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HOP and ICL’s 5 Safety Principles

HOP and ICL’s 5 Safety Principles

Ensuring the health and safety of our employees and dependents is a top priority at all ICL’s sites and facilities. ICL is aiming to create an organizational culture committed to safety, to reduce the number of incidents and accidents, and to reach top-tier safety performance. In 2018, a global team of ICL EHS leading experts comprised a shortlist of the main steps required to achieve these goals: the 5 ICL safety principles. In 2019, ICL has also decided to implement the HOP (Human and Organizational Performance) approach in all its sites.  \

ICL’s 5 Safety Principles are designed to reduce incidents and accidents in the work environment and promote safety at the highest level. The principles include:

  • Engagement and Commitment – develop behaviors that are expected from Senior Management.
  • Risk Management – to analyze and develop mitigation plan for the major risk that was identified by the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM).
  • Organizational Competence – to support the Risk Management Principle with building expertise in Job Safety analysis and Process Hazard analysis.
  • Learning Organization – how we as an organization can develop a mindset of learning from failure and successes across the organization.
  • EHS Management System – defines ICL Policy and Guidelines and creates a common language across the company for EHS.

HOP (Human and Organizational Performance)

The Human and Organizational Performance ( HOP) methodology supports ICL’s 5 Safety Principles and calls for early detection and prevention. HOP aims to develop organizational transparency, as well as learning and creation of defense mechanisms, to assure that employees return home safely. Moreover, the HOP approach creates a dialogue and knowledge sharing in the organization, between managers and employees.

Underneath every seemingly obvious, simple story of human error, there is a second deeper story. A more complicated story. Story about the system in which people work". (Dekker, 2006)

As part of the HOP approach, ICL performs emergency drills, professional training, safe environmental patrol, executive control, roundtables (lessons learned), weekly discussions and weekly closing sessions. Managers conduct surprise rounds to determine employee preparedness and adequate supply of safety equipment. The roundtables are an opportunity to discuss and learn about events without taking disciplinary action, taking into account a broad range of perspectives.

This program is supported by a mobile app and software that allows employees to send messages regarding issues and hazards of which they become aware, and to receive in return an update on actions taken to resolve or remove the hazards. Removing hazards before accidents occur reduces the risk of injury. Managers can also receive a clear view of safety performance in the plant.

Plant managers are responsible for fulfilling and implementing the program and engaging in the routines continuously.

5 Global Principles Competition

ICL held a regional competition for ICL Israel sites, as part of the Company's active promotion of safety culture and environmental responsibility. Several teams had worked on projects by implementing the five-principle model. The competition encouraged the company's employees, executives and contractors to cooperate and share solutions of problems in their work environment. The Projects included the following subjects: Safe transportation, reduction in chemical emissions, upgrading and better organization of crucial equipment and more.

ICL’s proactive safety KPIs

In 2020, ICL plans to implement a global system that will include EHS Management and Risk Assessment processes. The EHS Management system defines ICL Policy and Guidelines and creates a common language across the company.

Part of the ICL Global EHS Management System is the establishment of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for EHS. ICL’s focus is on proactive indicators that prevent EHS related events from occurring. 

The Global ICL Proactive KPIs for 2020 are:

  • Implementation of an EHS Management system.
  • EHS and Compliance Plan Audits: completing 100% of planned external and internal audits.
  • Event investigations completed on-time: completing >90% of investigations for high and medium severity safety incidents within the internally defined designated 15 days post-incident.  
  • Corrective Action Reports on-time: implementing required actions from CAR created following high and medium severity safety accidents, and following safety audits. >90% of these actions should be completed in the defined time frame (and 100% of actions will generally be implemented).
  • Hazard Recognition Index – proactive site-based internal reporting regarding unsafe conditions found on site and their mitigation. 

Commitment and Engagement

ICL’s Senior Management is undertaking specialized EHS training, aimed to build a better understanding of EHS concepts and allow the managers to make proper inquiries as they visit sites across the company’s global operations. The goals of this process are changing the company mindset, driving all sites and BU’s to adopt improved safety behavior and improving day-to-day commitment, as well as engagement levels of ICL employees worldwide. 

Example of such inquiries include:

  • What was your response to a specific safety incident (both immediate and later)?
  • What did you learn from the incident? 
  • What hazards dud you recognize?
  • Have you assigned the proper resource to prevent similar incidents/mitigate the hazard?

As another example of management engagement, all ICL plant managers in Israel undergo an advanced certification course for work safety, established by the Ministry of Economy. The course is a mandatory requirement before commencing their role as plant manager.

To further promote safety engagement, Several ICL sites and BU’s issue awards to ICL and contractor employees for their safe behavior and/or engage in annual safety contests between sites (including prizes for safety achievements). 

In addition, many ICL sites have created BU/Site specific employee engagement plans such as the ‘Safety by Routines’ program (see further details below) and the HOP (Human Operational Performance) program, to improve the safety culture. These programs include (among else), the establishment of site improvement teams that operate to develop and implement advanced and original ideas for improving safety. 

Some ICL sites maintain site-specific safety committees that are comprised of representatives of management and employees. Each committee defines and implements safety measures such as mandating the use of personal protection equipment, requiring periodic checkups for employees and collecting fines for safety violations. Work regulations include instructions on a range of issues, including hygiene, as well as explicit disciplinary measures in the event of safety violations.

Safety and health issues are also included in most ICL labor agreements.  For example, the following health and safety topics are covered by the Company’s labor agreements in Israel:

  • Personal protective equipment
  • Joint management – employee health and safety
    Committees
  • Participation of worker representatives in health and
    safety inspections, audits and accident investigations
  • Training and education in health and safety issues
  • Complaints mechanism – right to refuse unsafe work
  • Periodic inspections
  • Enforcement

Risk Management

ICL’s Risk Management Principle will focus on process safety at all sites throughout the company. To accomplish this, the company has merged applicability requirements from United States Process Safety Management and EU Seveso regulations. Each site will conduct an applicability assessment according to these regulations, while also following the company standards. The major risks identified will be analyzed, and the sites will develop mitigation plans. The sites are currently in the data collection process according to this updated approach.

As ICL is a highly diverse company in operational terms, risks can vary significantly between sites. For example, Chemical facilities have some significantly different risk factors compared to ICL’s underground mines in the UK and Spain. The site-specific risks need to be identified and then mitigated.

Among else, the risk surveys include a focus on occupational hazard- with the purpose of preventing employees from being exposed to hazardous materials and processes in plants. 

Organizational Competence

Organizational Competence is defined as how well individuals are trained and competent to do the tasks that are assigned to them. 

In 2019, an EHS skills and knowledge matrix is being developed to promote organizational competence. It defines the expertise needed at all levels of the organization regarding EHS. A gap analysis is currently being done to identify where additional training and expertise are needed in ICL in order to meet the company’s EHS goals and objectives. In 2019, the plan is to support the Risk Management Principle while building expertise in Job Safety Analyses and Process Hazard Analyses, as well as implementing ICL’s global EHS Procedures such as LOTO (Lockout-Tagout), Permit Required Confined Space Entry, Working at Heights and Management of Change. All employees need to be trained regarding all relevant safety data and procedures for their specific role in the company.

As part of the organizational competence principal, ICL has developed trained, skilled and well-equipped emergency groups at its production sites to ensure an appropriate response to industrial emergencies and natural disasters. The emergency groups, and other relevant employees perform emergency drills with various scenarios in accordance with an annual plan.

Learning Organization

ICL conducts comprehensive and repeated safety training and certification control systems for all employees, service providers, contract workers and others entering and working at the company sites.

ICL aims to implement a mindset of learning from failure and successes across the organization. Analysis of accidents and “near misses” is encouraged and conducted by all ICL sites. Management meetings often include a case analysis of a recent safety incident, including conclusions and corrective actions taken.

Knowledge sharing is encouraged through regional safety forums, headed by regional safety leaders. These Forums discuss ICL guidelines and policies, present safety events and hazards recognized at specific sites, and share ideas on prevention methods and lessons learned. This systematic knowledge sharing system helps to implement best practices and to create a safer working environment.

Sustainability Reporting Disclosures:
Disclosure: 103-2
Disclosure: 103-3
Disclosure: 403-2
Disclosure: 403-4
Disclosure: 403-5

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