Employees’ health is a fundamental pillar of well-being and happiness at work. Although our biggest commitment in 2020 was to stop the spread of Covid-19, we also continued to strengthen the prevention of occupational and common diseases and so contributed to continuing a good work environment, reducing absenteeism, implementing epidemiological surveillance programs and, even more, to the objective of all our employees going home healthy every day.
(403-3) SASB: EM-EP-320a.1 At GeoPark we contract occupational health services in each of the countries we operate in, which support us by giving advice and accompanying us in implementing action plans. The external services are selected based on certified and proven experience in health issues and training courses, and are validated by relevant health organizations. We also strengthen our skills and acquire new knowledge continuously, according to our needs for professional refreshment in health care and emergencies.
The main actions to mitigate the highest occupational risks are the following:
Operations decreased because of the pandemic and mobility restrictions established by national authorities and territorial entities, and this impacted employees and contractors’ level of exposure to occupational risk factors.
High-risk occupational activities
Number of employees exposed to breathable hydrocarbons | 2019 | 2020 |
 Argentina | - | 35 |
 Chile | 24 | 19 |
 Colombia | 889 | 553 |
 Ecuador | - | 0 |
 Brazil | - | 0 |
 Peru | 2 | 0 |
Total | 915 | 607 |
Number of employees exposed to UV rays | 2019 | 2020 |
Argentina | - | 60 |
Chile | 34 | 27 |
Colombia | 1,820 | 1,613 |
Ecuador | - | 3 |
Brazil | - | 0 |
Peru | 32 | 7 |
Total | 1,886 | 1,710 |
Number of employees exposed to noise | 2019 | 2020 |
Argentina | - | 10 |
Chile | 2 | 2 |
Colombia | 1,784 | 1,477 |
Ecuador | - | 3 |
Brazil | - | 0 |
Peru | 2 | 7 |
Total | 1,788 | 1,499 |
Number of employees exposed to UV rays | 2019 | 2020 |
Argentina | - | 107 |
Chile | 68 | 50 |
Colombia | 2,105 | 1,798 |
Ecuador | - | 3 |
Brazil | - | 0 |
Peru | 32 | 7 |
Total | 2,205 | 1,965 |
The factors that reduced the number of employees and contractors being exposed to occupational risk factors in 2020 compared with 2019 are the start of operations in the Llanos 34 oil pipeline in Colombia, the centralization of power generation in Llanos 34 and adjustments to operations and installations to reduce the probability of Covid-19 contagion. These measures reduced exposure to breathable hydrocarbons, UV rays, noise, and psychosocial risks.
Our Occupational Health area constantly monitors exposure to public health risks from tropical diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, Zika and malaria, as well as infectious diseases such as Covid-19, H1N1, influenza and hepatitis A and B, to create prevention plans for employees and neighbors. Occupational health management accompanies employees with activities designed to improve their living conditions that identify, prevent, and provide care.
