Safety suffers: this is what Ems-Chemie says about serious shortcomings

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These are difficult times for Ems-Chemie. In the first nine months of this year, sales fell almost ten percent. Production had to be reduced; The company of Senior Vice President National Assembly Member Magdalena Martullo-Blocher (54) was avoiding costs wherever possible. At the same time, dividends of 468 million francs flowed in the last financial year, more than two-thirds of which went to Martullo-Blocher and her two sisters.

As SonntagsBlick’s research shows, it has been clear that savings have been made on infrastructure for a long time. The newspaper has an internal report dated December last year. This reveals some serious safety deficiencies at the factory in Domat/Ems GR.

Security suffers

For example, there is criticism of the lack of heat protection on a production line, with mention of clogged exhaust pipes, improvised power lines and faulty emergency exit signs. Pictures show dilapidated systems and a lot of dirt. The conclusion of the report: “There is a lot of dirt, dust and unnecessary material. As a result, security also suffers.”

According to domestic accident statistics, there were 34 minor and 29 industrial accidents in 2022. In the Grivory corporate unit, 7.6 occupational accidents per 100 employees were recorded. According to Suva, there are an average of 2.4 accidents in this sector.

Defects fixed according to ems

Ems-Chemie defends itself. Order, cleanliness and occupational safety are taken “very seriously” and checks are carried out regularly. The company emphasized that “the deficiencies identified in the report have now been completed.” They are investing 20 to 30 million francs a year in infrastructure and maintenance – again in 2023. Regarding the relatively high number of accidents, the company says that the majority are “very harmless events that cause nothing or only a ‘very brief outage’.”

However, there is another serious claim regarding the health of employees. According to SonntagsBlick, all new employees must consult a forensic expert before starting work. It doesn’t matter whether someone works in a factory or is an office worker. The employment contract is subject to a positive medical examination.

Such an examination is required by law for shift workers. However, it is quite controversial whether this is also allowed for office workers, for example. St. According to Thomas Geiser (71), retired professor of labor law at the University of St. Gallen (HSG), employers are only allowed to collect health data “if certain health requirements for a position must be met for security reasons.”

Insurance as an argument

The company justifies the health check by saying that all employees are insured in the pension fund beyond the mandatory requirement. According to Geiser, the argument is only partially valid. The investigation must be carried out by the pension fund and the results cannot be transferred to the company.

In response to Blick’s question, the canton of Grisons did not comment on the allegations against the canton’s largest private employer. The Department for Industry, Trade and Labor refers to the obligation of confidentiality, which means that information about individual companies cannot be released. Whether it is legally permissible for all new employees to undergo health checks is a “civil law” issue and therefore does not fall within the canton’s decision-making authority.

Suva also does not comment on the specific situation. It looks like he won’t interfere. The company is responsible for complying with health and safety regulations, she says.

Source :Blick