Our Goal is to embed security as a collective responsibility

Security is now a core value and corporate priority, underpinned by strong leadership commitment and the implementation of processes and technologies designed to foster an increasingly safe working environment.

E-REDES is transitioning towards a more interdependent safety culture, where everyone looks out for themselves and for one another. We spoke with Fernanda Bonifácio, Director of Safety, Security & Business Continuity at E-REDES – Electricity Distribution, who shared the company’s proximity-driven initiatives aimed at breaking down communication barriers, improving the speed of learning from mistakes, rewarding best practices, addressing unacceptable behaviours, and strengthening field presence.

Safety has long been a strategic priority for E-REDES. How would you describe the evolution of the company’s safety culture over the years?

Over the years, E-REDES safety culture has evolved from a more reactive approach to a preventive and integrated strategy. That said, we have not yet reached an optimal level. Our culture remains largely dependent, with safety still often perceived as a set of formal rules rather than a genuine commitment embraced by those involved.

The “Zero Serious and Fatal Accidents” target is ambitious. What are the main challenges to achieving this goal?

Achieving this target requires the consolidation of safe behaviours, effective risk management, and the ongoing commitment of everyone involved. The challenges include maintaining constant awareness, enforcing strict oversight, and strengthening leadership engagement to ensure a safe, accident-free work environment. I would say there are many challenges to overcome, but also several opportunities to be seized.

Reaching all levels of the organisation through effective communication, increasing investment in distribution networks to support the energy transition in an increasingly electrified society, the shortage of skilled labour, and the presence of multiple players with varying levels of maturity, all these represent significant constraints. However, we now have the opportunity to leverage new technologies, both in operations and in accident prevention, to access best-practice knowledge and to enhance process efficiency. These are some of the opportunities we must pursue, changing the way we work and approach safety.

Safety goes beyond compliance with rules and regulations. How do you foster a genuine commitment to safety among employees and partners?

More than simply complying with regulations, we strive to foster a safety mindset through awareness campaigns, training, and the recognition of best practices. Our goal is to create an environment where both employees and partners feel responsible not only for themselves but also for their teams, reinforcing a shared commitment to safety.

To this end, we monitor a set of both preventive and reactive safety indicators, have implemented forums for sharing best practices, and promote joint initiatives where safety is the central theme.

Examples include the Safety Olympics, a friendly competition among our own electricians and those of our partners; Safe Starts, informal discussions held on-site before the workday begins; and the “Safety Matters to Everyone” programme, aimed at equipping leadership teams with effective communication tools.

For 2025, we decided to go further by pooling efforts and challenging our main partners to develop, together with us, a cross-cutting action plan to address the root causes of accidents and near misses.

We strive to create an environment where employees and partners feel responsible not only for themselves, but also for their teammates, reinforcing a collective commitment to safety.

Incident investigation and learning from mistakes are essential. What has changed in E-REDES’ approach in recent years to ensure that lessons learned are effectively applied?

At E-REDES, we believe it is essential to invest in thorough incident investigation. In 2023, we delivered targeted training to operational leaders and Safety team members on investigation methodologies, with a focus on identifying root causes and mitigation measures.

In 2024, we introduced an organisational change by centralising the analysis of accidents and near misses to ensure consistency in both treatment and the quality of reports. That same year, EDP also established a “Panel of Experts”, made up of specialists from different business areas, to bring new perspectives to incident analysis.

In recent years, we have also invested in the digitalisation of incident reporting, allowing for greater agility in communication and more effective follow-up of initiatives. Communication and training initiatives aimed at our employees and partners have played a key role in sharing incidents and lessons learned, as well as in identifying additional actions. This process has been critical to the continuous improvement of procedures and the development of skills, ultimately helping to prevent failures and strengthen the safety culture.

E-REDES has developed a number of structured initiatives, such as the “Safety Matters to Everyone” programme, “Safe Start”, and the “Safety Excellence Recognition Programme”. What impact have these initiatives had?

The “Safety Matters to Everyone” and “Safe Start” programmes help foster greater commitment to safety, while the “Safety Excellence Recognition Programme” encourages the adoption of best practices. In 2024, we reached around 12,000 workers through hese initiatives. We believe they help bring employees and leadership closer together, enhance communication effectiveness, and ultimately lead to greater awareness, reduced risk, and a safer working environment.

There has been a strong focus on leadership development. How do training programmes such as “Safety Leadership” and the workshops contribute to greater managerial engagement in safety?

The “Safety Leadership” programme and workshops equip managers to lead by example and reinforce the importance of safety in day-to-day operations. This creates strategic alignment, ensuring that safety is treated as a priority at all levels of the organisation.

The relationship with External Service Providers (ESPs) is essential. How do you ensure that safety standards are clearly understood and applied by these entities?

We ensure that External Service Providers (ESPs) understand and apply our safety standards through contractual requirements, regular inspections, the setting of shared objectives, periodic meetings, and targeted training sessions. Ongoing dialogue and close cooperation are essential to ensure that these standards are met and continuously improved.

Digitalisation and innovation have been applied across various areas. How can these tools help improve safety processes?

Technology has become a key ally in risk prevention. Smart sensors, data analysis and virtual simulators help monitor safety conditions in real time and anticipate potential failures, making processes more efficient and secure.

As an example, E-REDES carries out around 13,000 inspections per year, complemented by over 2,000 proactive safety observations. Together, these actions generate a valuable volume of data that is essential for preventive measures. Without digitalising the process and using automated data analysis, it would be extremely challenging to ensure a fast and effective response.

There is still much to be done in terms of Safety Culture. The strategy involves focusing teams on transformation projects and ensuring that the organisation evolves alongside these changes.

Are there any new initiatives or strategies you plan to implement in the coming years? And what is the main goal? There is still much to be done in terms of strengthening our Safety Culture. Our strategy is to focus teams on transformation projects and ensure that the organisation evolves alongside these changes.

For 2025 and the years ahead, our efforts will be strongly oriented towards developing actions to reduce serious and fatal accidents. This includes building Skills and Transformation Capacity through People and Technology; Increasing Impact through Continuous Improvement and Optimised Processes; and Reinforcing Leadership Commitment to Safety, Protection and Business Continuity.

We plan to expand the digitalisation of safety, strengthen our preventive culture and further improve leadership and workforce training. The main goal is to reduce incidents and embed safety as a core pillar of the company.

Having had the opportunity to share experiences with the Altri Group and to take part in its Safety Convention, how do you view this corporate commitment to placing worker safety above all else?

Taking part in the Altri Group’s Safety Convention was a valuable opportunity to share best practices and reinforce the importance of safety in the sector. The Group’s commitment to prioritising worker safety highlights the importance of collective and collaborative action in accident prevention.