Health and safety of our workforce

ALPLA’s risk assessment process includes skilled personnel and an occupational physician utilising digital tools to identify work hazards and share global control measures, minimising injury recurrence. Additionally, outsourced occupational health services collaborate with local HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) representatives to monitor employee hazard exposure and comply with legal requirements, conducting regular medical assessments for hazardous substances.
 

Employee engagement across all levels at ALPLA is crucial for the effective implementation of HSE programmes. This engagement is facilitated through NEXT, ALPLA’s tailor-made Operational Excellence programme, and more specifically for HSE in the Health and Safety Committee, guided by corporate HSE protocols, and includes both workers and plant management, with a focus on HSE during inspections. ALPLA also incentivises safety improvements through a rewards scheme and ensures transparent communication of incidents to prevent recurrence. The frequency of safety committee meetings varies based on plant size and legal obligations, ranging from monthly to biannually.
 

The contractor management process at ALPLA ensures that employees and external workers confirm awareness of workplace risks, the ALPLA safety standards and emergency procedures, committing to compliance. This process also involves evaluating the contractor’s skills and qualifications, providing safety induction, presenting an overview of hazards, issuing permit to work systems (PTWs) for specific tasks and utilising a digital system for performance monitoring across most plants. The training sessions are provided at no cost to participants and are scheduled during regular paid working hours.

Mitigating noise exposure is a key focus within our manufacturing facilities. While substantial reduction of noise levels may not always be technically achievable, the mandatory use of hearing protection plugs within production areas is enforced. In order to assess the effects on employee well-being, routine annual hearing tests and respiratory health checks are conducted for all shop-floor personnel.
In certain periods of the year, specific facilities within our organisation handle post-consumer recycled (PCR) material, known for its stronger odour than standard virgin material. To address this, we undertake comprehensive air analysis and deploy robust ventilation systems equipped with specialised filters to effectively manage possible unpleasant odours emanating from the material.

We make use of the ALPLA accident database, a worldwide system, to report, investigate and mitigate accidents and incidents, as well as unsafe conditions and behaviours. Our internal data analytics system assists in the monthly analysis and elaboration of key performance indicators.