Our journey begins by looking up. In many departments, people work on elevated structures while assembling machinery. This is where internal lifelines come in, a cornerstone of our prevention system.
“One of the most important features at IFP is our internal lifeline system,” says Maria Chiara Pinton, Health and Safety Manager at IFP Europe. “It’s the result of extensive study and research, driven by the need for a system that would keep operators safe during assembly work at height while fitting our spaces and production requirements. And, of course, while remaining comfortable for the user. Our lifelines feature a self-retracting device that runs along a ceiling-mounted rail. The cable clips onto the harness and works like a seat belt: if the operator falls, it locks and prevents the worst. The advantage of this system over others is that it also works at lower heights, so it protects operators even when they’re using a ladder, for example.”
Regulations define work at height as anything above two meters off the ground, but at IFP protection starts earlier: from the third or fourth rung of a ladder, workers are required to clip on.
Our route continues through the workstations.
“All IFP workers are provided with safety shoes and protective gloves, selected according to the job they do. For precision assembly, small parts or delicate tasks, the gloves are thin and flexible. For heavier work, such as welding or grinding, they are reinforced and resistant to heat and cuts.”
Gloves and other high-use PPE are available from vending machines, where each operator picks up what they need based on their role. This makes it possible to monitor stock levels in real time and make sure every worker has the right PPE for the task at hand.
In the welding department, protection steps up. Operators wear EN ISO 11611 certified workwear, designed to withstand sparks, heat and molten metal spatter. They are equipped with welding helmets and work in areas fitted with local exhaust ventilation, which keeps exposure to welding fumes to a minimum.
Along IFP’s safety journey, some areas are more sensitive and the level of risk is higher. One of them is the machine testing area, where the work involves high electrical currents.
Dedicated workstations have been set up for these operations, together with an operating procedure developed with the testing team. It prevents any accidental contact with live parts and drastically reduces the risk of electric shock.
Safety doesn’t stop at the company gates. “Anyone traveling abroad, whether service technicians or sales staff, is closely supported. Before every trip, a procedure kicks in to assess the destination country, arrange preventive health measures if needed, and provide information on public safety risks and local codes of conduct. Even behavior that has no consequences in Italy can be punishable elsewhere,” Pinton points out. “It’s important for every worker to know how to protect themselves, even far from home.”
“Following the rules matters, but above all this is a responsibility we have toward people,” concludes Maria Chiara Pinton.