MACO - Future Report 2024: Health and safety in the workplace

Health & Safety

We protect the human resource

We protect the health of our employees and ensure that they can contribute to the success of the company in a safe working environment. To this end, we have also implemented a number of preventative measures in 2023/24 to raise awareness and increase occupational safety:

Team of safety experts further expanded
Internal audits on employee protection
Various training programmes
Safety First Programm: specially trained safety mentors in all production areas
Training on the Employee Protection Act and its regulations for all apprentices and new managers
Up to 5 safety checks per month
and much more.

And that paid off: We were once again able to fall well below the industry average for accidents at work calculated by AUVA.

Ahead of the industry

Our safety measures are working - as demonstrated not least by the significant reduction in accidents at work:

These have fallen by 45 per cent across the Group compared to 2022.
We were able to maintain the low accident figures at our production sites in Trieben and Salzburg.
No accidents were recorded at our Mauterndorf site in 2024.

Sick leave

The health of our employees is particularly important to us - only those who are physically and mentally fit are fully productive. Hours lost due to accidents at work were reduced by 41 per cent compared to 2023.

We protect our labour force

Depending on the activity, work in production requires suitable protective equipment. We check all workstations regularly and provide our employees with state-of-the-art personal protective clothing.

Reduce danger spots

Improving working conditions and making them safer is one of the most important reasons for modernising processes and machines. Each production area and department is checked up to five times a month and hazardous points are eliminated – for example, "old" machines are retrofitted to bring them up to the current state-of-the-art.

Keeping an eye on everyone's level of education

Which employees have already been trained in safety-related topics? Which ones need refresher training? Our team leaders use a new training matrix (Syneris) to keep track of this. This has already been rolled out in a large part of the company.

Safety goggles, cooling hats & co

Acid-resistant protective clothing is used wherever chemicals are handled. To ensure long-lasting protection, we have them professionally cleaned and impregnated.

New since 2023: Protective goggles are mandatory in all plants in the areas of die casting technology, injection moulding technology and surface technology.

At our plant in Germany, cooling hats and waistcoats provide cooling, particularly at workstations in production where temperatures are high.

Safety shoes

Safety shoes are mandatory in our production halls and warehouses. If employees or visitors have forgotten them, we have come up with something special: Rubber overshoes with protective caps that can be pulled over street shoes. This provides the necessary protection.

Build up knowledge

Wide range of training courses

Employees from administrative areas can take part in numerous safety training courses on our MACOversity e-learning platform. Together with our face-to-face seminars, which are aimed at all employees, this gives them access to a comprehensive range of safety training.

An excerpt from our comprehensive training programme:

General basic training
Training as a fire safety officer
Safe business trips: travelling safely on the road
Personal safety equipment against falls from a height
First aid refresher course for first aiders/for chemical & electrical accidents
Apprentice trainers "Legal & safe": what is my apprentice allowed to do and at what age?
Defibrillator training
Multi-day Management training course on occupational safety
Driving with containers

Better than the norm

ISO 45001 on occupational health and safety is the standard by which we measure ourselves. All Austrian locations, our subsidiary HAUTAU in Germany and our production plant in Poland were successfully certified in 2023.

Numerous first aiders

Our team of safety experts is constantly being expanded and strengthened. There are also several hundred first aiders, almost 100 at the Trieben site alone, to whom MACO offers regular first aid training. We have also trained dozens of fire safety assistants among our employees to provide support in the event of an emergency.

In addition, many employees work for charitable organisations such as the volunteer fire brigade, the Red Cross or the Samaritans and can take part in operations at short notice if there is an acute fire situation.

I like being a first aider at MACO: every four years, my knowledge of first aid is brought up to date. It is always good to be familiar with the necessary immediate first aid measures, not only in my professional work in the chemistry laboratory, but also in my private life, for example when hiking.

Sandra Maierhofer, Laboratory Trieben

Maintain health

Occupational physicians at many of our locations, occupational psychology counselling, relaxation rooms, free physiotherapy and company sports programmes - these are just some of the services on offer, which are constantly being expanded.

Ergonomic workstations

Physio & exercise in the workplace

Healthy working at MACO UK

Noise protection for the neighbours and nature

Exoskeletons for warehouse workers

Cycling for a good cause

Encouraging movement

Ergonomic workstations

Ergonomic workstations play a key role in maintaining health over the long term. Workplaces in both production and administrative areas are regularly assessed at all locations – by internal (e.g. occupational physicians) and external consultants (e.g. AUVA). Optimisations are derived from this and implemented.

In 2024, for example, the office workstations in our French and Italian branches were equipped with height-adjustable desks and fitness balls. This is intended to prevent incorrect posture, prevent resulting illnesses such as back problems and strengthen the muscles.

Physio & exercise in the workplace

Two physiotherapists look after our German employees in production and the office. They not only offer short 15-minute sports programmes with relaxation exercises that participants can use during working hours. Massage and physiotherapy sessions can also be booked free of charge - an offer that over 50 employees regularly take advantage of.

In addition, an exercise oasis has been set up for all employees to use. At the end of their shift, they can take part in supervised exercises. Free fruit is also provided to promote health.

Healthy working at MACO UK

Mental health is just as important as physical health. That's why the UK team wants to create a working environment that promotes well-being and encourages a healthy lifestyle. A dedicated well-being policy was introduced to do this.

The measures are varied: regular online mood barometers make it possible to recognise psychological stress at an early stage and take countermeasures. Five specially trained "Mental well-being" trainers provide support and take care of external therapy, if necessary. Legal and financial counselling is also offered to help with problems that can affect physical and mental well-being. In addition, various employee events were organised in 2024 to raise awareness and share knowledge on the topic of stress or mental health, for example.

The home workstations were ergonomically evaluated and equipped accordingly. A number of adaptations have also been made at the company headquarters in Sittingbourne: dedicated "well-being areas" have been set up for relaxation – including green oases in the outdoor area, which employees can use for meetings and during breaks to recharge their batteries.

Noise protection for the neighbours and nature

MACO built an 80 metre long noise barrier along the Trieben plant site to protect local residents and nature from noise from the production facilities. This measure clearly exceeds the requirements of the local authorities. An investment for the long term: even if the plant is converted or reorganised, the surrounding area is protected from noise.

Exoskeletons for warehouse workers

New in 2024

MACO is always on the look-out for innovative solutions, that improve the well-being of employees. In Italy, exoskeletons were therefore purchased for our warehouse workers - state-of-the-art aids that reduce the physical strain of lifting loads and improve posture.

Cycling for a good cause

New in 2024

Gareth Turner, Strategic Sales Development Manager at MACO UK, took on the epic challenge of cycling from Land's End (UK) to John O'Groats to support two deserving charities: Cancer Research UK and Andy's Man Club.

Together with his team of four, he covered 966 miles and a total elevation gain of around 18,000 metres, and raised over £18,000 for charity.

Encouraging movement

New in 2024

Whether it's a gym, e-bike charging stations, height-adjustable desk supports for more ergonomics at the workplace or monetary incentives to use the lunch break for exercise - our Italian colleagues come up with plenty of ideas to promote the health and fitness of the team.

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