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Health and Safety
103-403; 403-01; 403-07; 403-08 [MRV, Sensia and Luggo]
Acting pre-emptively: more than a value, a commitment.
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Health and integrity responsibility is an indisputable issue for MRV&CO when it comes to workers and other parties that may be impacted by our operations.
MRV&CO’s Occupational Health and Safety
Management System was developed to promote and ensure safer and healthier workplaces. It has been implemented and certified according to ISO 45,001:2018 requirements and comprises 100% of the company’s 32,015 workers (in-house and outsourced staff) are in the scope of the system and are audited internally, according to the HSE’s Annual Internal Audit.
the construction sites and the head office. The group’s sustainability policy features clear guidelines supported by preventive actions aimed at Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) management. In addition, the group has an Internal Regulation (REG 38.005, HSE’s Monitoring and Measurement) to regularly measure, monitor, and evaluate the performance of the HSE management system.
Hazard and Risk Management
Our Internal Regulation (REG 38.009, Identification of Hazards and Assessment of OSH Risks) outlines the responsibilities, authorities, and guidelines for identifying the hazards and evaluating the risks to which workers (in-house and third-party) are exposed in performing their tasks and activities.
It also establishes criteria for determining and implementing control devices to tackle the identified hazards (elimination, substitution, engineering and administrative measures, and other actions involving personal and collective protection equipment).
All hazards and risks involved in the company’s operations are identified, evaluated, and consolidated through Hazard and Risk Matrices (HRMs). The following elements are considered:
• Routine and non-routine activities; • Identification of groups of exposed workers; • The activities of all people with access to workplaces and sites, including
outsourced staff (such as contractors and external providers), visitors, and communities neighboring the construction sites that may be impacted by our operations, or staff working at a location that is not under MRV&CO’s direct control; • Human factors such as behavior, individual capacity, etc.; • Social factors such as working hours, victimization, harassment, leadership, and the company’s organizational culture; • Hazards identified outside workplaces and sites; • The site’s infrastructure, equipment, materials, substances, and physical conditions; • Sketches/area layouts and plans, processes, installations, machines and equipment, operational procedures, and work organization, including adaptations to the needs and capabilities of the workers involved; • Proposals for changes in activities, materials, machines and equipment, technology, and scope, among others, albeit temporary; • Possible injuries or health issues related to the hazards identified; • History of occurrences/incidents (investigation); • Prevention measures already in place; • Applicable legal requirements. The Internal Accident Prevention Committees (CIPAs) are present on all construction sites and also at the MRV&CO’s headquarters in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Together with the local Specialized Service in Safety, Engineering, and Occupational Medicine (SESMT), they manage hazards and risks and organize events and programs to raise awareness on OHS topics.
MRV&CO has a specific regulation to analyze and investigate incidents in all workplaces under its responsibility (REG 38.006, Analysis and Investigation of Work-Related Accidents and Near Misses). It assembles all guidelines and flows required for communicating, recording, and investigating identified incidents.
In case of serious or fatal accidents and or when serious and imminent risk situations are identified, CIPA is exceptionally summoned.
Workers’ Participation and Consultation
403-04; 403-07
Employees, partners, and suppliers also play a role in eliminating hazards, reducing risks, and preventing work-related illnesses and injuries, thus contributing to maintain the appropriate conditions of hygiene, health, and safety for the well-being of all.
The Sustainability Policy is committed to the consultation and participation of workers in issues related to health, safety, and the environment, through various mechanisms:
• CIPA Meetings • EDG Meetings (Management Performance Team) • HSE Inspections • Health, Safety, and Environment Dialogues (DSSMA) • Right of Refusal • Guest Satisfaction Survey (Optional anonymity) • Confidential Channel (Optional anonymity) • Notify Security (Optional anonymity)
Employees and third parties are always encouraged to participate in the Health, Safety, and Environment Dialogues (DSSMA) through the frequent disclosure of the tools available and how to use them,Ambiente (DSSMA).
Urba
403-4 Urba construction sites must maintain a CIPA representative to comply with Regulatory Standard No. 05, and the company participates in MRV&CO’s CIPA events.
403-7 Urba has a schedule of HSE campaigns. Each month, specific pre-defined themes are addressed with the participation of all employees, such as mental health (White January), prostate cancer (Blue November), breast cancer (Pink October), among others.
Confidential Channel
Anonymity, privacy, and confidentiality are guaranteed when reporting violations of legal requirements or MRV&CO’s guidelines, regulations, or policies. Learn more on page 48.
Notify Security
A pocket notepad form provided to construction workers (in-house and third-party), encouraging the reporting of violations and unsafe conditions. It should be deposited in ballot boxes, and the workers’ identification is optional. The Occupational Safety department checks the contents daily, analyzes the allegations, and takes adequate measures for each case. The results of the workers’ participation and consultation are primarily addressed in the work plan and the monthly CIPA meetings, which also address the relevant points raised at the Management Performance Team (EDG) Critical Analysis meetings, according to specific regulations. In turn, corporate issues are addressed at the Critical Analysis meetings of the Corporate Performance Team.
Right of Refusal
Provided for by the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT), the Right to Refusal assures workers the right to interrupt a given task that they believe constitutes a serious and imminent risk to their safety and health or that of another person. MRV&CO makes the form available for completion by workers (in-house and third-party), and it is easily accessible.
Occupational Health Services
403-03; 403-06
MRV&CO relies on the SESMT technical staff to design the basic health-related documents and actions to reduce and control the exposure to occupational risks:
PCMAT: Program for Working Conditions and Environment in the Construction Industry PPRA: Environmental Risk Prevention Program PCMSO: Occupational Health Medical Control Program PCA: Hearing Conservation Program PPR: Respiratory Protection Program DSSMA: Health, Safety and Environment Dialogues SIPAT: Internal Accident Prevention Week CIPA: Internal Accident Prevention Committees
Workers receive occupational health care from specialized teams and certified professionals.
Covid-19
Since the first suspected cases of infection by the new coronavirus in Brazil and the announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020, MRV&CO has sought to understand the associated risks and take measures to fight Sars-CoV-2 among its employees, partners, customers, and society in general.
In addition to training on the correct use of protective masks and awareness-raising about prevention procedures, remote healthcare services are available for suspected, confirmed, and close contact cases for all employees, third parties, and direct relatives (19,296 appointments delivered in 2021). A daily questionnaire was also created, to be sent via SMS or associated with the work computer login, to map the health status of each employee and refer them to the remote healthcare service whenever necessary.
In the offices, weekly COVID-19 antigen tests (nasal swabs) have been implemented. Reactive cases are referred to the telehealth service, and employees are instructed to perform their tasks from home.
At the beginning of the pandemic, all those who were classified into risk groups were sent home to remote work or were reassigned to activities that could ensure social distancing. In 2021, with the progress of Brazil’s immunization program, the employees on leave returned to their activities with the proper medical clearances and proof of vaccination.
As we compare absenteeism in 2020 and 2021 to 2019, we find a significant increase associated with COVID-19 and other respiratory syndromes. In 2021, 9,667 respiratory syndrome cases were reported (8,243 suspected and 1,424 confirmed cases of COVID-19). Unfortunately, 10 coronavirus-related deaths were reported. The families of these workers have been assisted, and we extend our solidarity to them, as we do to all the families of the victims of the disease in Brazil and all over the world.mundo
OHS Training
To ensure that every worker (inhouse or third-party) is trained and instructed to perform their tasks according to the HSE System requirements, MRV&CO has a specific regulation (REG 38.012 –
HSE Competence, Training,
and Awareness) laying down responsibilities, authorities, and criteria for workers training.
The course takes place as part of the HSE Familiarization/Integration Training, and is targeted at all workers on the construction sites and in the headquarters, and covers several topics:
• Training on the Service Orders respective to each function • Sustainability Policy • Environmental aspects/impacts
and control measures • Waste Management/Selective
Waste Collection • OHS Hazards and Risks and
Control Measures (such as collective and individual protection) • Preliminary Risk Analysis (APR) and Work Permits • HSE Inspection and Behavioral
Assessment • Use and conservation of
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) • Emergency response procedures (PAE) • Chemical handling, SDS labeling • COVID-19 (protective measures, control and sanitation, and awareness). We also provide introductory and periodic NR18 and NR35 training and other legal training (NR06, NR11, NR12, NR26, NR33, among others). The training level is monitored through audits performed by MRV&CO.
MRV&CO upholds the qualification of its employees through specific training on HSE themes and manages the hazard and risks associated with their respective activities by always complying with the applicable laws, through
procedures, internal regulations,
and specific programs such as:
• Program for Working Conditions and Environment in the
Construction Industry (PCMAT) • Environmental Risk Prevention
Program (PPRA) • Occupational Health Medical
Control Program (PCMSO) • Hearing Conservation Program
(PCA) • Respiratory Protection Program (PPR) • Ergonomic workplace analysis (EWA)
Furthermore, throughout the year, the Internal Work Accident Prevention Weeks (SIPAT) and the
Health, Safety, and Environment
Campaigns, are held, all of which align with PCMAT, PPRA, and PCMSO principles.
Urba
Active workers in Urba’s construction sites are admitted only after undergoing basic training in occupational safety in construction work, according to NR-18. They also must undergo environmental training covering all the rules and particularities of each work site, in the context of occupational safety and health.
Work-Related Injuries and Ill-Health
403-09; 403-10
[1] The accident rates were calculated according to the Brazilian Technical Standards Association standard NBR 14280:2001 – Work Accidents – Procedure and Classification.
Prevention is the primary focus of MRV&CO’s Health and Safety management. However, incidents may occur due to the company’s broad scope and geographical coverage.
In 2021, most incidents occurred between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. and involved hodmen, masons, and forming and stripping workers. Accident monitoring and investigation analyses show that the main hazards involving serious accidents occurring during the period covered by this report are working at heights, handling power tools, and incidents caused by falling objects.
MRV
Work-related accidents
Fatalities
Serious work-related accidents
Mandatory reporting of work-related accidents (includes the above data)
In-House Employees
Number Rate[1]
1 0,016
2 0,03
762 11,2
Third-Party
Number Contents
0 0
1 0,04
151 6,6
The most common work-related accidents
Common types of lost time injuries (More than 15 days)
Common types of lost time injuries (Less than 15 days
No Lost Time Work-Related Accident
First-Aid Work-Related injury (Optional reporting)
In-House Third-Party
68 18
554
139
304 110
23
104
The number of near misses totaled 342, considering in-house and thirdparty employees
In 2021, Urba reported no work-related accidents
Work-Related Injuries and Ill-Health
MRV&CO adopts a procedure to investigate Work-Related Injuries and Ill-Health, through which the occupational physician distinguishes between conditions that may be or not be caused by work practices. The investigation committee counts on at least one occupational physician, one Occupational Safety representative, and the patient (the employee) whenever possible.
The technical team assesses the occupational illness or medical complaint through interviews, on-site observation, and research with entities and specialists to determine their cause and whether they result from work practices.
