Safety is an essential component when welcoming new employees

Malteries Soufflet aims to reduce its accident frequency rate* by 60% by 2030

The induction of new employees and the quality of the welcome they receive are essential in ensuring that they take up their positions in the best possible conditions. With this concern in mind, we have designed a procedure to provide new employees with the keys to understanding the company’s organisation, activities and main challenges as soon as they arrive. This procedure includes a specific presentation on the issue of safety.

Safety, a key issue

The Safety aspect is a crucial step in the induction process. All recruits – whether they are employees or temporary workers, from head office or one of the industrial sites, regardless of their function – are made aware of and trained in a range of risks that they may encounter within the company. The aim of the Safety induction is to quickly provide employees with the basics required for their job, with the focus on training.

This training helps to avoid the accidents that can sometimes occur in the first few weeks and thus to ensure the safety of all employees so that everyone can progress within Malteries Soufflet with full peace of mind. The Safety induction includes a compulsory core plus, depending on skills and requirements, certain specific modules. For example, when the job is involved in a production unit and is thus, by definition, more exposed to risks, the training will be more in-depth and personalised.

The duration of the course can therefore vary from a few days to several months. Additional training is provided for managers to upgrade their skills.

“Reducing our accident frequency rate* will be a key focus between now and 2030,” says Guillaume Couture, CEO of Malteries Soufflet.

Induction, one step in the safety process

The inclusion of the Safety component in the induction programme for new arrivals is part of a broader risk prevention approach that continues throughout the professional life of our employees. This includes training, awareness-raising and an annual reassessment of the risks according to the position and any possible changes. The creation of the Safety Day is further illustration of the strong focus on employee safety at Malteries Soufflet. Each year, this day brings all employees together to raise their awareness of the issues involved, with informative activities and messages from the management.

Finally, in addition to the induction process, in-service training and the annual awareness day, our colleagues, managers and safety officers have a vital role to play in sharing good practices. As they go about their daily tasks and use the resources linked to their function, our employees are the best placed to help identify and assess risks.

They are therefore encouraged to be proactive in reporting potential risks related to their activity and to put forward solutions for improvement.

*Accident frequency rate: the number of accidents resulting in time off, out of the number of hours worked.