The majority of employees who can perform their respective
tasks at home worked from there on a mobile basis. Travel
was reduced to a minimum. As far as possible, work meetings
were held only in virtual space. To be on the safe side,
larger internal and external events were postponed, canceled,
or broadcast digitally. This included larger customer events,
which were held as online seminars. The annual meeting of
safety officers in Germany also took place digitally.
At the sites, not only strict hygiene and distance rules,
but also increased use of mobile work reduced the risk of
infections being brought in from outside the respective
site. Thus, mobile work not only served to protect employees
who were able to work at home, but primarily protect
staff members who continued to work at the respective site
due to their job profile.
Ergonomics
In 2020, the topic of “ergonomics” was not only a focus
concerning mobile work, but above all with regard to manual
activities involving heavy loads or work performed uni-
formly over a longer period of time. To prevent injuries and
long-term adverse effects, ALTANA continued to invest in
lifting aids, among other things. For example, ECKART installed
a lifting device in the warehouse at its Painesville
site that enables employees to carry out transport and cleaning
operations more gently and more safely.
The amount of manual cleaning required is also reduced
by an ultrasonic centrifuge that was installed at the
Wackersdorf site. The centrifuge not only contributes to
ergonomics, but also increases productivity.
ELANTAS in Ascoli invested in a filling station with
automatic rinsing of organic solvents. The new installation
avoids manual cleaning of connecting hoses.
ACTEGA analyzed the workplaces at its new Brazilian site
in Araçariguama with regard to safety and ergonomics and
90 Safety and Health
Occupational safety and occupational health protection are
top priorities at ALTANA. In 2020, we managed to further
reduce the number of reported occupational accidents significantly
at our sites and thus once again achieved our
ambitious safety targets.
Some sites are particularly distinguished by their occupational
safety: BYK Tongling and ELANTAS Beck India in
Pimpri have been accident free for more than twelve years.
The ECKART Zhuhai site has been accident free for at least
ten years. The following sites have not seen any accidents
for more than five years: ELANTAS Tongling (nine years),
ACTEGA Foshan (eight years), and ECKART Suisse (five years).
ACTEGA do Brasil (Santana de Parnaíba), BYK USA (Ches-
ter), and ELANTAS Zhuhai have been without any accidents
for more than three years. Further facts and figures can
be found in the Group Management Report on page 68 f.
Measures Taken in Connection with the
Coronavirus Pandemic
In coping with the coronavirus pandemic in the year under
review, we were able to build on the safety culture we had
already established. The fact that the virus has not spread
significantly at any of our sites shows that we not only adopt-
ed the right precautionary measures, but that these are
also being implemented by our employees worldwide with
a great deal of self-discipline.
From the very beginning, crisis teams were formed at
Group, divisional, and company level, and a clear decisionmaking
and communication structure was created. Depending
on the situation, important decisions were made and
framework conditions defined in a short time. ALTANA
set up an overview page on the Intranet where all relevant information,
regulations, and recommendations for dealing
with the coronavirus are available centrally, including questions
and answers (FAQ).