- More than 700 of the Company’s employees took part in the first mass safety observation carried out in Colombia.
- The Company’s safety indicators have shown an improvement of 900% over the last seven years.
- The Company’s management has been recognized by national and international entities, and even the good practices on the matter have been shared with companies of the sector in the country, as well as in Latin America.
CODENSA carried out the largest safety observation so far in the country’s electric sector. Nearly 700 people took part, simultaneously, in a safety exercise, in which different field work groups were accompanied in order to observe and analyze their behaviors in the operation from the safety standpoint.
During the activity, known as Be Safer, Company employees were connected virtually from different offices with three sites in the city and one rural point, where actual maintenance maneuvers were being carried out on High, Medium and Low-voltage networks. The maneuvers were observed by the participants, who made comments, asked questions or gave instructions, according to the performance of the maneuvers.
Be Safer are activities that CODENSA – and the other companies of the Enel Group in the world - have been carrying out for four years now, in order to strengthen their culture of safety by allowing employees to observe a live operation on the electric system and be able to make the respective recommendations for improvement. Over the years, nearly 18,000 observations regarding behavior have been made per year, finding more than 90% of safe behaviors in the works analyzed and leading to the identification of risks in order to prevent them.
This activity is part of the strategies carried out by CODENSA to ensure its employees’ safety. These initiatives have led to a reduction of more than 900% in its accident rates since 2010.
This important achievement, the highest among distribution companies from the electric sector in the country, has been achieved thanks to the strategic plan focused on Zero Accidents and Protecting Life implemented by the Company over the last ten years, which is in line with the Enel Group’s Sustainability criteria.
Over the last seven years, the Company’s accident rates have decreased remarkably, going from 7.11 accidents per million hours worked in 2010 to just 0.84 in 2016. For the first time in history, an indicator of less than one digit has been achieved, which means that, during the year, there was less than one accident per million hours worked. In 2016, we managed to reach 243 days with no serious accidents. There was a total of 19 accidents, which is 54 less than in 2013.
SUCCESS FACTOR
CODENSA’s safety strategy is based on the implementation of a comprehensive plan that considers the entire process of the Company’s operations, from their planning to their assessment and follow-up. This plan includes an on-site inspection and assistance program, as well as the development and use of innovative equipment and ideas in the activities of employees and contractors, among which it is important to mention tools such as:
- Safety tripod: Equipment designed by the employees themselves, which is used to secure the wooden posts while work is done, and is intended to prevent falls from heights.
- Airbag vest: designed exclusively for CODENSA by Airobag, for employees who carry out operations using a motorcycle. This vest has an automatic activation mechanism to protect the driver by cushioning the impact at the time of an accident, thus reducing chest, back and neck injuries.
In addition, a large part of the work has been focused on employee training and instruction, for which annual investments have been made for nearly COP 1,500 million. Only in 2016, nearly 300 thousand hours of training were provided regarding procedures to carry out work on networks, at heights and other technical skills for electric work; 12% more than in 2015.
“To CODENSA, all the time, effort and resources devoted to prevention, along with everyone’s visible commitment, leads to strengthening the safety conditions. Our desire is for all employees and collaborators to have the best conditions to do their job and make it home safe every day”, said David Felipe Acosta, Infrastructure and Networks Manager of CODENSA.
Every year, the Company invests nearly COP 68,000 million in topics of strengthening security, focused on training and also on the application of technology in the operations and the implementation of a culture of safety, in the planning and programming of work and in contractual assurance, which benefits nearly 10,000 of its own employees, as well as those of contracting companies.
Awards
CODENSA's management has been recognized by national and international entities, and its experience regarding good practices has been shared with other companies of the sector.
In addition, the Company received an award from the Sura Occupational Risk Insurance Company in 2016 for reducing accidents, and from the Road Prevention Fund as a leader in the Road Intelligence ranking for the use of technology in its operations through the Copilots program, which consists of recording ground operations and trips for subsequent analysis of the videos to detect positive or risky conduct, provide feedback and congratulate employees for their safe behaviors and indicate any risks that may be occurring.
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ABOUT THE ENEL GROUP – CODENSA
CODENSA is part of the Enel Group, a multinational energy company and one of the main operators with global integration in the sector of electricity and gas. The Group operates in more than 30 countries from four continents, generating energy through an installed net capacity of around 83 GW and distributing electricity and gas to a network of around 2 million kilometers. With more than 65 million users in the world, the Enel Group has the largest customer base compared to its European competitors. The Enel Group is the biggest integrated utility in Europe in terms of market capitalization, and it is among the main electricity companies in Europe in terms of installed capacity and reported EBITDA.
Codensa S.A. ESP is a distribution and electric energy sales company, as well as a leader on the market, with more than 3,200,000 clients distributed in Bogotá, 116 municipalities of Cundinamarca, six in Boyacá, four in Tolima and three in Meta. Established in 1997, Codensa has an installed capacity of 10.633 MVA (megavolt amperes) along 69,821 kilometers of high, medium and low voltage networks. The Company generates around 8,000 jobs both directly and indirectly in Colombia.