Occupational safety in the Finnish chemical industry shows positive progress
The results of the Responsible Care programme of the Finnish chemical industry in 2016 indicate positive progress, especially in occupational safety. The year 2017 is a cause for celebration in the chemical industry as the Responsible Care programme reaches its 25th year in Finland. The goal is to continuously improve operations in the various areas of sustainable development and responsibility. This goal was successfully met in 2016.
The Finnish chemical industry is committed to continuously decreasing occupational injuries, aiming towards zero injuries. In 2016, lost time injuries frequency rate decreased by 12% among company employees and 13% among contractors when compared with the year 2015. The objective of zero injuries in terms of both company employees and contractors was reached by 29% of the companies.
– The Finnish chemical industry is conducting strong and continuous safety work, and the extensive development projects executed by companies have proven successful, says Merja Vuori, Senior Advisor at the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland.
Key results of the Responsible Care programme in Finland in 2016 (from 2015):
- Lost time injuries frequency rate (LTI3, employees) 6.1 injuries per one million hours worked (6.9)
- Lost time injuries frequency rate (LTI1, employees) 8.5 injuries per one million hours worked (9.7)
- Sick leaves 9% of the hours worked (4.0)
- Energy consumption 96 kWh per one kg of production (0.93)
- Water consumption 08 litres per one kg of production (1.10)
- Waste to be disposed of by landfilling 8 g per one kg of production (5.3)
- Emissions of greenhouse gases 198 gCO2e per one kg of production (215)
The chemical industry develops continuously its monitoring of material and energy flows. The share of renewable and secondary raw materials and renewable sources of energy is slowly increasing, and an increasingly large share of production side streams and waste is being utilised.
– However, the nature of production varies a great deal in the Finnish chemical industry, which is why summary figures cannot be generalised to individual companies. In some companies, nearly all materials are renewable, whereas in others, the use of renewable materials is nearly impossible, says Merja Vuori, Senior Advisor at the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland.
Material and energy flows in 2016 (from 2015):
- 11% (9) of raw materials were renewable and 3% (2) secondary raw materials
- 2% of materials produced were production side streams and waste.
Of these, 76% (74) was utilised as material and energy - 93% (95) of electricity and 18% (15) of other energy was purchased
- 2% (4.9) of consumed energy was produced with renewable energy sources
- The amount of energy produced to be sold accounts for 5.7% (9.4) of the overall consumption
Nearly 100 chemical industry companies are committed to the Responsible Care programme in Finland, and it covers about 80% of the industry’s production and 60% of its employees. The approximately 50 indicators reported annually have to do with investments, resource efficiency, emissions, safety and occupational well-being, product chain and interaction within the chemical industry.
See the results of the Responsible Care programme online:
http://www.kemianteollisuus.fi/en/sustainability/
Lisätietoja
The Chemical Industry Federation of Finland
Merja Vuori, Senior Advisor, Responsibility, tel. +358 (0)40 730 1932, merja.vuori@kemianteollisuus.fi
Timo Leppä, Director General, tel. +358 (0)50 301 6800, timo.leppa@kemianteollisuus.fi
Chemistry – our life, our future
Responsible Care is an international responsibility programme of the chemical industry, supporting sustainability. The programme has served as the operating model and approach used in matters related to sustainability in the Finnish chemical industry for 25 years. The corporate responsibility work in the industry is practical and goal-oriented. Approximately 100 companies are committed to the programme and it covers 80% of the industry’s production in Finland.
The Chemical Industry Federation of Finland coordinates the implementation of the programme. Members participating in the monitoring and development of the programme include Industrial Union TEAM, Trade Union Pro and the Federation of Professional and Managerial Staff (YTN).
The Chemical Industry Federation of Finland is an organisation supervising the interests of the chemical industry and related industries in terms of trade issues and labour market policies. Its objectives include promoting the competitive strength and operational prerequisites of the industry in Finland. The Chemical Industry Federation of Finland has nearly 400 member companies and 14 member, cooperation and agreement associations.
The chemical industry is one of the most important industrial sectors in Finland. It constitutes about one fifth of all industrial production and export of goods. We employ nearly 100,000 Finns directly, indirectly and through income effects.
Read next
