Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia (FCAB) achieves its lowest accident rate in five years
02 July 2021
According to its Sustainability Report 2020, the company achieved a record Accident Frequency Index (IF) of 2.37, which places it well below the Chilean rail transport industry’s IF of 5.82.
FCAB has published its Sustainability Report 2020, which documents the main aspects of its management in a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic. The document, which follows the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and was audited by Deloitte, also reports on the progress made in other fundamental aspects of FCAB's management, such as its social, environmental and economic performance.
"The global pandemic mobilized us as a society to rethink our priorities, to define new ways of working and to strengthen our health and safety measures. At FCAB we were no strangers to this scenario and, with the aim of maintaining operational continuity, our capacity to adapt and be resilient allowed us to quickly adopt all the measures necessary to continue transporting the valuable products of the north safely, efficiently and competitively," said Katharina Jenny, General Manager of FCAB in her message in the Sustainability Report.
The company’s main achievement was in terms of safety, with a record Accident Frequency Index (IF) of 2.37, the lowest in five years, and which places it well below the IF of the rail transport industry in Chile, which is 5.82.
Added to this was the reduction in high potential accidents by 40% from 2019, demonstrating the success of FCAB's new safety and occupational health strategy in terms of ensuring safe and reliable operations.
In terms of diversity and inclusion, 2020 saw an increase of 15.8% in female employees compared to 2019, reaching a total of 183 female workers - 14% of FCAB's total staff.
The report also documents a 40% reduction in the generation of domestic waste, in line with the company’s commitment to prevent, control and mitigate any possible environmental impacts and to ensure an efficient use of natural resources.
Another relevant aspect included in the report is the continuity of the Rail Yards Reconversion Plan, which seeks to transform the company's facilities into an asset for the Antofagasta region.
"During 2020, as part of our contribution to the development of the territory, we began the process of restoring the Valdivia Station with input from the community, which was carried out virtually with neighbours and community representatives. The initiative seeks to generate proposals for the use of the building, once it has been decided how the restoration will be carried out, in agreement with the National Monuments Council," emphasized Katharina Jenny in her statements.
"As an actor that has been present in the Antofagasta region for 132 years, we at FCAB want to contribute to the development of the region and its people. The Covid-19 pandemic has given us an even greater impetus to continue fulfilling this purpose without interrupting our operations and to continue transporting the valuable products of the north safely, while prioritizing the health of our workers," concluded Katharina Jenny.
