Lifelong learning

We are committed to improving the skill, knowledge and experience of every person in employment. Our actions are focused on enabling individuals to make the most of their personal and potential contribution at work. By its very nature, this is an endless endeavour.

In 2008, we invested over £1,000 per person, (£0.8 million), in training activities to enhance technical skills and knowledge, leadership and management knowledge and experience, and a fundamental understanding of every relevant aspect of safe working and the safety of colleagues. As a consequence, 38 of our people took on a promotion and increased responsibility.

The people at Drax are not merely the crucial asset. Through their dedication, commitment and positive culture they help to achieve outstanding results personally and collectively.

Employment

We employed 727 people at the year end. During the year we increased employment by 40 jobs. We endeavour to recruit in our local catchment area.

Nearly four out of ten Drax people have been with the Company for 20 years or more, constituting a unique core of skill, experience and knowledge. Our employee retention rate is over 96% per annum.

Our compliance with all relevant legislation and regulations is non-negotiable.

We work to achieve high standards in the areas of employment practices, for example, through the avoidance of discriminatory practices, and the speedy and clear resolution of queries and grievances. We review each of our policies and procedures on a regular basis, normally annually, to ensure improvement of service and legal compliance.

Industrial partnership

We recognise and negotiate with independent Trades Unions representing a substantial number of our people. This is a long-standing and well-developed partnership. Both parties work hard to ensure that more objectives are shared than are disputed.

As a consequence, we maintain a positive industrial relations climate in which continuity of the Company’s operations is acknowledged to be paramount. We are committed to be fair in the settlement of any grievances or dispute. We undertake to consult staff fully on all changes that have a material impact on their employment.

Quality of internal communication

We use a variety of communication techniques, one-way and two-way, formal and informal, to ensure that all our staff are kept fully informed of developments in the Company’s operations.

In the last year the communication methods have included monthly team briefs to all staff, plant-wide meetings at least every six months on Company performance and major initiatives, written communications such as leaflets and newsletters, e-mails, and 360º feedback. The Company intranet is also widely used.

Fair pay and benefits

We operate fair and visible remuneration policies which ensure that staff are paid an appropriate salary for the work they undertake. The lowest level of salary paid at Drax is substantially higher than the national minimum wage.

Benefits, such as holidays and pension, match or exceed the best in the industry sector and the local area.

We commission independent experts to benchmark our salaries and benefits at every level against the industry sector and the market as a whole. We also participate in specialist industry meetings to exchange information and developments in employment policy.

We commit to maintain and support a range of share plans which encourage all of our staff to build a personal stake in the ownership of the business. In the case of executive directors and senior staff this includes a commitment to own shares to a significant percentage of their annual salary.

Health and wellbeing

Health and safety is our priority. We are committed to promoting the wellbeing of all our staff and to ensure a professional response to all emergency situations that occur. We ensure that our first aid response is the best that we can make it by training our staff to the highest level we can.

Our occupational health team undertakes regular programmes to screen colleagues who are in contact with high noise-levels and sensitive respiratory conditions. Everyone working in operational areas has a three-yearly lung function test. Eye-sight tests are carried out for all on a three-year cycle, alongside the periodic medical examination. During 2008, 200 employees were tested and given specialist advice.

In 2008, the occupational health team promoted a “Stop Smoking” campaign, supported by the Hull and East Riding stop smoking service.

The average level of absence at Drax for 2008 was 2.8%, lower than the UK average for the manufacturing/industrial working environment.

New skills for young people

Drax runs an active and developing apprenticeship programme, currently training 24 young men and women over a four-year training period. In 2008, our second year apprentices won the Apprentice Team Award, and one of its number, Oliver Dann, won Power Generation Apprentice of the Year and the Engineering Academy Apprentice of the Year Award.

The third age

Each year we invite over 350 Drax pensioners to a celebratory event at Christmas. The Retired Employees Association organise trips and other events during the course of the year for our people who have now retired from Drax.

There are 117 Pensioners in the Drax Power Group Section of the Electricity Supply Pension Scheme (“ESPS”), 54 deferred members and 425 active contributors still working at Drax. Since 2000, new recruits have joined the Group Personal Pension Plan which now has 268 contributing members.

Health and safety

Health and safety is at the heart of our corporate responsibility. Protecting our employees, contractors and all visitors from injury and promoting employee wellbeing is fundamental to our business philosophy. We are committed to developing and maintaining a positive health and safety culture in which statutory requirements are viewed as a minimum standard and leading performance our goal.

Personal safety statistics

Attaining leading performance

The lost time injury rate and total recordable injury rate for 2008 are significantly lower than in 2007. This improvement in performance is commendable given the significant increase in contractor man-hours worked during the year, and is a clear indication that the safety programmes implemented in the last few years are now delivering sound sustainable performance. Our safety record continues to compare favourably with that of our sector peers and international benchmarks.

The Company has been successful in retaining accreditation of its Health and Safety Management System to the recently updated internationally recognised Occupational Health and Safety standard OHSAS 18001. Drax is proud to be one of a select group of large coal-fired power stations in the country to hold this standard, which is approved by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance. In addition to this, the Company was equally delighted to be awarded the RoSPA Gold Award for the fourth year running.

Processes underpinning performance

The Production Integrity Management Systems (“PIMS”) programme launched last year continues to provide the platform the business needs to deliver continuous improvement of business critical systems which are fundamental to the safe and effective operation of the power station.

“Spotlight on Safety” is our implementation of the internationally proven DuPont™ STOP™ programme. This behavioural safety programme coupled with the Drax Task Risk Assessment (“TRA”) process, the “Safety Kick-Off” start of shift safety briefings and the dynamic point of work risk assessment (“POWRA”) initiatives give us the framework we need for open engagement between operatives and supervisors to develop the defensive behaviours which are a fundamental component of the robust world-class safety culture we aspire to create.

Safety leadership and recognition

The Company has made a concerted effort to improve the critical safety leadership contribution required from first line supervisors. The expectations of both management and supervisors have been debated afresh and reaffirmed in a Safety Leadership Charter.

People working on the site at all levels who have demonstrated safety leadership have been given recognition awards.

Communicating the safety message

Our “Weekly Safety Bulletin” briefing process provides a fast track communication vehicle to reach all those working on the site. We use the process to draw attention to specific safety issues, our performance record and to recognise achievements. Active engagement in the safety briefing process is a job requirement. In addition, the safety representatives and management team members of the Health and Safety Advisory Committee continue to play a vital role in facilitating staff consultation on health and safety issues.

Our ongoing safety exchange relationships with ScottishPower’s Longannet Power Station and E.ON’s Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station continue to provide new ideas and a stimulus to drive our health and safety improvement efforts forward.