According to experts from DuPont Sustainable Solutions, a partner of Kazakhmys in the field of industrial and occupational safety, at the moment, the Balkhash plant is one of the leaders in the efficiency of the IOS control system among the Group enterprises. We had a more detailed conversation about it with Beksultan Kasymbekov, chief engineer of the plant.   – Beksultan Zhumadildinovich, please tell us who of the company managers is assessed in the health and safety control system, what are the criteria, and how it influences the safety indicators of the whole plant? – In order to take the control system to a new autonomous level, three managers of each enterprise are assessed. They are: the director of the plant, the chief engineer, and the head of the IOS department. Each manager has an individual development plan, which is prepared based on the results of an assessment of the employee's competencies in health and safety management. Correspondence of the manager’s IOS competencies to the target profile, as well as the work on their improvement, helps the company to increase the level of safety in general. The key criteria for assessing the managers include: the ability to manage the safety goals of an enterprise, the ability to resources effectively, and the ability to correctly allocate roles and duties in this area.  – What results does the assessment of efficiency of the managers help the enterprise achieve today? – It is important to understand that managers have a key role in managing the health and safety system: the safety indicators of the whole enterprise depend on their ability to properly organize and manage the process. This leads us to the achievement of the key goal of the whole Kazakhmys Group. zero injuries. To improve the health and safety management system, special development plans are created, a list of necessary measures and deadlines for their implementation are approved, and solutions are introduced to mitigate production risks and injuries of employees at the enterprise. Viewing the efficiency of the elements of the industrial safety management system and the efficiency of managers together, we can talk about the general level of the IOS system management and the situation with regard to safety. – Tell us how the workflow is arranged and what new tools do you use now to increase the safety level? – In general, the plant has been working on the improvement and optimization of the industrial safety system since 2016. Here I would like to emphasize that the Balkhash copper smelting plant was one of the first structural units of Kazakhmys Holding LLP to transform the risk management system. First of all, we carried out work to determine the current state of industrial safety. Experts from DuPont Sustainable Solutions played an important role in improving the system. As a result of cooperation, the new accident risk management system was implemented. In the course of further work, a methodology was determined, expert practitioners were assigned to optimize work in the IOS area, and appropriate training of staff was conducted. The plant has also implemented a system of key performance indicators for IOS. Now we use a variety of tools to improve safety. They include visual control boards, linear checks, special work sessions, etc. Besides, we have introduced technical advice that is now used in the enterprise and other areas of activity. The use of these tools, as well as the implementation of a number of measures to detect high risks, allowed us to reduce injuries and accidents at the enterprise significantly. – Has the pandemic affected the process of operational management of industrial safety at your enterprise? Were there any difficulties? Did you get any new solutions? – During the pandemic, our plant was one of the first to launch pilot projects for the installation of thermal vision systems. At the moment, there are infrared scanners and disinfection tunnels on the territory. During the pandemic, there were no particular difficulties in the scheduled work. To minimize the risk of infection, all measures to reduce production risks were moved to the online mode with the use of videoconferencing. For operational management of safety issues, a special tool, digital boards, was introduced. This is an analytical environment or a set of programs and services allowing to easily connect to any data upload from various sources, combine and standardize information into a single data model, calculate necessary parameters based on these data, prepare, reporting, and then make decisions for the effective IOS system management. – On November 20, a special safety event will take place, at which the employees who have shown the greatest degree of involvement and discipline in observing the standards of the IOS system will be awarded. How do you involve company managers and develop the risk management competencies of the employees? – The involvement of managers and the development of the competence of employees is a very important tool of the HR policy of the organization, and our work in this area starts with the first days of the employee’s work at our enterprise. We apply a number of indicators in the field of safety, with the help of which we measure the involvement of managers in managing the system. We also hold special competitions together with a trade union and the Youth association at the enterprise. For example, the annual competition dedicated to the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. We try to encourage employees who have proven their professionalism. Our employees are annually awarded at the level of Kazakhmys Smelting LLP in three nominations: “Reliability,” “Competency,” and “Commitment.” – Tell us about the most significant achievements of the enterprise in the field of health and safety for 2020? How do they affect the level of accidents now? –  In 2020, to reduce high risks at the plant, a number of initiatives were introduced, including: prevention of the risk of accidental touching live parts in the substations of the Balkhash copper smelting plant; reduction of the risk of collisions with employees and placement of fixed guards on the outbound ramps of rail cars; replacement of the packaged two-transformer double-row substation with dry power transformers; installation of safety nets, which are designed to protect against injuries due to falling from a height, and much more. Some of the plant's solutions were shortlisted in the safety competition among the Group employees. I hope that some of our authors will win a prize in this competition, but everything depends on voting. We are waiting for the results. “Balkhash copper smelting plant is one of the Group leaders in terms of efficiency of the IOS system management. Besides, the assessment showed the high performance of the chief executive officer in the IOS management competency. At the moment, it is especially important to ensure involvement in safety management at all levels of management, from foreman to director. It leads the company to the achievement of the target safety indicators”