Main Occupational Health programs in Ecopetrol S.A.

Occupational Health technical advisory activities for the Sostecnibility program of Ecopetrol Group 

Incorporation of Industrial Hygiene Standards and ergonomics to projects and new work facilities 

The purpose of this activity is to ensure the incorporation of industrial Hygiene and ergonomics standards at any phase and according to prioritized industrial and non-industrial facilities projects in Ecopetrol Group. 

Technical analysis of ergonomics and industrial hygiene projects are based on controlling uncertainty and anticipating the effects (negative mainly) of the variability of a work system. 

In 2023 Occupational Health Department, had a technical advisory on the following projects to ensure industrial hygiene and ergonomics standard compliance. Graphic 1 shows technical advisory provided to projects: 

Graphic 1 Projects supported in 2023. 

1.2 Industrial Hygiene and ergonomics technical advisory considerations 

• Ergonomics support to the U031 Boiler Water System Reliability in Cartagena Refinery in the prestart step (90%) and one year finished project (100%) 
• Technical review advisory on basic engineering in the maintenance area modernization project of Cartagena Management Refinery  
• Solar plant ergonomics project to support the reduction of identified risks during screws assembly, sunbed assembly and panels installation. 
• U107 GRC project was supported with the review of 60% of the work plan, technical comments related to crane bridge and circulation platforms/bridges were done. 
• Full time ergonomics advisory to the project of 12 furnace railing in Barrancabermeja Refinery  

Graphic 2 Technical advisory for projects – Basic engineering review 

• Lab engineering it’s on a detail engineering step and the Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) standard has been verified. 100% progress 
• Fuel quality project has a 40% progress in the ergonomic and industrial hygiene advisory. 
• Sulfur II and Sulfur III project detail engineering step has 100% progress. The intervention to improve and implement noise control it’s unfinished.  

Graphic 3 Left side. 3D Model / Right side. prestart area analyzed. The high flange was adjusted to access and extract the filter. 

II Occupational Health Risk Level Control Indicator 

This indicator contributes to manage occupational risk proactively in work environments preventing occupational diseases and assess the impact of intervention plans defined for chemical, physic, and ergonomics agents. 

Occupational Health Risk Level Control Indicator intervene physical, chemical, and ergonomic risk jobs. Occupational Health Department objective is to support operational areas to eliminate or reduce those risks. 

About 29 risk jobs were included in 2023 indicator (4 occupational hygiene high risk, 17 ergonomics high risk, and 8 medium risk ergonomic). Details are included in the next chart as follow: 

• Vicepresidencia De Refinación Y Procesos Industriales 12 jobs distributed as follows:  

• Centro de Innovación y Tecnología - Instituto Colombiano del Petróleo 3 jobs: 

• Vicepresidencia de Upstream 14 jobs distributed as follows: 

In December 2023, the company achieved the reduction or elimination of hygienic and ergonomics risk factor in all the jobs previously described and which intervention was planned for 2023 term. 

Graphic 4 Occupational Health Risk Level Control Indicator Compliance - 2023  

Some examples of ergonomics interventions in Occupational Health Risk Level Control Jobs 

Graphic 5: Top and left side: Crane Operation Technician GRC / Top and right side: Yard inpsection Castilla 2 Bottom and left side: Battery operator VAO/ Bottom and right-side Caribe battery VAO

III. Closing gaps in existent facilities

• Ergonomics: Sostecnibility strategy

The activities planned for 2023, described as follows, had 100% compliance:

1. Informed results to business and define prioritized intervention actions (Valves, control room and tools)
2. Defined intervention propositions and include them in 2024 budget.
3. Supported the implementation of prioritized 2023 intervention actions.

Graphic 6 Conceptual design Support phase

Graphic 7 Valve extension installed in GRB

• Industrial Hygiene – Sostecnibility strategy

2023 planned activities, described as follows, had a 100% compliance:

1. Prioritized intervention criteria were defined for the process sampler and storage tanks.
2. The prioritizing criteria were applied for the process sampler and storage tanks.
3. Intervention plan defined for business units to close gap in the sampler process and hermetic measurement of storage tanks.
4. Human Factors

IV. Human Factors

2023-2040 Occupational Health Department strategy decided to define guidelines and requirements to implement human factors in the incorporation, operation, and maintenance steps of industrial and non-industrial facilities of Ecopetrol S.A

Human Factors discipline and tools allows risk management related to human (employee), considering 3 dimensions: Task, human and organization as follows:

• Taks: What people must do.
• Person and its capabilities (Who ensure the task)
• The organization and it’s attributes (Where and the reason for the task to be done).

Human factors must be incorporated into the organization process considering employee interaction (human) to the process (Task). Human factors strategy follows a roadmap according to the classification:

1. Existing facilities: check out existing conditions on previous supervised areas or identified as Occupational Health interest.
2. Modification of facilities: Adjustment project in at least 60% of them to change operation (Human and system interaction)
3. New projects: Adjustment project to change operation at least 60% (Human and system interaction)

Strategy includes the process in which activities are defined to be implemented in phases: assessment, selection, definition, and execution of Human Factors in the organization. The next graphic sum up the activities:

Graphic 8: From Ecopetrol S.A Human Factors guidelines

V. Cognitive abilities – ARAS (Anticipated Response to Abnormal Situations)

Ecopetrol Occupational Health Department knows the importance of training employees in cognitive abilities at work environment according to task complexity and the increased speed of professional demands.

These abilities enhance the capacity of processing information, the memory and decision making. On the other hand, improves problem resolution and adaptability to unexpected changes.

Occupational Health Department understand that investing in the development of cognitive abilities improves employee abilities to face complex challenges promoting an efficient and sustainable work environment.

For this reason, in 2023 Human Factors project and cognitive abilities continued during the year with these results:

Graphic 9: ARAS (Anticipated Response to Abnormal Situations)

According to each department expected results, these are the coverage phases:

VI Occupational Health assistance for remote working employees.

Occupational Health Department defined a strategy to assist employees who were under remote working conditions to identify risk conditions and stipulate controls.

The strategy includes remote workstations initial evaluation done by ergonomic professionals ensuring to:

• Provide basic recommendations to improve the workstation immediately.
• Report recommendations for a safe and adequate workstation according to employee activities.

By the end of 2023 the company achieved 99,4% participation of remote nationwide employees of Ecopetrol S.A

Graphic 10 Remote workstations evaluation compliance

On the other hand, the strategy included a second evaluation to verify the correct implementation of the recommendations adopted by remote employees accordingly to initial evaluation. The purpose of this phase is to:

• Verify successful implementation of initial recommendations adopted in the workstation.
• Employee Final adaption to its ergonomic working elements

By the end of 2023 the company achieved 96.8% participation of remote nationwide employees of Ecopetrol S.A

Graphic 11 Remote workstations adjustment evaluation compliance

VII. Psychosocial Risk Management and Mental Health

Psychosocial factors assessment: Psychosocial factors, mental and emotional health are wellness fundamentals for human being, for that reason it is a priority for Ecopetrol, and it was stablished as one of the 2023 milestones completing the psychosocial risk factors evaluation. Considering participation criteria assessment and volunteer participation, the company stipulated a 9.301 target population according to the standard and fulfilled it by 80% (7.465 people coverage). On the other hand, during work hours, after work activities, and stress perception were pointed out in Ecopetrol departments survey results achieving a significant favorable percentage regarding the priority of the intervention.

Graphic 12. Psychosocial factors assessment results. Period 2022-2023

• Healthy leadership interventions: This strategy has been developed as another psychosocial and mental health management pillar. Its purpose is to strengthen individual abilities in leadership providing management tools and improving soft skills. Fulfilled target population was 490 leaders in 2023.
• Training leaders process started from neuro-leadership practice, it began with Cartagena’s leaders and provided tools to lead effectively accordingly to the knowledge about brain and how it works. Leaders will try to understand other brains from their teamwork, and form that starting point influence desirable actions. Head must be capable of reading employee’s emotional signs / attitude and abilities to provide answer or proper reaction/ answer to them.

• Group and individual promotion and prevention interventions: The work on this topic has been focused on mental health, brain health and social wellness. 363 workshops were developed, and 3.535 employee participated on them. In addition, individual action included coping assessment and psychosocial advisory in which 2.627 people participated.

• Team Cohesion and Corporate Values Program were one of the group intervention accomplishments, its main goal was to strengthen team capability to work harmonious and efficiently together, identifying common goals, trusting each other, and working constructively connected to achieve the goals and team satisfaction.  500 employees were part of the activity during the 2023 and it will continue in 2024.

• Comparative percentage Compliance of psychosocial intervention plans

Graphic 13. Comparative percentage Compliance of psychosocial intervention plans

VIII Occupational Health Committee

Current Convención Colectiva de Trabajo (2023 - 2026) on chapter X, Occupational Health, defines the management agreement between labor union and the company about Ecopetrol employees Health and Safety. Article 78 indicates “Occupational Health in Ecopetrol S.A contributes to develop employees human potential; promotes, improve, and maintain physical, mental, and social health of employees, prevent diseases and occupational accidents. As well as promotes workplaces according to physical and mental worker conditions ensuring Regional and local Occupational Health Paritario Committee.

The company has 12 Occupational Health Paritario Comitee (COPASOS) and 25 Local Occupational Health Committee (COLOSOS) across the organization with management representatives and employee’s participation. The COPASOS, is a group of advisors in charge of promoting and ensuring Occupational Health programs compliance. The COLOSOS are participative spaces in which employee representatives join company’s efforts to guaranty promotion, prevention and take control of psychosocial risk factors through measures and solutions within their reach or transfer them if it’s needed to a competent authority. 100% of employees are represented by COPASOS y COLOSOS.

In 2023 representatives for 2 COPASOS and 2 COLOSOS were elected according to the current convención colectiva de trabajo (2023-2024.)