Germains’ Netherland Employees Earn STIGAS Award

Remaining productive and happy at work continues to be a challenge for many companies worldwide. STIGAS objective is to help employers, employees and self-employed individuals who work within the Netherlands agriculture sector to achieve high standards of health and safety. By providing services such as risk assessments, machine safety and personal care practices. STIGAS strives to assist companies with addressing health and safety concerns that help reduce absenteeism.

STIGAS “Working on Tomorrow – Sustainable Employability

Germains Seed Technology emphasizes health and safety for all of our business units world wide. On the 17th of November 2015, Germains’ staff members located in the Netherlands,  produced and submitted a video entry for STIGAS annual “Working healthy and vital price” within their bigger project “Working on tomorrow – sustainable employability” competition.

STIGA AWARD

Hans Derksen, Hans Rensink, Wim Wisselink and Sanne van der Weijden | STIGAS Award Ceremony 2015

Germains’ continuous Health and Safety program and Human Resource management practices at all of our locations strive to ensure long term employment that allows employees to transition through different age stages. Worldwide, Germains has an impressive track record for employees who have long term service records. We have several employees who have worked for the company for 20 plus years.

Preview Germains’ STIGAS Video Entry

Video Translation:

Text in the screen:
Company: Germains Seed Technology
Sector: Seed Technology
Employees: 47

First speaker is Hans Derksen (production Manager):
“Germains is a seedtechnology business, what we do is pellet, filmcoat, prime horticultural seeds, for example lettuce and andive. We create pellets mostly in order to improve the sowability.
There is no external training for the work we do, therefore it’s very important that our employees with their knowledge and experience stay with us for as long as possible. What we run into is that an increasing number of our employees are reaching a higher age.”

Second speaker is Hans Rensink (production employee):
I think there is a responsibility of the employer to ensure the 50+ employees, of which I am one myself, are able to continue to work. It’s your life and body and you want to stay fit as long as possible and at Germains, they are helping us with that.

Third speaker is again Hans Derksen (Production Manager):
Each year we have a health and safety event. This year the topic is sustainable employability. On this day the whole business is spending time together on only this subject. We organize all kinds of workshops for example; how do we deal with the different age stages and what kind of problems can possibly occur and how to prevent these or deal with these.

Fourth speaker Hans Rensink:
Sometimes I think, is it really all necessary but you do start to live up to it. In my work it’s a lot of lifting, manual handling so we have to be careful with our backs. In the past we already had “how to use your back properly training” where we have learned to minimise the burden on our backs.

Fifth speaker is Wim Wisselink (production employee filmcoat)
I have different tasks, so my work is very diverse. Sometimes I’m focussed on production, other times on inspections/checks. It really works as a motivator for me.

Sixth speaker is again Hans Derksen (Production Manager):
The work we do regarding sustainable employability is having positive effects. Our absenteeism precentage is low, and the percentage we have is not work-related.

Tips:
Wim Wisselink: “Risk analyses are essential for a safe work environment.”
Hans Derksen: “Keep your employees healthy and fit by ensuring they have a variety of tasks.”
Hans Rensink: “Ensure anything can be discussed.”
Hans Derksen: “Working on tomorrow means for Germains: Going home at the end of a working day just as fit as you started in the morning.”

Click here for more information about career opportunities that are currently available at Germains Seed Technology.