The SIJ Group Wins the PRIZMA Award for Excellence in Communication

Portorož, 20 April 2017 – The SIJ Group's comprehensive internal campaign for raising awareness of occupational health and safety, We can be healthy, we can be safe received the 2016 PRIZMA award, Slovenia's highest professional award in the field of public relations.

The award was granted by the Public Relations Society of Slovenia at the Slovenian Conference on Public Relations and Communication Management (SKOJ) in Portorož. The awards for excellence in communication programs were granted in six categories. The SIJ Group won in the Internal Communication Program category. "At the SIJ Group, we are extremely pleased by our first award for communication. We know all along that the project was good. At the same time, we believed that we would be able to convince the six expert jurors of the comprehensive and effective nature of our campaign for raising awareness of occupational health and safety. It is nice when experts recognize the excellence of a campaign, but what truly matters is that associates from all SIJ Group companies accepted it as their own, becoming actively involved in the relevant activities. Above all, it is important for them to believe that it is possible to achieve the goal of zero accidents at work. This award is proof that we can work safely and live a healthy life, but it also shows that we can carry out top communication projects and achieve the highest standards of communication in Slovenia," said Dr. Denis Mancevič, Member of the Management Board and CEO of the SIJ Group, upon receiving the award.

Taking place from April 2016 until the end of the year, the We can be healthy, we can be safe campaign for raising awareness of occupational health and safety was the SIJ Group's first comprehensive communication campaign. In metallurgy, where 70% of the employees work in a demanding production environment, occupational safety and the promotion of health are an extremely important topic and a considerable challenge.

As part of the campaign, the SIJ Group prepared a series of communication activities as a way of directly or indirectly including close to 3000 employees in five production companies in Ravne na Koroškem and Jesenice. The campaign was at its most intense in April, which has been designated the month of occupational health and safety by the World Steel Association.

The campaign continues in 2017. In addition to upgrading last year's activities, special emphasis is placed on the personal responsibility of the employees. An important part in the Group's efforts will be played by the workers who have suffered injuries at work in the past. Acting as ambassadors, they will raise awareness among other workers of the importance of closely following all rules and measures for the occupational safety of each individual and all employees as a group.

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The SIJ Group is the largest Slovenian vertically integrated metallurgist group, whose products rank among the top market positions in the European and world niche steel markets. The Group has two main areas of business – the core business of metallurgy and food (the Perutnina Ptuj Group) – with almost 50 affiliated companies in Europe, the USA and Asia and some 7200 employees. In 2016 the SIJ Group generated EUR 842.7 million in revenues, an EBITDA of EUR 127.1 million and a net profit of EUR 51.3 million.

More information:
Anja Potočnik, Corporate Communications Specialist
M: +386 51 693 184
E-mail: anja.potocnik@sij.si