The "Safe Company" certificate is a confirmation for companies that the safety and health of their employees is as important to them as the economic health of the company. Only three companies passed the overall assessment, while dozens of companies being assessed. The certificate is awarded once a year by a committee composed of representatives of the labour inspection system and the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic.
The conditions for obtaining the "Safe Company" certificate were to demonstrate the implementation and application of this system, the overall level of health and safety at work care, work culture, low accident rate, social care, level of fire safety or compliance with generally binding legislation and decisions of administrative authorities in the field of the environment.
Hedviga Machayová, Director General of the National Labour Inspectorate, Stanislav Krajňák, Director of the Occupational Health and Safety Department of the National Labour Inspectorate, Ladislav Kerekeš, Spokesman of the National Labour Inspectorate, and Martin Neštický, Director of the Department of Labour Protection, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Slovak Republic, came to hand over the certificate and the plaque to us today before lunch at the Directorate.
"We appreciate how you approach this whole issue, how you communicate with your employees and that you value their work. It makes us very happy to see that we, as a labour inspectorate, can still learn a lot from you. I would very much like to see the rest of the Slovak companies also place as much emphasis on safety as you do. You were one of the first enterprises to test its employees, to measure the temperature when entering the plant… We very much appreciate how you have coped with all this. For your efforts, your dedication and your willingness, thank you very much."
– Hedviga Machayová
Director General of the National Labour Inspectorate
The validity of the certificate is five years. At the end of this period, the company may apply for an extension for a further five-year period. Becoming Safe Company certified and being able to use the logo can give a competitive advantage over other employers, particularly when selecting suppliers and partners for other companies and especially for large enterprises.
"You are a successful huge employer and this award is not a given. On behalf of the Department, thank you. We would be very happy to have you as a walking inspiration of what this should look like in practice. Because safety is not just things written on paper."
– Martin Neštický
Director of the Department of Labour Protection, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Slovak Republic
Despite the fact that many Slovak companies had to cope with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 in addition to everyday problems, there were still a few companies that decided to do something extra for the safety of their employees, beyond the legal obligations, for which they earned the title of "Safe Company". We hope that this award will continue to motivate us all to behave safely. It has also confirmed that it really does make a difference.
"Safety cannot be achieved by building rules, policies and controls. You have to build a culture in which people live and behave. It's a story that never ends, it's a long-term thing. However, we can say with certainty that investing in safety also brings us economic effects. We have far fewer outages and the quality of our work is very high. This award is a sign that we are on the right track, and it is also a commitment to continuous improvement."
– Milan Molnár
Director of Asset Management
Take a look at the photo gallery from today's Safe Company award ceremony:
