IDÉAL, SME with 90 staff in the Lyon area, produces and markets textile cleaning products for the general public and is a signatory of the "Engagement de Progrès", the French Responsable Care. Having noticed a certain stagnation in his company's safety performance, Mr DEMONT, the company's assistant general manager, decided to implement an action plan aimed at reducing the number of work accidents.
 

Within the framework of the UIC's programme for assisting SMEs, the Rhône-Alpes local association suggested that the company may benefit from the experience of a specialist.
 
As a result, an "industrial sponsor" from ATOFINA Saint-Fons volunteered to assist for a half-day in March 2000. The inventory concentrated on the facilities, products, shop floor organisation, protective equipment, information and documentation. Recommendations relating to safety were drawn up. In particular, they concerned the formalisation and communication of information, since the "oral tradition" is still very much in practice at IDÉAL.
This personalised assistance led to the identification of priority lines of action and to the pinpointing of tangible possibilities for improvement. It will allow the firm to make considerable progress with regard to safety.