SN Aboitiz Power Group attains safety records

SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP) Group recently attained safety records without lost-time injury (LTI) in its hydropower facilities in Isabela and Benguet. This achievement marks a significant milestone for SNAP Group, which inaugurated the 8.5 Maris hydroelectric power plant in Ramon, Isabela earlier this year.

The Ambuklao hydro has recorded LTI-free man-hours of 2,019,493 since April 2012, its running best record; Binga has attained 1,581,616 hours since October 2013; and Magat has achieved 1,019,008 hours LTI-free since March 2015.

“This speaks to SNAP’s commitment to the highest standards of workplace safety,” SNAP President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph S. Yu said. “More importantly, it reflects our team’s dedication to ensuring the safety of each team member who works in our plants.”

Over the past decade, SNAP has implemented policies and programs to ensure its continuing commitment to keeping its employees, contractors, and host communities safe. Earlier this year, SNAP-Benguet passed the certification audit of its Integrated Management System (IMS), which includes ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System and ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System, as well as the surveillance audit of the OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System. SNAP-Magat is up for IMS re-certification in September of this year.

SNAP’s Safety, Health, Environment, Security and Quality (SHESQ) team recently relaunched its reporting system for accidents and near misses, Report of Unwanted Occurrences, through a digital platform called eRUO. The system fosters a sense of personal responsibility and empowers all employees to be aware and proactive about reporting unsafe or potentially unsafe work conditions.

Other proactive approaches to safety are Take 5, a five-step process that encourages all personnel to stop, think and carefully consider the impact to safety before engaging in any task. Teams also hold daily or weekly toolbox meetings to discuss safety, health, or environmental concerns and matters on the planned activities for the day or week. Safety Share, launched in 2017, is a three- to five-minute discussion about safety, health, and environmental topics at the beginning of a meeting, covering general information on safety, health, and environment, lessons learned from any incidents, or best practices. These initiatives are implemented across all SNAP facilities, including its corporate office in Manila.

Promoting safety as a value also extends to its host communities. SNAP continues to partner with the municipal and barangay local government units and partner agencies on annual emergency drills and training programs for dam and water safety.

“These and other initiatives serve to reduce risk and reinforce safety as a corporate value and as a culture, making each employee an advocate,” Yu said. “We’re proud to achieve this milestone, and we’ll work continually to maintain the highest standards and make sure that our facilities remain a safe place to work.”

SNAP Group is a joint venture between SN Power and Aboitiz Power. It owns and operates the 360-MW Magat Hydroelectric Power Plant located on the border of Isabela and Ifugao, the 8.5-MW Maris Hydroelectric Power Plant in Isabela, as well as the 105-MW Ambuklao Hydroelectric Power Plant and the 140-MW Binga Hydroelectric Power Plant in the province of Benguet.