Steel industry prioritises safety and health

The Executive Committee and Board of the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) reaffirmed the industry’s commitment to safety and health at a Board meeting in St Petersburg.

IISI has launched a new industry-wide position paper on safety and health and produced a guidance book on the IISI safety and health principles.

Speaking at the Board meeting, IISI Secretary General Ian Christmas said: "The steel industry has today reaffirmed its commitment to the goal of an injury-free, illness-free and healthy workplace. The industry track record continues to improve, none the less safety has to remain a question of constant vigilance. To help achieve this IISI members are working in small networks to identify industry best practices in some critical safety and health topic areas. The practices are then made available to the membership, allowing them to benchmark and develop their internal procedures. The steel industry is united in pursuing all best practices that help lead the way to accident free workplaces."

Nothing is more important than the safety and health of the people that work in the steel industry.

All injuries and work-related illnesses can and must be prevented.
Management is responsible and accountable for safety and health performance.
Employee engagement and training is essential.
Working safely is a condition of employment.
Excellence in safety and health supports excellent business results.
Safety and health must be integrated into all business management processes.

Click on the link at the end of this page to read the IISI position paper on safety and health. A PDF version of the guidance book can be downloaded from our Bookshop.

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Notes to Editors:

• The International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) is one of the largest and most dynamic industry associations in the world. IISI represents approximately 180 steel producers (including 19 of the world's 20 largest steel companies), national and regional steel industry associations, and steel research institutes. IISI members produce around 75% of the world's steel (excluding China) and the growing membership in China now accounts for over 20% of Chinese production.