After the first year of implementation, the company managed to reduce accident rates by 39% and its Severity Index by 33%.
With the participation of the Regional Director of Labor for Los Lagos, Claudio Salas; Congressman Mauro González; the President of the Multi-Union of Salmon Workers, Alejandro Santibáñez; representatives from SalmonChile, the Chilean Safety Association, Multi X unions, as well as its top executives and employees, the company held its annual public accountability meeting for its Cross Check Occupational Health and Safety Model.
During the event, led by Multi X’s Executive President, José Ramón Gutiérrez Arrivillaga, the results and opportunities for improvement from the first year of implementation were presented. These results include both in-house employees and contractors and highlight a 39% decrease in accidents compared to the previous year, a 33% reduction in the Severity Index, and 0 fatal and/or permanently disabling accidents.
“Progress has been made, and while there is still work to do, the advances should be recognized. For example, the work carried out in such critical areas as diving. Also, on the legislative front, we will continue to contribute to preventing situations that impact the safety of workers across the salmon value chain, such as classifying salmon theft as a specific offense”, explained Mauro González, Congressman for District 26 of the Los Lagos Region.
Meanwhile, Israel Ortega, a professional from the Los Lagos Regional Labor Directorate, added, “We highlight what Multi X is doing by verifying and controlling on-site risks that may arise from subcontracted workers. These risks can not only result in a violation but also in harm to people’s health and non-compliance with the protocols established by the company”.
During the event, two discussion panels were held, featuring both authorities and company executives. Additionally, this first public accountability meeting included presentations from the areas that reported the best safety results, such as the corporate diving program Diving X, Seaflavors—Multi X’s value-added processing plant—and the Freshwater Management division. Five employees were also recognized for leading by example in their daily work over the past year.
Regarding this, Francisco Lobos, CHRO, stated, “For us, it is crucial to internally communicate both positive results and the incidents we experience because this helps build a culture and teaches employees that there are risks when we do not follow the defined protocols”.
He also commented, “We are pleased with the progress we have made. We still have work to do to reach the levels we aspire to, but we are convinced that we have a model suited to our challenges, backed by our board of directors, Multi X’s top executives, and our teams”.
The final segment of this public accountability meeting focused on defining goals and the future of the Cross Check Model. To begin, attendees heard from Pablo Croxatto, former VP of H&S at Arauco Global, who spoke about the cultural transformation companies must undergo to improve safety and become world-class. Additionally, Rodrigo de La Calle, Product Development and Digital Strategy Manager at the Chilean Safety Association (ACHS), gave a presentation on the salmon industry’s accident trends in Chile in recent years.
To conclude, clear goals were set for the coming year, presented by Cristián Swett, CEO of Multi X. The objectives for 2025 are: 0 fatal or permanently disabling accidents, a Frequency Index of 7% or lower, and a Severity Index of 100 or lower.
Multi X was founded in 1987 and has been dedicated to salmon farming in southern Chile since its inception. With over 4,500 employees, the company operates across five regions in the country, implementing sustainable and innovative processes throughout its value chain.
It is the second-largest salmon farming company in Chile, playing a key role in the country’s development and employment, particularly in the southernmost regions. Multi X was the first salmon producer to be included in the two most important sustainability indexes: the Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
