Our priorities
Norilsk Nickel is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 3 “Good Health and Well-Being” and Goals 8 “Decent Work And Economic Growth”.
Key Performance Indicators
Zero work-related fatalities — zero-tolerance policy on work-related fatalities;
Absence of catastrophic accidents at production — prevention of accidents at the Company’s production facilities with a negative impact on residents of the regions of presence and production performance;
Ensuring safe working conditions — minimizing the risks related to Nornickel operations.
In 2022, the Company revised the main strategic objectives in terms of industrial safety and labor protection for 2023-2025. The focus is on zero work-related fatalities and industry average injury rate.
Key Performance Indicators:
Implementation of the injury reduction initiative plan. FIFR reduction by 50% or more from a 2021 baseline.
100% implementation of the H&S action plan within the established timeframe.
H&S program approach
Main personnel protection measures –
Occupational safety
Nornickel has corporate health and safety standards that apply to both the Group’s employees and contractors’ at the Group’s production sites. The Company and its key subsidiaries have joint health and safety committees made up of management, employee and trade union representatives. Nornickel developed special standards for contractors as part of its selection process, which were implemented in 2018 to better monitor and promote contractor safety. In 2024, Nornickel continued to pursue its Health and Safety Strategy, covering the period until 2025. The Group’s production units are regularly audited for compliance with applicable health and safety regulations.
The company carries out the following initiatives and programs aimed at continuous improvement of health and safety:
Deployment of new technologies at operation sites;
Reframing the Image of H&S (including such programmes as Detecting Unsafe Activities and the On-Site Training Programme for H&S Staff);
Special assessment of working conditions;
Provision of personal protective equipment;
Development of safety culture (Developing Risk-Based Thinking, Reframing the Image of H&S, Developing the H&S Train-the-Trainer Programme, H&S Internal Communication System);
Prevention of occupational diseases.
Elements of the health and safety monitoring system:
Compliance and certification audits as part of the ISO 45001:2018-based health and safety management system
Key activities aimed at controlling H&S compliance and preventing violations
Second-party H&S management audits
H&S monitoring at each facility, including multilevel operational control and ad hoc, targeted, and integrated H&S audits
At the end of 2024, 53% of Group companies were certified to ISO 45001:2018 for occupational health and safety.
Responsibility and accountability
Industrial safety matters are overseen by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. The Committee reviews quarterly management reports on industrial safety performance and is briefed on the causes of accidents, the measures taken to prevent similar incidents in the future, and any disciplinary actions taken against those responsible.
The Company also has a Health, Safety, and Environment Committee, chaired by the Senior Vice President — Chief Operating Officer. Within the Group’s team KPIs, 30% of the weighting is assigned to the implementation of the action plan designed to enhance safety culture and reduce work-related fatalities. These initiatives are directly overseen by senior management, including members of the Management Board.
Production site managers are personally responsible for the health and safety of each of their subordinates. Injury and industrial safety metrics weigh up to 40% in their individual KPIs.
Risk Management
Technical, production, or natural hazards which, once present, could have a negative impact on production and cause equipment breakdown or reimbursable damage to third parties and the environment
To manage and mitigate risks the Company:
Continuously monitors compliance with H&S requirements
Improves the working conditions for its employees and contractors deployed at Nornickel’s production facilities, including by implementing new technologies and labour-saving solutions as well as through enhancing industrial safety at production facilities
Provides employees with certified state-of-the-art personal protective equipment
Improves the system of stationary gas analysers, provides employees with portable gas analysers
Carries out preventive and therapeutic interventions and enforces hygiene protocols to reduce the potential impact of work-related hazards
Provides regular training and briefings to employees on health and safety, assesses their health and safety performance, and conducts corporate workshops, including by deploying special simulator units
Enhances methodological support for H&S functions, including through the development and implementation of corporate standards
Improves the risk assessment and management framework across Group enterprises as part of the Risk Control project
Reviews the competencies of line managers across Nornickel’s production enterprises, develops H&S training programmes, and arranges relevant trainings
Holds H&S competitions
Communicates the circumstances and causes of accidents to all Nornickel employees, conducts ad hoc safety briefings
Introduces frameworks to manage technical, technological, organisational, and HR changes.
Prevention of occupational diseases
The Company promotes disease prevention and healthy lifestyle among its staff to minimise the risk of occupational diseases, with management focused on communicating to all employees the importance of complying with occupational safety requirements and protecting one’s own health. The Company offers its staff regular disease prevention screening in line with recommendations from the healthcare authorities. Employees undergo mandatory pre-employment, regular and ad-hoc medical examinations at the Company’s expense. Special medical examinations at occupational pathology centres are provided to employees exposed to hazardous substances. Production enterprises have dedicated medical aid posts to perform pre-shift health checks and provide medical assistance on request during working hours.