition and properties of the chemical being sold.

Awareness

The safe use of chemicals at the workplace is extremely important from the viewpoint of the health of employees and the wellbeing of the environment. Pursuant to law, the employer has to establish risk management measures to ensure the safe use of chemicals. However, it is the obligation of each employee to apply the recommended risk management measures in order to avoid falling ill, accidents and environmental contamination. For this purpose, VKG actively conducts internal chemical safety training. The aim of this training is to increase the employees’ awareness of chemical risks, while influencing the safety culture and the behaviour of the employees of the entire organisation.