Occupational Health & Safety
8:30 minThroughout dormakaba’s business and most especially in our production sites worldwide, the health and safety of our employees is a priority.
Occupational health and safety is therefore aligned with national regulations and standards serving as the minimum requirement. In addition, the Group Manufacturing Directive stipulates that all manufacturing sites maintain a health and safety management system in accordance to international standards by the year 2021.
dormakaba has location-specific systems in place, for example, designated safety personnel, safety committees, regular training, and collaboration with external partners to ensure that health and safety standards are aligned with the prevailing production processes.
Of the sites in the scope of this reporting, 15% have a health and safety management system certified to OSHAS 18001 or equivalent local standard. 58% maintain a health and safety management system. For these sites, health and safety training goes beyond the mandatory requirements to also include emergency and risk prevention. For example, assessments of repetitive movement and heavy load-lifting to prevent work-related illnesses take place in various sites.
Segment Access Solutions (AS) DACH steers health and safety by setting reduction targets on accident and illness rates for its largest German sites (Ennepetal and Wuppertal). In the last five financial years, the number of accidents has been reduced by around 30%. Accidents are analyzed with a so-called STOP (Substitution, Technical, Organizational, Personnel) system on a quarterly basis. Potential impact of working with hazardous materials on employees’ health is of special focus. Therefore, hazardous material substitution is systematically carried out and reductions tracked.
Hazard Symbol |
| FY 2015/16 |
| FY 2016/17 |
| FY 2017/18 |
| Reduction vs. FY 2015/16 |
(T+) Very Toxic |
| – |
| – |
| – |
| n/a |
(T) Toxic |
| 5 |
| 4 |
| 2 |
| –60% |
(C) Corrosive |
| 24 |
| 12 |
| 7 |
| –71% |
(Xn) Harmful |
| 64 |
| 40 |
| 26 |
| –59% |
(Xi) Irritant |
| 137 |
| 99 |
| 59 |
| –57% |
(E) Explosive |
| – |
| – |
| – |
| n/a |
(F+) Extremely flammable |
| 46 |
| 21 |
| 12 |
| –74% |
(F) Highly flammable |
| 32 |
| 24 |
| 15 |
| –53% |
(O) Oxidizing |
| 4 |
| 1 |
| 1 |
| –75% |
(U) Dangerous for the environment |
| 45 |
| 30 |
| 13 |
| –71% |
No hazard symbol |
| 262 |
| 264 |
| 320 |
| 22% |
Segment AS AMER, for example, sets goals for individual facilities in the areas of recordable injuries, total recordable injury rate (TRIR) and days away/restricted time rate (DART). A segment-wide target will be set in the 2018/19 financial year. Employees are trained to report near miss incidents that have a potential of injury or property damage in the effort to be proactive. This program helps the employees to recognize hazards or unsafe acts and correct them immediately or ask for support to correct the issue. Near miss reports are treated the same as injury reports, and the respective supervisor follows up with the near miss to ensure it is corrected.
The facilities in Pennsylvania (USA) are developing a return-to-work program, which offers light duty work for employees who sustain minor injury that would otherwise deter their return to work. Other locations offer ergonomics training. In Brazil, annual medical examinations are carried out that monitor the health of the employee, controlling eventual impacts of repetitive movement during production. Safety signage and railings, personal protective equipment and spill containment procedures are among other initiatives.
As best practice, segment AS EMEA began rolling out a health and safety web portal with e-learning material for all employees in the 2017/18 financial year. The system also acts a centralized database for audit and incident reports.
In segment AS APAC, the Pacific region is working towards a health and safety management system that conforms to AS4801 (Australian Standard) as a minimum.
Key Systems
Key Systems aims to empower all personnel to assist in risk identification and mitigation for a safe working environment. The facility in North Carolina (USA) achieves this through a safety committee of 24 employees from across the facility who meet monthly and conduct safety audits. Forty employees have been trained in first aid and CPR in the 2017/18 financial year. The facility tracks all injuries and illnesses against a quantitative goal and target including the type of injuries based on a monthly and annual basis. In the case of accidents, an investigation and corrective action to prevent reoccurrence is implemented. Hazard analysis of personnel exposure to risks and hazardous substances also takes place.
Similarly, the facility in New Delhi (India) undertakes monthly safety audits and targets zero accidents in the production area. A yearly health checkup is offered. The focus in the facility in Bogota (Colombia) is currently on soundproofing machinery. The plant in Vittorio Veneto (Italy) is certified to OHSAS 18001 and launched a safety adequacy program for its machinery in the reporting period. According to HSE Policy (rev. 2018) the major scope of OHSAS Management System is to reduce incidents and professional illness by pursuing improvment goals. The EHS manual and policy have been revised in the 2017/18 financial year.
Movable Walls
The Malaysian facility has an advanced health and safety management, with daily safety briefings, key performance indicators, Kaizens and established safety committee. Annual health checkups are offered, and personal protective equipment procedures are in place.
Similarly, the facilities in Ocholt (Germany) and in Dyersville (USA) track unsafe conditions, near misses, first aid incidents and accidents. These are investigated and findings are used to mitigate risk and change behavior. Data are posted on the bulletin boards throughout the plants and incidents are discussed in daily or weekly meetings. In addition, a protective footwear policy has been released in the reporting period in Dyersville.
The management approach throughout dormakaba is evaluated by means of monitoring, measurement and incident investigation procedures. Trends in frequency and severity of accidents are evaluated for root cause and effectiveness of the approach. Safety concerns raised by employees or by internal and external auditors are also documented and investigated. Corrective actions based on feedback or goals and targets are communicated with the appropriate stakeholders.