Hydro's first production facility is under construction at Notodden in Norway. The day laborers - roustabouts - often have short assignments before they move on to new jobs. Many of them are Swedish and far from home. Most of the work is done in difficult terrain and mostly by hand. Protective equipment is still far in the future.

The first collective agreement is reached at Notodden in Norway and covers, among other things, general wage increases, overtime provisions and a reduction of working time from 59 to 57 hours per week: ten-hour workday, seven hours on Saturday. A worker can still be fired on the spot, without prior notice and without knowing why.

At Hydro's first production sites, Notodden and Rjukan in Norway, health care services and a treatment room are created. At Rjukan, cooperation between doctors and representatives of the trade unions, leads to several initiatives, including a more systematic effort to determine the causes of injuries and health problems.

After a decade of wage cuts, Norwegian employers demand an additional 15 percent reduction during labor negotiations. The result is a conflict and a lockout by the employers. At Hydro's terminal at Menstad near Porsgrunn in Norway, non-union employees continue working. Unionized workers take action and police and military forces are deployed to restore order. The conflict has become the symbol of labor unrest in the "dirty thirties."

Hydro's plants at Herøya in Porsgrunn, Norway get health services and their own doctor. This is offered at the other plant locations and is seen eventually as a valuable health benefit. In 1955, there are six doctors and ten nurses providing health services at the Herøya plants.

Hydro is present when participants representing organized labor, employers and government establish the Workplace Committee Against Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (AKAN). The aim is to find better solutions than firing employees with substance abuse problems. These efforts have led over the years to today's substance abuse policy which is integrated into the overall health, safety and environment program.

Hydro starts in the aluminium business, outfitting Alnor in Karmøy, Norway with Søderberg technology. With mostly open cells, the work environment in the pot rooms is far from ideal. Later Hydro develops its own technology, which provides a cleaner indoor environment, reduced external emissions and lower energy consumption. Hydro's last Søderberg plant is closed down in 2009.

Hydro and the union local at Herøya, Norway enter into a productivity agreement to strengthen efficiency, effectiveness and cost-consciousness. This cooperation agreement is initiated in several factories. Teaching is combined with theory and practical training that leads to an apprenticeship certificate and makes Hydro into a corporate pioneer. Relations between management and the workers are improved, while the number of employees is reduced.

Hydro halts production at the PVC plant in Porsgrunn, Norway after a report presents a potential link between liver cancer and exposure to vinyl chloride monomer. Comprehensive health checks are carried out. The company modifies the production process, improves protective equipment and implements incentives that reward the employees financially when lower gas levels are measured in the factory.

Exposure to dust and process gases in the electrolysis pot rooms causes instances of a lung disease called pot room asthma in workers. Several measures are taken to improve the situation, including better ventilation systems and the introduction of protective equipment. As a result, the incidence of pot room asthma drops significantly.

Hydro introduces a specific health, safety and environment (HSE) policy for all company activities. Clear HSE requirements are also established for acquisitions and investments. In 1993 the HSE policy is supplemented with Hydro's environmental principles which assess products using a life cycle perspective. The company will favor products that can be recycled or reused and will place corresponding demands on individual employees and suppliers.

The presence of carcinogenic substances at Norwegian aluminium plants is causing concern. A larger survey of 11 103 workers shows that cancer morbidity and mortality is on par with the national average except for a slightly higher incidence of bladder cancer. Process improvements, closure of the Søderberg potlines and sealing of facilities are implemented and contribute to improvements in the work environment.

Hydro creates a special assessment tool for identifying physical and chemical hazards in the work environment. This empowers line managers to map local issues and implement targeted solutions. The tool eventually becomes mandatory for all production sites and is followed up using a common reporting system.

After 50 years as a producer of magnesium Hydro finds it necessary to close these plants in Norway and Canada. The reaction is strong. Measures include severance packages, support for new startups and job relocation counseling. After some time, the restructuring in Porsgrunn is hailed as a success story. Many new jobs are created and experience gained here comes in handy later in several places in e. g. the UK, Germany and Norway.

Hydro presents a comprehensive impact assessment of closing down the Søderberg potlines in Høyanger, Årdal and Karmøy in Norway following new emission requirements. The company decides to launch and participate in local restructuring and industrial development programs to alleviate the impacts of the job losses. Employee representatives and the affected municipalities participate in the study and agree on the measures proposed.

Hydro introduces global minimum labor standards. The requirements are based partly on ILO's core conventions and cover working hours, child and forced labor, wages, pregnancy, care for newborns and insurance matters related to work-related illness or injury.

Hydro owns 50 percent of Qatalum and is responsible for the project. A new village for the accommodation of construction workers sets a new standard in Qatar. Methods of cooperation are established to make up for the fact that the construction workers cannot form normal unions - because Qatar does not allow such organizing of migrant workers.

Hydro's total injury rate is 3.7 injuries per million hours worked. This includes injuries leading to absence, injuries resulting in alternative work, and injuries demanding medical treatment. Since 2000, the injury rate has decreased from 14 injuries per million hours worked. The company did not meet its 2010 target of 2.3.

Our TRI rate (total recordable injuries per million hours worked) is 3.8. This represents an increase of 2 percent compared with 2010, while our target was a 28 percent decrease. We have three fatal accidents in our consolidated operations. Even though our safety results are among the best in industry, we are far from satisfied.