ECCO: Our People

The ECCO Group's most important resource is its human resource. The ECCO Group wishes to promote and strengthen a physically, psychologically and socially healthy working environment for all employees.

Occupational Health & Safety

To ensure continuous improvement of our occupational health and safety performance, we will:

• Minimize the use of restricted chemical substances in ECCO's production processes and - wherever possible - use a suitable and safer substitute. The ECCO Group applies uniform global criteria for restricted chemical substances in ECCO production processes. These criteria are as a minimum based on EU laws and legislation.
• Take effective measures to prevent accidents and minimize the recurrence of accidents.
• Work with employees to ensure a healthy and safe working environment.
• Establish at least one committee in every business unit to handle health and safety issues and to ensure employee involvement.
• Educate and train employees to conduct their activities in a healthy and safe manner.

Involvement & Dialogue

The ECCO Group will inform, educate and engage employees in our efforts to optimize environmental, health and safety performance. Each employee must take personal responsibility towards the continuous improvement of environmental, health and safety issues. The ECCO Group will openly cooperate and support on-going dialogue with authorities, customers and neighbours, and at all times meet or exceed all applicable laws or regulations concerning the environment, health and safety.

Monitoring Performance

The ECCO Group will review the ECCO Group Environment, Health and Safety Policy on an annual basis to ensure its alignment with current business operations. The ECCO Group will routinely promote, monitor and assess the company's environmental, health and safety performance through KPIs and the Global Audit Programme.

Employee Involvement

Involving our employees in identifying hazards and solving health and safety issues is an essential step in making our workplaces safe and healthy. The people closest to a function often know best how to improve it. Experience shows that employee involvement and participation in our Free Ideas system generates many good suggestions for improving the day-to-day operations that result in concrete action and positive results. Every employee has a responsibility to take actions to ensure workplace health and safety and prevent an accident from occurring.

EHS Officers

At all ECCO facilities, there are EHS officers who provide supervision and advice on EHS related issues. Our EHS officers ensure that health, safety and environmental considerations are an integral part of all our operations. They ensure best management practices at ECCO facilities worldwide and continuously evaluate EHS performance. The EHS officers promote awareness of health and safety and good practice. They educate and engage in dialogue with employees about day-to-day health and safety conditions. The local EHS officers also align the ECCO Group Policy for Environment, Health & Safety with the legislation of the countries in which we operate.

Medical Clinics

ECCO provides an excellent working environment for its workers and supports the welfare of its communities with on-site medical clinics. Our corporate healthcare has a direct and positive impact on the health of local populations. We ensure that all workers and their families in all our tanneries and shoe factories throughout the world have access to on-site medical clinics staffed with an appropriate number of doctors and nurses.