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Initiative

3M Holistic Program for Health & Safety

3M Holistic Program for Health & Safety
SUBMITTED FROM:

3M Hellas

3M applies science to make our life easier, better and more complete. It has a wide range of products: industrial, health care, electronics & energy, safety & graphics, consumer & many more.

 

Read more: www.3m.gr


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Objective Action

The goal of this year's program was twofold:

  1. The Awareness of Technical Engineers and End Users of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) about the risks and dangers that exist during their worktime in the industry as well as the Awareness of Production Managers in regards to the new innovative 3M Solutions (Abrasives, Industrial Adhesives and Tapes, Maintenance Solutions) which can increase both their productivity and the quality of their work. 
  2. The Education of a group of students of the National Technical University of Athens in the scope of our collaboration with the university's Student Formula team.
 

Target Audience

  • Safety Engineers in industries and construction sites
  • Production Managers in industries
  • Personal Protective Equipment End Users (e.g welders)
  • Scholarly millennials interested in the STEM industry
 

Duration

The first pillar has been taking place for the past 3 years (2015-2017), while the second began in 2017 and will continue during 2018.


Description

Health and Safety in the workplace as well as Productivity are very important topics for Safety Engineers, Production Managers and workers in the industry. In regards to the Health and Safety topic, an integrated program includes Risk Assessment, Risk Identification, Selection Criteria of Personal Protective Equipment as well as end users’ training on the correct use of the Personal Protective Equipment that has been selected. As soon as the end user realizes the need of PPE use, the risks and dangers and also the consequences that may arise in his health, he should be trained in regards to both correct usage and usage limitations.

The questions about Safety Engineers are several: 

  • Do workers wear Personal Protective Equipment?
  • Do they wear it throughout the total time of their exposure in danger?
  • Are they aware that e.g 99% of ear plugs usage means almost 50% of real protection?
  • If not, why?
  • Is it comfortable or not? Are personal safety products compatible with each other or not?
  • And if they finally wear them, do they wear them correctly?

All these questions are multiplied when, for example, the team we need to protect consists of welders who face more risks/dangers in comparison to other industrial workers of a different specialization. Many of them wear a protective shield for the eyes but they are not aware of the risks/dangers that are hidden in the side radiation that exists in the workplace. Also, very few of them wear personal protective equipment for the sight and hearing because the health consequences appear later. 

In regards to Productivity, the rate increases with Solutions that reduce the completion time of a project, by- at the same time- increasing the quality level. This is a very important parameter for the on time, efficient and effective completion of the project in total. 

3Μ Showroom on the Road is an especially custom made mobile training center that during 2015 and 2016 traveled throughout Greece. It visited industries, small industries and industrial distributors. In specific, it visited 18 Greek Prefectures in 2015, 21 in 2016 and 17 in 2017. 

The main product categories that were presented were the Personal Protective Equipment (masks, coveralls, ear plugs, glasses, helmets), Abrasives, Industrial Adhesives & Tapes, as well as Maintenance Solutions. 

Within the awareness spectrum:

  • Training Sessions took place. There, 3M educational material was presented containing modules on risks/dangers in the industrial workplace as well as on how workers can be protected.
  • Live Demos of new innovative products were conducted in a real working environment, helping end users realize in practice how Personal Protective Equipment and other 3M innovative solutions can significantly contribute to both their protection (sight, hearing, head and body) and productivity increase.
  • New methods of Safety and Protection in the industrial workplace were presented.

The particular initiative constituted one of the most important social responsibility initiatives of 3M Hellas belonging to the “Society” Sustainability Pillar. It has already been awarded with a Silver Health & Safety Award 2015 (Plant Management Magazine and Boussias Communications) as well as with a Distinction for Best KPI use in Corporate Affairs Excellence Awards of Hellenic Management Association (EEΔΕ).

The education of the NTUA students took part in our Corporate Offices, in the form of a Safety Seminar covering the thematics Sight, Hearing, Respiration and Skin - Body protection. This way we ensured the correct usage of the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and the rest of the 3M products used to build the formula racing car. It is worth mentioning that 3M Hellas in the context of its CSR initiatives donated to the Student Formula team industrial products and cash.


more...

Impact on Society

3Μ Showroom on the Road travelled in order to inform Safety Engineers, Production Managers and End Users about the ways and methods that can help them make their work with the best possible safety, productivity and comfort. 

  • During the 3 years, it went through 17.700 km from North Greece to Crete (5.000 in 2015, 6.200 in 2016 and 6.500 in 2017) 
  • It stopped at 18 Prefectures in 2015, at 21 Prefectures in 2016 and 17 perfectures in 2017
  • It visited approximately 100 Industries in 2015, 210 in 2016 and 160 in 2017 conducting 16 trainings in total
  • It welcomed in its mobile training center almost 2.100 professionals from the Industrial sector and mainly Welders (600 in 2015, 1500 in 2016 and 800 in 2017)

The outcome was impressive, since in total – during the 3 years- more than 800 welders and 2.300 PPE end users were trained on how and why they should protect their health (sight and hearing) and received feedback in questions regarding safety. Also, solutions for end users’ Personal Protective Equipment training, compatibility and correct usage were found. This initiative proves 3M commitment to improve our lives with high quality products that make professionals’ work more efficient and effective as well as the workplace safer.

3M Showroom on the Road is a benchmark activity for Safety Products companies that can contribute to a safer working environment (workplace).

It is important to mention that the particular mobile training center visited its audience- safety engineers and end users- in their workplace. In this way, the content of the initiative became more direct, more interesting and, presumably, more understood and comprehensive due to the fact that participants had the opportunity to see many things in practice while they were actively participating. 

As far as the collaboration with the NTUA is concerned, we achieved the below results:

  • We conducted a Safety Seminar where 42 students (including all 29 members of the Student Formula team) participated in
  • Know-how spread and sensitization regarding the importance of Personal Safety
  • Safety Equipment donation, used for the first time by the team, elevating the Safety standards of the University's lab.


Initiative Location

  • All over Greece

18 prefectures in 2015, 21 prefectures in 2016 and 17 perfectures in 2017


Working with Organization

The second pillar of the program (NTUA student team support) encompassed the cooperation with the University.


Workers Participation

Personal Safety Division, Industrial and Electronics & Energy Business Group 3Μ Hellas and Corporate Marketing Division.


Photos

Benefits for Οrganization

The benefits for 3M Hellas were several because the company came in contact with PPE End Users, Production Managers and the Next Generation. Specialized professionals of 3M Hellas listened to their problems, found out more details about their needs, discussed with them and observed in practice how 3M Solutions – products that are based on scientific research- can help them make their work better, easier and safer. 




Connection with Global Goals






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