The safety and health of employees is a top priority for Kia Slovakia, which is why the company continuously invests in new technologies and programmes aimed at creating a safe and healthy working environment. At the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Training Centre, it is possible to simulate situations such as falls from height, electric shock, rescue from confined spaces, noise exposure, and the use of personal protective equipment in various working environments.
The construction of the training centre required an investment of nearly EUR 500,000, with approximately half of the amount allocated to the purchase of machinery and equipment. The remaining funds were used for facility modifications and the logistical support of the project.
“We believe that education and communication are key to preventing workplace accidents. Our OHS training centre enables us to provide top-level health and safety training to a wide range of people. We believe this will help improve occupational safety not only at Kia Slovakia, but across the entire region. At Kia Slovakia, we believe that everyone deserves to work in a safe and healthy environment,” said Tomáš Potoček, Spokesperson for Kia Slovakia.
The Kia Slovakia manufacturing plant achieved very positive occupational safety results in 2023, recording only 27 minor injuries and two registered accidents. This success can be attributed to continuous effort and the development of a strong safety culture. As early as 2014, Kia Slovakia became the first car manufacturer in Slovakia to receive the Safe Enterprise certificate awarded by the National Labour Inspectorate. The company successfully defended the certificate again in 2019 within the five-year certification period and is applying for it once more this year. The Safe Enterprise certificate confirms that for certified companies, occupational safety and health protection are just as important as economic performance.
In accident prevention, Kia Slovakia places strong emphasis on cooperation with employees themselves. This is also ensured through an internal mobile application, used by more than 95% of employees. Through the app, employees can report observations directly from the production plant whenever they identify a potential risk. Building a strong safety culture is also supported through the employee evaluation system, where employees can improve their performance ratings by reporting potential risks and other hazardous situations.
At the beginning of production in 2007, Kia Slovakia recorded approximately 500 minor injuries per year. Thanks to effective occupational safety and health measures, this number has gradually decreased, reaching just 27 minor injuries in 2023. A similar downward trend can be observed in accidents resulting in incapacity for work: while 47 such accidents were recorded in 2007, the current figure has been reduced to zero to two per year.
On the occasion of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, commemorated annually on 28 April, Kia Slovakia invited representatives of the media as well as the Labour Inspectorate to present the ways in which the company builds and strengthens a robust occupational safety culture.
