The Second Forum of Contractors dedicated to risk-oriented contractor activity management in which 30 companies took part, was held in the NIS Business Centre in Novi Sad today. NIS has a risk management system established in accordance with the occupational health and safety policy. One of the elements of this system involves the Contractor Safety Management (CSM). Through the application of various occupational health and safety measures, the CSM aims at preventing undesirable events such as injuries and damages, which may be caused by the contractors NIS has hired for the purpose of equipment, production units or facilities maintenance, site safety provision, for investment activities, transport of goods, people or material, staff catering, construction works and other activities. As of this year, NIS has been implementing the practice of organizing quarterly contractor safety management forums, which are primarily aimed at familiarizing its partners with good practice, exchanging experiences and enhancing environmental health and safety. Apart from more successful satisfaction of all requirements related to safety regulations, the purpose of better communication between NIS and hired contractors is also the creation of a safe working environment for everyone. It is NIS` primary objective that its contractors meet all statutory requirements in the area of occupational health and safety and environmental protection, as well as the requirements defined by the company`s internal standards. The principles of occupational health and safety and also environmental preservation are defined for the entire validity period of any contract since contractors often perform high-risk activities, and unless they comply with safety standards, they may cause injuries or accidents involving other people, as well – in this case, the staff and property of NIS. “As a socially responsible company, NIS takes the safety of all stakeholders, including our contractors, very seriously. The forum provides us with an opportunity to share our risk-management philosophy with our partners and to familiarize them with the objectives, scope of application and benefits to be gained through the implementation of occupational safety standards in order to create a safe working environment for everyone, in the first place,” said David Alison, Director of the Health, Safety and Environment in NIS.
