Health and Safety
As we set the timeline for our renewables agenda, we also place the health and safety of our employees on top of our business agenda. Our Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Policy continues to strengthen the company’s safety performance through its guiding Key Result Areas (KRAs).
Our chief risk officer oversees this policy and represents Health and Safety at the executive level. Performance parameters on safety include contractors required to undergo a prequalification process aligned with ACEN’s safety rules, policies and workplace procedures.
In Visayas, Philippines, we celebrated an outstanding safety milestone after achieving a cumulative six million safe man-hours without lost time incident across all our renewable energy projects in Negros Island and Guimaras, namely: SacaSol, IslaSol, MonteSol and Guimaras Wind. It was a monumental breakthrough to signify how we value the safety of our employees and plant contractors in our daily operations as we execute the energy transition.
ACEN’s 2023
HSSE performance
Our HSSE team also has set time-specific, quantitative targets to reduce health and safety incidents. These targets are set against industry standards. The 2023 target for Total Recordable Cases (TRCs) is a 25 percent reduction from 2022 to 2023. As for Lost Time Injury (LTI) and Externally Reportable Incidents (ERI), the consistent targets for these are zero.
Hazard identification and risk assessment
We adhere to the highest level of standards in terms of labor practices, including employee health and safety. We employ practices based on IFC Performance Standards and comply with local laws and regulations pertaining to labor and human rights.
A risk management process is currently being implemented to identify, assess and prioritize health and safety risks at the plant operations level to minimize probability or impact of potential incidents. The risk assessment is carried out for potential new operations and existing projects.
Employee-related health and safety involvement
We implement an Incident Management System (IMS), which covers all our personnel, contractors, subcontractors, and other parties involved in ACEN’s operations. The IMS integrates ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management System), ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management System) and ISO 45001:2018 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System). Having the IMS certification is beneficial for a more streamlined process, enhanced compliance, improved risk management approach, increased stakeholder confidence, more sustainable practices and a culture of continual improvement.
Most of all, this displays our commitment to excellence in quality, environmental stewardship and occupational health and safety. The Emergency Response Coordinator ensures the effectiveness of this system. Safety trainings are also conducted monthly across our operating sites.
We also adopt the Incident Command System to align with industry standards and facilitate smooth coordination with external parties, including government agencies that utilize the same system during emergency response/incident management. We deploy incident commanders to ensure incident safety on-site and to communicate relevant information to stakeholders. Incident Management Teams on-site implement necessary response procedures for incidents and emergencies.
The teams were required to take courses on the IMS 100, IMS 200 and IMS 300, covering topics such as the IMS overview, its application to the company, its leadership and management system, as well as ensuring effectiveness of the implementation of the IMS.
Throughout the fiscal year, our HSSE team conducted various training sessions in the ACEN headquarters for pertinent topics such as first aid, security planning for security providers, and comprehensive ergonomics in relation to identifying, assessing and mitigating different ergonomic hazards in the workplace and at home. Health and safety reorientations are also held yearly for all employees.
IMS Certification
ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management System)
ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management System)
ISO 45001:2018 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System)
Health and safety certification
All of our operational sites in the Philippines are certified under ISO 45001:2018 (Occupational Health and Safety), which provides a flexible framework that can be tailored to suit the specific needs and risks of the organization. The objectives are to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities, as well as to improve occupational health and safety performance through proactive management and continual improvement. This includes measures to ensure compliance with legal requirements, promote worker participation and consultation, and provide resources and training to support a safe working environment. Internal audit procedures are conducted to evaluate the performance and procedures of these sites in reference to the ISO certification.
