The management of occupational health and safety risks is of paramount importance for a company today, especially if the company is characterized internally by multiple production areas like IMESA S.p.A.
Legislation on the subject is complex and constantly evolving to cope, unfortunately, with the sad and still all-too-frequent news events.
Obtaining occupational safety certification means confirming high business performance and careful attention to one’s environment. We talk about this with Alessia Miotto (CEO of IMESA), who, together with the IMESA quality team, experienced the certification process firsthand.
Alessia, why the choice to get ISO 45001 certification?
The decision to obtain ISO 45001 certification is part of a broader project that IMESA has undertaken to adopt a sustainable development model that encompasses all ESG areas. We decided to start with health and safety management because we see it as fundamental to the protection and well-being of people.
This is only the first milestone (if we disregard ISO 9001, which we achieved in 1994); in the near future we plan to have Uni PdR 125 certification on Gender Equality, ISO 50001 certification on Energy Management Systems, and by 2027 ISO 14001 Environmental certification.
What are the benefits of obtaining ISO 45001 certification?
This certification has enabled us to implement rigorous and validated models of emergency management and safety in general. In addition, all our employees have been involved in the process, resulting in greater attention and participation of everyone on this issue.
It is always thought that safety is a problem of the owner and the Prevention and Protection Service Manager; in reality, the workers are primarily responsible for their own safety and involving them has allowed us to spread the message more effectively.
How important is Health and Safety training in a company like IMESA?
Training is critical to all of the above. Everyone, without exception, must be aware when entering a workplace that zero risk does not exist; however, awareness and knowledge can significantly reduce risk.
For us, training is so important that the new person trained in the role of Prevention and Protection Service Manager, who is also a member of the quality and safety team, will herself take a course to become a safety trainer. For me, this is a double source of pride: we will have an in-house trainer, and she is a woman who has been collaborating with us for over 30 years with a distinguished career.
How did IMESA staff receive the project?
Our employees welcomed IMESA’s project to adopt a sustainable model, a sign that this is a cross-generational issue. When it comes to safety, they have always been aware of the attention and effort that the company is constantly putting into it. The fact that they have been formally involved in the activity has not only raised their awareness of the issue, but, has also led to the implementation of the management system, with suggestions and opportunities for improvement coming directly from them.
How IMESA organised itself for the maintenance and continuous improvement phase of the safety standard?
Today we have clear and defined procedures and standards. A safety team has been identified, activities and short and long term objectives are clear, as are the KPIs to be monitored to assess the health of the process and to initiate any corrective action. Supervisors have become more involved in the project and meet regularly with management and the Prevention and Protection Service Manager to discuss outstanding issues and define a joint action plan.
What activities concerning the health of your employees, parallel to the 45001 certification, are you planning?
At IMESA, when we think about workers’ health, we do not want to limit ourselves to occupational safety, but we want to think about their general well-being.
With this in mind, we have undertaken parallel activities, such as psychological support and coaching through a partnership with SocratEs Psicologia. This project has enabled us to set up a psychological support desk open to all, a mindfulness course supplemented by training pills on topics such as stress management and burnout syndrome, conflict management and social network addiction. As of this year, the Serious Illness Collective Insurance Policy, taken out with Intesa Sanpaolo – RBM Salute, is also active. The policy guarantees all IMESA employees insurance cover in the event of a serious illness and allows them to benefit from one free specialist examination per year.
Furthermore, in February, in cooperation with Confindustria VenetoEst and Federmeccanica, all employees will be able to fill in an anonymous questionnaire on climate analysis in which we will analyse many aspects, including safety at work and the well-being of people. From the results of the questionnaire we will define the activities to be undertaken to improve our commitment to the well-being of those who contribute to IMESA’s success every day.
