“Carrying out one’s professional tasks in an agile and safe manner”: this is the meaning that Tollegno 1900 attributes to safety at work. This is what says Simone Pleitavino, Health and Safety Manager (EHS Manager) of the Biella-based company.
Simone, why is the safety factor among the determining factors in the development of Tollegno 1900?
Because Tollegno 1900 attributes to the term “safety at work” a meaning that goes beyond operational aspects and puts the person and the improvement, in terms of value and professionalism, of their way of working at the center. Often, in fact, when we talk about safety at work we think of a series of rigid and imposed rules that have the limit of “slowing down” operations: for our company, however, these provisions serve to give employees the opportunity to carry out the tasks they are called to in a more agile and safe way. The continuous search for strategies aimed at simplifying tasks and improving the production flow, moreover, also have positive repercussions for the growth of the company that can count on careful and economic work flows.
How is safety at work defined in Tollegno 1900?
Fulfilling legal obligations in terms of health and safety and the environment is the premise adopted to give voice to the principles that define the company, its feelings and its vision. But Tollegno 1900 does not limit itself to this. Our daily commitment, in fact, is the constant updating of risk assessments with the aim of contributing to their elimination ahead of time. If completely removing the danger is not possible in its entirety, improvement actions are always put into practice. For example, additional training for staff on activities with specific risks and updating of machinery and equipment used during the activities carried out go in this direction. However, if these activities are not feasible to implement or bring little benefit, the company proceeds by intervening directly at the source, seeking together with the staff an alternative way to obtain the same result but with less or no risk.
Work environments are also a key point…
Work environments are certainly another aspect on which we are focusing a lot, the renovation and in some cases the revaluation of entire areas are the order of the day. During the SAFETY WEEK, for example, we presented the project for new changing rooms and a new canteen.
A canteen that also draws attention to the attention that Tollegno 1900 has decided to reserve for the health of its employees in terms of nutrition. What initiative has been activated?
“Employee health” is one of the welfare aspects on which the company has decided to focus. For this reason, a contract has been stipulated that provides for the supply of balanced, organic, gluten-free, vegetarian dishes directly on site. In this way, the staff does not have to give up the convenience and at the same time the quality of the food they eat.
This initiative was also presented during the Safety week. How did the idea of ​​the safety week come about?
The initiative adopted by Tollegno 1900 was born from the parent company Indorama Ventures Company that has been implementing it for some time. The goodness of the project was immediately welcomed by our headquarters that made it a moment of growth and aggregation for all its collaborators.
How did it actually take place?
The entire program was designed specifically for our reality with the clear objective of increasing the personal baggage of all of us. The first day served to “break the ice” thanks to a small introduction dedicated to explaining the meaning and value of the initiative in addition to the activities that would take place during the entire week. The last two years of the company’s activity were also retraced, listing and arguing all the investments and improvements in terms of health and safety such as the CPI, the renewal of machinery and systems. Last but not least, some projects already underway but which will be closed in the near future were also presented. As already mentioned, we are working both on the creation of new changing rooms and the canteen, and on the introduction of Healthy Food dispensers to replace those containing ultra-processed foods. The first day ended with a factory tour, functional to introduce all the collaborators to the organizational and operational aspects of the different departments, explained directly by the Area Manager, and a small healthy break for everyone.
The second day, instead, focused on emergency management, specifically the fire.
Exactly. However, starting from the company emergency plan, we tried to apply it to our daily lives to improve the readiness to respond and the management of extraordinary situations.
The third day was instead dedicated to the management of the health emergency. What is the purpose of this focus?
In the company, as well as in everyday life, we believe it is useful to have some basic knowledge of first aid because they can be decisive and make a difference for those who need help.
The conclusion of the week instead changed pace: no lessons or training in the classroom, but a more … practical intervention. What did you propose?
Thanks to the contribution of a young professional specialized in posturology, all the offices and departments had some “basic” knowledge on the correct ergonomics to keep at the operating station and on the most suitable method of lifting loads. A series of information was also provided regarding everything we can do outside of working hours to improve our posture and consequently the tensions that our body can accumulate. In order for what we learned to remain alive in our memory, a short film was also made with some simple exercises to do at home to relieve tension and muscle stress.
The main activity of the day, however, was the emergency test that involved the simulation of different situations to observe behaviors and decision-making speed.
An extremely important test! Obviously, since it was a “first time”, some critical issues emerged, but overall we noticed good organization among the employees who were able to best manage the different scenarios. The final sharing between everyone was fundamental because it allowed us to understand how to best approach “extreme” problematic situations.
Are there other safety initiatives that you have thought of implementing?
This Safety week has first of all highlighted the desire of the company and its employees to continue on the path of growth in EHS issues. We are collecting feedback from SAFETY WEEK to immediately start working on organizing future events that we would like to become increasingly dynamic, engaging and useful for everyone.
