Sunlight Group: Health and Safety an absolute priority
Xanthi, Greece, 25 May 2023
Company applying best H&S practices across facilities – Operational readiness drill at Sunlight’s industrial complex in Xanthi from Greek Health, Emergency and Rescue services.
Sunlight Group a technology company specializing in integrated and innovative off-road mobility batteries for the intralogistics sector and Energy Storage Systems for RES, accommodated yet again in its industrial complex located in Neo Olvio, Xanthi (NE Greece), an operational readiness drill conducted by the Fire Service, National Emergency Aid Center (EKAV), Police, and Civil Protection services.
The large-scale field exercise “TROY 2023” was organized by the 4th Disaster Response Unit (EMAK), in collaboration with the Xanthi Fire Service and Sunlight Group, in the context of the company’s commitment to invest in the constant upgrade of the Health & Safety (H&S) systems and practices it applies with the utmost respect to people and the environment.
Employing over 1,000 people in the Xanthi production unit, and more than 3,100 across its facilities in Greece and abroad, Sunlight applies an Integrated Management System for Health, Safety, Environment and Quality. Moreover, the company is also certified according to the ISO 45001 standard for Health and Safety, ISO 14001 for the Environment, and ISO 9001 for Quality.
Further to prerequisites and requirements stipulated by the above standards and applicable Greek, European and internatioanl legislation for H&S-related issues, Sunlight Group also applies additional best practices, such as
drafting Emergency Management Plan and organizing evacuation drills
educational seminars on First Aid and fire-fighting (2,575 hours of training for the H&S division and 1,142 in total for all employees, in 2022)
regular inspections, controls, briefings, and meetings
implementation of an integrated system of incident reporting and investigation
drafting and implementation of visitor management system
Acknowledging the above, the local Health, Emergency and Rescue services of the Xanthi Regional Unit and Region of Eastern Macedonia-Thrace selected Sunlight’s industrial complex in Neo Olvio to conduct the evacuation, rescue and fire-fighting exercise “TROY 2023.” The operational readiness drill was organized by the Komotini-based 4th Disaster Response Unit (EMAK), in collaboration with the Xanthi Fire Service, National Emergency Aid Center (EKAV), Hellenic Police, and the regional Civil Protection services.
Commenting on the drill Michalis Altiparmakis, Commander of the 4th EMAK, noted: ”Experience from such large-scale field exercises is valuable for our training and operational readiness, and we’d like to thank Sunlight for once again offering its facilities at our disposal, while also applying best Health and Safety practices. A total of 75 men and women, as well as 10 vehicles, participated and the drill was successfully completed.”
Dr. Charilaos Lotis, Director of the 9th EKAV Branch in Thrace, added: “We’d like to thank Sunlight Group for steadily supporting the Health, Emergency and Rescue services of Xanthi and the Thrace region. It’s very important for our front-line emergency services to exercise in simulation drills and we need the collaboration of businesses and industrial facilities, such as Sunlight, in order to test our operational protocols. A team of 18 EKAV rescuers and ambulance crew and a medical doctor took part in the drill, along with one ambulance and two vehicles of the Medical Catastrophes Unit.”
On behalf of Sunlight Group, the Health, Safety and Environmental Manager, Christos Dimitriadis, reiterated that the company strives to undertake initiatives that contribute to the local community, adding: “We offered Sunlight’s industrial facilities in Neo Olvio for the evacuation, rescue and fire-fighting drill ‘TROY 2023’ with great pleasure and sense of duty. Not only because we actively support the participating services, but also because at the same time we confirm our own readiness and proper implementation of our robust –and award-winning– safety standards. I’d like to thank the heads of the services for their excellent collaboration, the men and women who participated in the drill, and our colleagues for facilitating the work of the rescue teams. In closing, allow me to wish that such operations are only conducted as field exercises.”
Sunlight Group will continue investing in the development of the areas it operates in, focusing on initiatives that support local Health, Emergency and Rescue Services; improve quality of life; and promote educational and training activities – with an emphasis on technology and innovation.