Given the inherently high-risk profile of mining and recognising that our people are our most valuable asset, ensuring employee safety is a key measure for our corporate success.

 

How We Measure Our Performance

Number of Fatalities
Lost time injury frequency rate
Accident Severity Index

OUR APPROACH TO HEALTH, SAFETY & WELL-BEING

Hochschild Safety 2.0

The second iteration of our multi-faceted plan to embed a safety-first culture across the Group.

 

HOCHSCHILD SAFETY 2.0

Seguscore

The Seguscore, launched in 2022, is an in-house integrated safety performance indicator, which incorporates proactive safety indicators such as internal inspection results, as well as traditional safety indicators such as frequency, severity, and high potential events.

In 2023, the Seguscore was reframed as a qualitative tool, after a period of revision of the scoring approach and process. This approach provides our supervisors with valuable site-specific information, allowing them to demonstrate their presence in the field, the number of deviations, and, more importantly, how fast we are closing those gaps so that the safety conditions are promptly improved to avoid the occurrence of safety events.

HOCHSCHILD SAFETY 2.0

Driver safety

To enhance road safety and provide our drivers with greater control, all our personnel transport buses are equipped with integrated GPS as well as a speed and fatigue control systems with artificial intelligence. This system collects data that is analysed through a business intelligence dashboard, aimed at predicting potential incidents.

HOCHSCHILD SAFETY 2.0

Communications - Risk perception tool

We developed an in-house tailored Risk Perception tool to improve our employees' understanding of safety related risks. This tool will help employees identify and control triggers connected to incidents and accidents.

HOCHSCHILD SAFETY 2.0 

Training - Safety programme

A weekly safety and leadership programme is in place at all sites with a 90% attendance rate.

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Health, safety and wellbeing focus areas

Systematically Managing Risks

Managing health and safety risks is at the centre of our approach to safety and is underpinned by our Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. This management system follows best practice, in line with recognised international practices, and is externally certified to ensure compliance amongst mining units.

In 2024, we received the DNV Level 8 Occupational Health and Safety Management System rating, becoming the first mining company to obtain it, reflecting our unwavering commitment to upholding the highest safety standards. You can find the Inmaculada and San José DNV ISRS Certificates here.

To ensure a safe working environment, we implement a systematic risk management approach, supported by our Occupational Health and Safety Management System. In 2023, we carried out internal audits which were conducted by internal Hochschild-trained auditors. Our OHS Management System applies to all sites, Hochschild employees and contractors.

 

Investigating and Learning

All Incidents are investigated promptly and appropriate response measures were implemented. We remain committed to health and safety by continuing to promote the improvement of all activities and assess the potential occurrence of HPEs. In the event of an HPE occurring, our CEO leads a meeting with the

COO and all the Operational Unit Managers to review the internal investigation. In this meeting, the root causes are discussed, and control actions are reinforced at the corporate level to share the lessons learned with the entire organisation.

During 2023, six HPEs were evaluated. We continue to work to reduce this number of HPEs to zero through a range of initiatives:

  • We improved the fatigue control system installed in all our buses and 4x4 pickup trucks in Peru to enhance road safety in the transportation of personnel between cities and mine sites. This system collects data analysed through a business intelligence dashboard to predict potential incidents.
  • Our Peruvian and Argentinian operations implemented a smartwatch/wristband for all personnel who operate heavy machinery. This smartwatch/ wristband monitors sleep time to prevent fatigue at work which can increase the risk of incidents.

 

Health and Safety Indicators

The 2023 results of the Lost Time Incident Frequency Rate (LTIFR) will be independently assured by EY Peru following the International Standard on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) 3000. Our official certificate of the 2023 verification can be found here.

Indicator 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
Fatal accidents 0 0 2 1 0 3 4 0 0 0
Accidents leading to an absence of one day or more 21 29 22 19 20 35 55 47 42* 76*
LTIFR1 0.99 1.37 1.26 1.38 1.05 1.74 2.69 2.2 1.85* 3.07*
Accident Severity Index2 37 93 676 474 54 930 1,264 136 112 149

* Includes accidents and injuries reported by the Main Contractor and Subcontractors at the Inmaculada Project.
1 Calculated as total number of accidents per million labour hours.   
2 Calculated as total number of days lost per million labour hours.   

Indicator 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
Average number of medical attendances at Peruvian operations and at San José per month 2,277 2,495 2,769 2,478 2,973 3,498 3,449 4,323 3,964 4,695 2,614 3,376
Average number of work-related incidents requiring medical attention at Peruvian operations and at San José per month 6 8 6 8 11 13 14 21 22 23 14 18
Average number of occupational health examinations at the Group’s Peruvian operations 226 213 121 112** 553 487 433 367 283* 507 475 441

* The number of occupational health examinations decreased due to the conclusion of construction of the Inmaculada project
**The Covid pandemic resulted in the implementation of emergency measures by the Peruvian Government which prevented health examinations from being carried out for most of the year

Number of employees trained in 2023

 

Trained in safety

Trained in general

Peru

1372

1480

Argentina

-

946

Brazil

-

51

 


Average hours per employee spent on safety training in 2023

 

Safety training 

Technical training 

Peru

1.04

0.3

Argentina

0.42

7.66

Brazil

7.39

1.25

 

In 2023, all company employees have invested a total of 41,504 hours in health and safety training, and 72,503 hours in training overall.

Our people

Looking after our people