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POSTNORD TO BECOME INDUSTRY LEADER “Let's face it – historically we have not done enough to create a good working environment in all areas. That’s about to change. It's not okay for employees to get sick or injured at work. We are making a fresh start in health and safety management. Our focus is not only on the physical working environment, but also about gender equality, diversity and the psychosocial environment – and I want to set the bar high. PostNord will become an industry leader in systematic work environment management.” MATHIAS KRÜMMEL, HEAD OF POSTNORD SWEDEN, ON THE INVESTMENT IN THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT.
→ Van driver Vera Nilsson has been working at PostNord for just over a year. “It’s great to meet so many people, but it’s pretty tough on your body."
I tested it for a week before giving it my final rating.” Vera and her colleagues assess all tools. There are forms on the terminal on which you can document the good and bad aspects and perhaps suggest improvements.
BY FAR THE coolest device tested at take care of your shoulders and back”, Anel Toftanäs is an exoskeleton that makes the says. “I think people have got better at doing wearer look like something out of a science this lately, maybe because we supervisors fiction movie. keep going on about it.” “You feel and look like a robot, but He describes the atmosphere in the unfortunately that's also the only positive workplace as extremely friendly and thing I have to say about it”, positive: “Toftanäs is full of says Anel Hodzic, group leader warriors, who try hard to deliver in the collection area at the every single parcel and empty terminal. “The exoskeleton is the terminal each day.” Terminal heavy, uncomfortable and hot. Manager Åsa Holmgren agrees. And a bit unwieldy, too. Sure, “I’m seeing great commityou get help with the lifting, but ment, especially on this issue”, it's very rare that we lift more she says. “Many people than twenty kilos at the appreciate the fact that they collection stage. It get to be involved in making a simply doesn't suit difference and that creates a Åsa Holmgren, our activities.” ripple effect.” Terminal Manager.
MAX MALMGREN HAS worked as a van driver since 2011 and is a safety representative at the terminal. He thinks it's great that health and safety is on the agenda, but agrees with Vera that so far no tool has lived up to expectations. One of the tools Max tested was an electric stair climber: “It makes it easier when you have a big delivery and have to go up some stairs, but it doesn't work at all if you have to go down stairs instead. The stair climbers are also relatively heavy. They are just as difficult to lift in and out of the vehicle as the WHEN ASKED goods themselves. It might be a WHAT the perfect tool looks good idea to have a couple at the like, Anel says, “We already got terminal for particular occasions, it – it's our body.” He and a but not one in every vehicle.” couple of colleagues have been According to Max, the trained as lifting instructors. The ultimate tool would be a aim is for all employees to Max Malmgren, planning tool. One that shows undergo training in lifting Van Driver. exactly what has been sorted techniques before the end of into the cages and the number the year. of items for each customer. “Different tools can make the work easier, “Then we wouldn't have had to reload and but the most important thing of all is to think move the parcels around so much”, he says. about the technique, train your body and
PEOPLE BY POSTNORD
FOR THE WORK environment initiative to be fully successful, Åsa believes they will have to talk to customers about the conditions, too. Maybe even lower the weight limits: “In the short term, we might lose volume, but we’ll regain it in a better working environment. And an image as the sustainable logistics company. “In fact, many customers today combine two parcels to make one heavier one. If we could get them to stop doing that, it would be a major win.”
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