The manufacturing plants of Orion PU sp. z o.o. – the company of Selena Group, owner of the Tytan brand and one of the world’s three largest manufacturers of polyurethane foams for construction – have been awarded in the Polish edition of the Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards organised by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU- OSHA) as part of the Europe-wide Healthy Workplaces Manage Dangerous Substances campaign. The campaign was held under the patronage of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy. The strategic partner of the campaign is the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, while the strategic partner is Prof. J. Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź.
The Selena Group company was awarded for developing the concept of and implementing a hanger – a storage rack – for protective gloves. This solution has improved the order and organisation of work by eliminating the risks connected with dirty gloves being left in random places.
“Selena Group takes care of the end-to-end production process and of the employees participating at every stage of the process. Right from the start, we have been focusing on innovation, but we know that small changes often make a huge difference. Small problems are often ignored, snowballing into a big problem or even a threat to security. At our factory, we noticed a problem of employees leaving chemical gloves in random places, a habit that would cause mess and spots of dirt. In consequence, the space was less organised. Thanks to personalised hangers, employees know where to find their gloves and where to put them away. The hanger makes is possible to check gloves effectively and quickly, facilitates their regular replacement, extends their life and improves work comfort – placed in an upright position, gloves dry better. The drip tray under the hanger collects any possible chemical substances residues, ensuring effective protection against dirt. This improves employee safety and protection quality. Participation in the campaign was a very valuable experience, and the award received is a source of pride for us and motivation to move forward. At the same time, it shows that even very simple solutions can produce tangible effects and serve as an example and inspiration for use in other places”, says Krzysztof Ciszewski, Global Environmental Health and Safety Manager, Selena Group.
The competition invited solutions connected with health & safety management in relation to dangerous substances. Projects signed up for the competition were evaluated by a jury of independent experts, and the evaluation took into account, inter alia, the range of the solution, workplace focus, management involvement, employee participation in the project, improvements achieved, consultations between management and employees, the possibility of using the solution in other workplaces, its sustainability and innovation.
The conference summarising the Polish edition of the “Healthy Workplaces Manage Dangerous Substances” campaign implemented throughout the European Union, took place on 1 October in Gdańsk. It was attended by representatives of awarded projects, who presented the winning solutions. The audience could also listen to lectures: “Leader effectiveness in occupational health and safety” and “Secrets of effective training on occupational health and safety”.