CASE STORY SMS Meer: LESS SWEATING IN Outlast SHOES PPE: MATERIALS, MACHINERY AND TECHNIQUES FOR THEIR PRODUCTION What do tubes for pipelines, rails for the high-speed ICE and TGV trains, transmission components for the Mercedes S Class, the outer skin of the Ariane rocket and gigantic wind power generators have in common? They are all produced on machines or plants by SMS Meer, the world market leader in plant and machine engineering for the industrial processing of steel, aluminium and non-ferrous metals. This innovative company employs 3,100 workers, safety and employee satisfaction is a top priority. “Employees satisfaction is very important,” says Ralf Büchsenschütz, Manager Health and Safety at SMS Meer GmbH, Mönchengladbach/Germany. The safety engineer Ralf Büchsenschütz is responsible for the health and safety of 1,400 employees at the headquarters in Mönchengladbach, of which 270 are working in production. “Our staff must feel comfortable in their PPE. Their footwear is an important factor. If the foot climate is perfect you feel more comfortable throughout the day”, strengthens Büchsenschütz. SMS Meer has been working together with German shoe producer Baltes Schuhtechnik und Arbeitsschutzprodukte for six years and has supplied its staff with the Baltes styles “Lava” and “Magma” which are lined with the smart temperature regulating Outlast® material. Outlast® technology was originally developed for NASA to protect astronauts from temperature fluctuations in space. Today Outlast® materials in safety shoes help to dynamically balance the climate and to manage heat and moisture so they sweat less. SMS Meer decided to go for a shoe that incorporates Outlast® technology after a field test of Baltes’ shoes resulted in a “significant difference regarding perspiration ” meaning that people sweat less in the new Outlast® shoes by Baltes. Even knowing that they are more expensive compared to other shoes, it was an easy decision. “We accepted this and believe it is money well invested for the comfort of our employees,” confirms Ralf Büchsenschütz, who has been with the company for nearly 20 years. The yearly need of SMS Meer is nearly 1,000 pairs of shoes. Comfort first, and then the price The priority of his criteria is clear: utility, comfort and then the price. Of course, the Purchasing department has another view, but “we always find a compromise”, smiles Büchsenschütz. For him it is essential that the workers feel, “they do something for us, they support us”. This is an important contribution for the performance and motivation of the employees. This way SMS Meer can be and stay a driver for new technologies. SMS Meer GmbH, which derived out of the former Mannesmann Demag, will continue to maintain and improve its know-how and looks positively into the future. “We will invest approximately 60 million Euros in our headquarters in Mönchengladbach in the next few years. We are now building a completely new assembly hall, which will be ready in late March 2012”. Also the machinery will be updated until 2015 to reduce the costs per unit and to shorten production processes. “There is a lot of work to do, says Ralf Büchsenschütz”. He keeps an eye on the common good of the staff. “With the help of high-quality work wear and work shoes we expect to avoid health damages of our personnel on the long term,” says Ralf Büchsenschütz. And he closes with a nice small anecdote: Not only is the feedback of his colleagues positive, also in private life he received convincing response from his kids after wearing the Outlast® shoes the whole day: “Before I started wearing Baltes shoes with Outlast® high-tech material they would always tell me as soon as I got home: ‘Dad, please wash your feet...’.” 102