Safe Workplace
Continual efforts to ensure a zero-accident workplace are a cornerstone of LDC’s commitment to responsible business, putting safety first in everything we do and ensuring strict compliance with regulations that protect every person across our operations. This is a priority in everything we do – all day, every day, 365 days a year.
Record SHE Investment
In 2022, we increased our capital expenditure in Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) initiatives, measures and awareness campaigns by 24%, investing a record US$40.9 million for the year, with the largest percentage of capital expenditure geared toward strengthening our Process Safety Program.
As a result of these efforts, in 2022 we were able to report another all-time record in terms of our safety performance indexes, with the lowest accident frequency and gravity rates ever reported at LDC.
These results advance LDC’s continual journey toward our Commitment to Zero, aiming to ensure a zero-accident workplace across our sites.
Safety Performance Indexes
Frequency
The frequency index* shows the number of industrial and logistics workplace injuries requiring medical attention, in relation to hours worked.
Gravity
The gravity index is a subset of the frequency index*. It shows the number of industrial and logistics workplace injuries serious enough to result in time away from work, in relation to hours worked.
Severity
The severity index* shows the number of days needed away from work due to injury, in relation to hours worked, for industrial and logistics workplaces.
*Our indexes cover employees and contractors (excluding temporary contractors) and are calculated per 200,000 hours worked, as per the US Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) methodology.
Work-Related Injuries
LDC expects every safety incident to be reported within 24 hours through ‘SHE Digital’, our safety data management software. We also compile monthly working hours and review indexes across all LDC sites and offices.
| 2022 | |
|---|---|
| Total Recordable Incidents | 91 |
| Total Lost Time Injuries | 38 |
| Total Lost Days | 1,321 |
The most important root cause of accidents that occurred in 2022 was a lack of Lockout / Tagout (LOTO) – a safety procedure used in industry to ensure that dangerous machines are properly shut off and cannot be started up again until maintenance or servicing is completed.
Accidents can occur when LOTO procedures are not followed correctly, which can result in serious injuries or even fatalities. Recognizing the importance of taking immediate action to address this issue, we conducted a thorough review of existing LOTO procedures, in addition to providing ongoing training, and conducting regular reviews and updates.
LDC also focuses on hierarchy of controls – a step-by-step approach to reduce or eliminate workplace risks and hazards, ranking controls from the most effective level of protection to the least effective, as follows: elimination, substitution, engineering control, administrative control and personal protective equipment.
One important action taken to control hazards through engineering control was with regard to improving ladders used for manual harvesting, mitigating the risk of falling off ladders during orange harvests, by installing an anti-rotation kit to reduce instability by 94%. Despite the scale of agricultural operations at LDC-managed citrus farms in Brazil, spanning 25,000 hectares and almost 6,000 employees at peak harvest season, we are pleased to report significant reductions in accident gravity (down 66% year on year) frequency and severity (both down 33% year on year) for these activities.
Fatalities
Unfortunately, despite a continued positive trend across safety metrics, we regret to report one fatality in March 2022, at LDC’s juice processing facility in Matão, São Paulo State, Brazil, after an employee was struck by a falling gate during trail cleaning and passed away as a result of the injuries.
The subsequent investigation led to the identification and implementation of additional gate safety standards and process improvements to avoid a derailment.
Work-Related Illness
In 2022, LDC did not record any fatalities as a result of work-related illness, nor any recordable work-related illness. All work-related illness is registered via SHE Digital.
Advancing Our Safety First Culture
PSP 2.0
First launched in 2015, our Process Safety Program (PSP) aims to build a strong safety culture at LDC, helping everyone working at our sites to identify hazards and mitigate risks proactively.
With PSP 2.0, we have strengthened our model to further mitigate potential risks in our operations by updating policies and procedures, ensuring every employee understands the hazards and risks associated with the site, job and equipment relevant to them, and is sufficiently in control of those risks to perform their work safely and efficiently.
Digitalization for Workplace Safety
In 2022, we rolled out four additional modules of LDC’s SHE Digital system (launched in 2021), dealing with subjects such as risk work permits and personal protective equipment (PPE) controls.
As part of our digitalization roadmap, we also continued to embrace technology-enabled innovations with the potential to enhance safety, efficiency and environmental performance across our operations.
For instance, workers in 33 Latin American industrial facilities were supplied with assisted reality devices that connect them with remote experts in real-time while operating, inspecting or maintaining equipment. This allows for voice-controlled, hands-free work in potentially hazardous areas, improving safety and productivity, and reducing operational errors.
SHE Day 2022
Each year, LDC teams come together worldwide to celebrate our collective SHE culture and commitments.
On March 17, 2022, more than 8,000 employees, contractors and partners worldwide participated in LDC’s annual SHE Day to acknowledge the importance of working safely, adopting a healthy lifestyle and safeguarding the environment.
Through activities from presentations to practical exercises, games to quizzes, the day re-emphasized our focus on SHE with a focus on the three key themes outlined below.
- Stand Up for Safety
While we continually evaluate operational processes for safety risks, we recognize that effective safety in the workplace relies on our people taking personal responsibility for making the right decisions and complying with all relevant laws, regulations and codes. SHE Day called on our teams to be champions of care, standing up for their own and others’ safety and speaking up when they see at risk-behaviors. - In It Together
We regard the personal wellbeing of our employees as fundamental to reach our full potential – individually and as a company. Building on protocols put in place to protect our people during the Covid 19 pandemic, we continued to encourage and support our people to stay physically and mentally fit, observing good health and hygiene practices to stay fit and ensure a safe, healthy workplace for all. - Less Is More
As a leading global agricultural merchant, we understand the importance of conserving the natural resources we depend on for the future of the environment we work and live in. On SHE Day, we reinforce the importance of acting to save energy, recycle and avoid waste, and reduce emissions and water consumption – at work and at home.
Targets
Reduce lost time injuries to zero
Completion: Ongoing
Status: In progress
Reduce frequency of workplace accidents by 5% year on year
Completion: 2022
Status: Complete
Reduce gravity of workplace accidents by 5% year on year
Completion: 2022
Status: Complete
Reduce severity of workplace accidents by 5% year on year
Completion: 2022
Status: Complete
Roll out four more modules as part of LDC’s new digital SHE system
Completion: 2022
Status: Complete
New Targets
Reduce frequency of workplace accidents by 5% year on year
Completion: 2023
Reduce gravity of workplace accidents by 5% year on year
Completion: 2023
Reduce severity of workplace accidents by 5% year on year
Completion: 2023
You may also be interested in
Business Ethics & Compliance
We continued to train employees across the Group on compliance with LDC’s Code of Conduct.
Inclusive Workplace
We pursued our efforts to create a more inclusive workplace, from recruitment to training and wellbeing at work.
Farmer Engagement
Tens of thousands of farmers worldwide were empowered and supported to adopt more sustainable practices.