An accident could happen in the blink of an eye, but certainly in a machine building company this could bring major consequences. To build the best machines possible, our employees work with heavy equipment and potentially dangerous tools. Therefore as a responsible employer, it is our duty to offer them a safe workplace.
‘We are jointly responsible for safety’
Our health and safety coordinator John keeps an eye on safety in our workplace. He explains that clear safety regulations are mainly important because of the risks in a machine building company. “Our people work with heavy equipment such as overhead cranes and fork lifts and hand tools such as grinding machines. Because the smallest mistake could lead to a big accident, all our colleagues have to pay attention to each other.”
Safety rounds
In order to map out all the risks, John walks through our workplace every week. Subsequently he shares his findings with the department manager or prevention employees, who draw up an action plan to eliminate the risks in advance. “I do not have to watch out for unsafe situations by myself”, the health and safety coordinator states. “Fortunately, also the colleagues call me to account here!”
Toolbox meeting
John not only walks around our workshop weekly, but he also improves safety with toolbox meetings. He thinks these brief information moments are essential for a safe working environment. “Together with one department, in 20 minutes I deal with a specific part of their work”, he explains.
“This could range from working at height to dealing with physical strain. By regularly reminding employees of the guidelines, they remain sharp. This not only helps them to work safely, but also contributes to preventing long-term absenteeism.”
Tool inspection
“As an employer, Tummers are committed to a safe working environment,” John continues. “Therefore our production facilities are equipped with professional welding extraction and we inspect our tools annually instead of once every four years. Many of our customers on site have strict security measures and we attach great importance to this. For example, we pursue a policy whereby everyone in the workplace wears protection, including visitors. In addition, during the past year we have trained extra emergency response officers, so that first aid is always on site quickly.”
New building
Last June, we have started our new building project. Here, safety will also be of paramount importance in our new workshop. In addition to a greater space to provide a better overview, the entire complex will be equipped with welding extraction and sound-absorbing walls and ceilings. This not only provides our employees with a safer working environment, but also causes less inconvenience to our immediate surroundings.