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The care for our professionals is a part of Neoenergia’s daily work and, during Covid-19 pandemic, the company quadrupled its prevention efforts among the operational teams, both in relation to accidents and the infection by the new coronavirus. Safety inspections, the so-called proactive actions to avoid work accidents, increased 317% in the period from January to April 2020 versus the same period of last year, amounting to 6,996 inspections with field teams.

Through these inspections, safety technicians monitor the operation performance by own employees and service providers, reinforcing preventive practices and identifying improvement opportunities to be worked on to avoid potential accidents. The safety technician inputs all information collected in a system that generates a database. Such information enables a more assertive decision-making and subsequent development of corrective and preventive actions based on the main short-, mid- and long-term operation needs.

​​This reinforcement encompassed the group’s four concessionaries -Coelba (Bahia), Celpe (Pernambuco), Cosern (Rio Grande do Norte) and Elektro (São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul). At Coelba alone, the increase in the number of safety inspections was 552% from January to April as compared to the same period in 2019 (a total of 2,655 inspections) Celpe recorded a 272% growth, amounting to 1,855 inspections. In turn, inspections increased 266% at Cosern, reaching 461, and 213% at Elektro, corresponding to 2,015 inspections from January to April this year.

“This work is carried out through a planning of activities, whereby we focus the inspections on processes recording work incidents. In addition, with Covid-19 world crisis, we are faced with new risks, both to the health of those working in the field and the office or at home”, says Harley Albuquerque, Neoenergia’s Health and Safety Manager. We have been strongly investing in new procedures, equipment and actions to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus among our workforce. Our presence in the field has significantly contributed to the decrease in accidents. When comparing the same periods from January to April of the last year and this year, we had a total reduction of 64% in accidents considering own employees and contractors”, he highlights.

All safety technicians reiterate the guidelines set by medical authorities for coronavirus prevention. The use of masks by all professionals and the distancing between them is mandatory. In addition, actions are carried out to raise awareness and hygiene kits containing hand sanitizers are supplied. The presence of the technician in field activities highlights the importance of the safe behavior, and establishes the company’s commitment with the safety and health of each and all employees.​​

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This initiative is part of the Iberdrola group's response to the Coronavirus.