OREANDA-NEWS. December 18, 2012. METALLOINVEST has won the PEOPLE INVESTOR 2012 corporate competition for the best regional project in the “building relations with partner and client relations” category. The Company’s project in the “personal protective equipment – corporate” category received a high score.

The project aims to increase the quality of personal protective equipment (PPE). It was first implemented at Ural Steel in June 2012, whilst, in August, OEMK began consultations on implementing the project. According to the PPE project schedule, all of METALLOINVEST’s companies will be involved in its implementation in 2013-2014.

The project comprises two phases:

Phase I (June – December 2012) includes the following measures: development and approval of internal standards, setting out the key procedures for the provision of PPE. Various domestic and international suppliers of the equipment were requested to provide information on the requirements, technical characteristics, criteria and conditions of delivery and provision of the PPE. Preliminary consultations took place with a number of PPE producers in regard to preparation for and carrying out of technical audits to test the effectiveness of the chosen PPE.

Phase II of the project (February – November 2013) is planned to comprise:

- Carrying out of a training programme for company employees on the correct usage of PPE.

- Carrying out of technical audits to test effectiveness of the PPE, taking into account the results of the assessments of workstations with varied sets of PPE, and justification of the application of a range of different PPE.

- Organisation and carrying out of testing of modern types of PPE, including masks, at the production zones requiring the most attention.

An expert jury for the PEOPLE INVESTOR 2012 prize highly rated the active involvement and development of mutually beneficial contacts between the Company’s businesses and producers/suppliers of PPE.

The PEOPLE INVESTOR project is an initiative of the Association of Managers and has been running annually since 2008. In this time it has created a whole community of representatives of Russian business for whom intangible elements – including employees, buildings, reliable partner relations and social reputation – are crucial for the successful functioning of a modern company. PEOPLE INVESTOR is a competition of corporate projects in different categories. A nationwide forum takes place at the end of each year where the best corporate projects are recognised and a ceremony is held to reward the best companies for their investment in human potential.