Health and safety
The health and safety of people are fundamental pillars of CSN’s operations. Our preventive, systemic, and human-centered approach guides continuous actions toward safer, healthier, and more sustainable work environments. Based on international standards, investments in technology, continuous training, and a strong organizational culture, we seek to protect lives and promote the well-being of all employees and partners.
The main guidelines regarding this topic are outlined in the Sustainability Policy, the Occupational Health and Safety Management Manual, and the Occupational Health and Safety Manual for Suppliers. These documents reinforce the role of leadership in managing health and safety aspects and establish mechanisms for monitoring performance and action plans by the Board of Directors, the ESG Committee, and the Board of Executive Officers.
Management
CSN adopts a preventive and structured approach to health and safety management, based on ISO 45001, the Regulatory Standards (NRs) of the Ministry of Labor, the National Program for Occupational Safety and Health (PNSST), and the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Additionally, through our Corporate Health and Safety Policy, we have defined the Occupational Health and Safety Management Manual and the Health and Safety Manual for Third Parties. These are based on market best practices, regulatory standards, and Brazilian and international recommendations.
The manual contains guidelines to direct the actions of all employees and contractors regarding safe and proactive behavior, legal compliance, mitigation and control of hazards and risks, and the prevention of occupational injuries and illnesses. This is achieved through ten elements that define responsibilities and the need for specific prevention tools.
The Health and Safety Management System covers 100% of employees and suppliers and is built on ten strategic elements.
Commitment and leadership
Communication
Standards and Procedures
Behavioral development
Risk management
Change management
Legal requirements
Planning
Management of suppliers and services
Skills and Abilities Management
Pillars of Occupational Health and Safety
Indicators and ResultsThe improvements in management are reflected in significant results. In 2024, indicators continued to improve:
- Zero fatal accidents
- 67% reduction in Accident Severity Rate
- 63% reduction in lost days due to leave
- Over 430,000 hours of health and safety training
The indicators follow the guidelines of GRI 403 and ABNT NBR ISO 45001, with detailed control over accidents, lost days, and severity.
CSN reaffirms its commitment to ESG principles through the continuous and strategic management of occupational health, recognizing the physical and mental well-being of employees as an essential driver for business sustainability and long-term value creation.
Among the main initiatives are:
- Vaccination and disease screening campaigns, with a focus on preventing and mitigating collective health risks.
- Regular medical exams, ensuring the continuous monitoring of employees’ fitness for work.
- Outpatient care in 23 operational units, providing easy access to basic health care in the workplace.
As part of its commitment to comprehensive health, the company structured the CSN 10+ program, which consolidates the main health promotion fronts into 10 strategic pillars:
- “Despertar” (Awakening) – Fatigue management and the promotion of operational safety.
- Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention – Strengthening a safety culture and preventing risks.
- Skin Health – Prevention of occupational dermatological diseases.
- “Medicina Itinerante” (Itinerant Medicine) – Expanding access to healthcare in remote units and bringing medical care closer to the reality of the factory floor.
- Ergonomic Management – Monitoring and adapting workstations, focusing on injury prevention and improving quality of life.
- Continuous Improvement Programs – Initiatives focused on innovation and efficiency in occupational health processes.
- Quality of Life / “Sentinela” (Sentinel) – Promoting physical and emotional well-being through integrated actions.
- “Programa em Forma” (In Shape Program) – Encouraging physical activities and healthy habits.
- “Saudavelmente” (Healthily) Program – Support for employees’ mental and emotional health.
- Anti-smoking Program – Encouraging smoking cessation and promoting healthier environments.
Additionally, the management of absent employees is conducted with a focus on safe and humanized reintegration, reinforcing continuous care for employee health.
CSN has also intensified ergonomic monitoring and psychosocial support, with special attention to emerging demands in the post-pandemic scenario, strengthening organizational resilience and mental health support.
These actions reflect the company’s conviction that investing in employee health is investing in the business’s longevity, sustainable productivity, and the creation of value for all stakeholders.
The strengthening of the safety culture is a continuous process with the active participation of both leadership and operational teams. In 2024, more than 430,000 hours of training were completed, with a special focus on the steelmaking and mining businesses.
Internal campaigns, behavioral audits, performance awards, and SIPATMA (Internal Week for Accident Prevention and the Environment), which was redesigned to give employees a leading role, all reinforce a collective commitment to safety.
Investments and Technological Innovation
CSN continuously invests in technology to prevent accidents. Notable highlights include:
- Smart sensors
- Remote monitoring
- Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) systems
- Digital risk control platforms
- The use of tools like 3D glasses and readiness tests
Solutions such as Safety 6.0, currently under development in the steelmaking division, aim to integrate and unify occupational health and safety databases. This tool will make it possible to optimize data consolidation, visibility, and access for the unit, thus enhancing its ability to mitigate risks for employees. RISKEX, adopted in the mining division, helps map and classify risky activities and analyze the effectiveness of adopted control measures.
Launched in 2023, the AGIR Program represents a new level in safety management. Focused on reducing high-potential risks and preventing fatalities, the AGIR Program for 2025 is based on the following pillars:
- Leadership
- Critical Risk Management: Contingency Actions and Process Safety
- Standards and Procedures
- Preventive Tools
The direct involvement of leadership has been essential to the success of this initiative, which has already contributed significantly to the reduction of key risk indicators.
The governance structure for health and safety includes:
- Executive and local committees, with periodic meetings and performance analysis.
- Active employee participation, with a leading role in actions and decisions.
- Continuous improvement of safety practices, based on lessons learned and innovation.
CSN establishes clear and public Health and Safety goals, in line with its ESG commitments:
- Reduce the accident frequency rate by 30% by 2030.
- Maintain a zero-fatality rate.
- Reduce lost days due to absence.
- Achieve continuous improvements in the TRIFR (Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate), which reached 1.87 in 2024. Notably, CSN Mineração has already surpassed this goal with a rate of 0.99.
Caring for people is our priority. CSN’s health and safety management is driven by values, results, and, above all, a commitment to life.
Performance
The identification and analysis of risks and impacts on OSH are carried out using qualitative and/or quantitative methodologies appropriate to each situation. The identification and analysis of risks and impacts on OSH are considered throughout the life cycle of the projects, from their basic conception to their eventual deactivation, passing through the design, construction, operation and improvement. The identification and analysis of risks and impacts on OSH are used to direct the management of all activities, routine or non-routine, and processes in order to prevent the occurrence of potential or real losses.
For issues related to health and safety at work, 100% of our employees, both in-house and outsourced, are covered by formal health and safety committees. The committees that deal with the matter, at the operational, managerial and leadership levels, are the following:
- Central Safety Committee – Business Unit;
- Corporate and Directive Committee on Occupational Health and Safety;
- Leadership Committee;
- Contracts Committee;
- Working groups for NRs (10, 12, 13, 20, 33 and 35).
At CSN, we carry out occupational examinations, in addition to providing assistance, which not only served to protect the health of employees, but also to assist in the demographic monitoring of our population, allowing us, based on the results obtained in these medical evaluations, to maintain programs in place. prevention and health promotion programs that already exist, such as the PPAE (Program for the Prevention of Alcohol Abuse and Narcotics), ergonomic programs, social support, occupational physiotherapy, in addition to the elaboration and implementation of the Viva Mais Program, with quality of life and health promotion.
Additionally, we have a mental health program structured in the main units of the Group, which, through a process of evaluation and diagnosis primarily conducted via periodic exams (ASO), maps out occupational risks related to the topic. Based on this information, action plans are developed to mitigate these risks, promote emotional well-being, and raise employee awareness about the importance of mental health. These plans include training sessions and workshops on stress management, resilience, and mindfulness practices. Furthermore, when a need is identified, employees are referred for psychological treatment and receive continuous monitoring to track their progress.
- Hearing Conservation Program;
- Respiratory Protection Program;
- Ergonomics Program;
- Awakening Program;
- Program for the Prevention of Alcohol Abuse and Use of Narcotics (PPAE).