Work related injuries
Work‑related injuries among Group employees
Underground operations represent a high‑risk area where serious incidents are most likely to occur. To address this, a project was launched in 2024 to establish a three‑level system of safety barriers: technical (physical prevention of hazards), procedural (alerts providing safety‑related information), and behavioural (personal awareness, the need to assess the situation and pay attention to potential hazards). An analysis of fatal injuries in underground operations helped identify 11 critical risks, with protective measures defined for each. Units operating in underground environments conduct barrier‑based self‑assessments, benchmarking their current situation against the conditions of an “ideal” mine model. This approach helps determine which protective mechanisms are already in place and which still need to be implemented. The next step will be to verify whether the self‑assessment results reflect the actual situation.
In 2024, the Group recorded three fatal accidents: one fatality resulted from an employee being pinned by a load‑haul‑dump machine, another from an employee being pinned between a pipeline and a mine wall, and the third one was caused by a dump truck striking a pipeline.
In 2024, 75 lost time injuries were recorded, with a lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) of 0.64. The Company continues to strengthen its system for recording, classifying, and investigating incidents.
Investigation of fatal accidents
All fatal incidents are subject to internal investigation and are reported to the Board of Directors.
To address the root causes of an incident in which an employee was pinned between a pipeline and a mine wall, the Company improved the functionality of the positioning system to enable monitoring of self‑propelled diesel equipment while stationary during shift breaks. The standard pipeline fixation design was also updated, providing detailed guidance on approved securing methods. All designated vehicle access points for passenger boarding and exiting were brought into compliance with established standard requirements.
Following the investigation into the incident involving a dump truck striking a pipeline, the overhaul of the mine’s production control processes was initiated across all levels of management. The requirements for planning the installation and dismantling of process pipelines, as well as the inspection and acceptance of completed work, were revised.
Nornickel extends its deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims and reaffirms that achieving zero work‑related fatalities remains a key strategic priority. Nornickel will continue to implement programmes aimed at the prevention of workplace accidents.
- Commission chairs (general directors or unit heads) now personally present investigation reports at emergency committee meetings and assume responsibility for the findings.
- Dedicated groups have been established to monitor the implementation of investigation‑related actions. These groups facilitate discussions of findings and corrective measures and develop universal solutions that are then adapted to each Group enterprise.
- A competition was held to identify the best accident investigations: evaluation criteria were established, top investigations were selected, and winners were named across four categories.
In 2025, an Incident Investigation Office will be launched, along with a 24/7 rapid response team in Norilsk, which will be dispatched to incident sites.
Contractors’ work‑related injuries
In 2024, systematic data collection from contractors was implemented for the first time. All information on incidents involving contractors, as well as statistics on hours worked, is now captured in a centralised system. These data are used to calculate injury rates among contractors, enabling comprehensive monitoring of safety performance metrics.
In 2024, one fatal accident involving a contractor employee occurred as a result of the employee being pinned by a conveyor belt. The FIFR rate for contractors was 0.017.
In 2024, 30 lost time injuries were recorded among contractor employees, resulting in a lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) of 0.52.