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What is so special about
Geberit’s production site in
China
Here in China we produce mainly
for the Asia-Pacific market, but also
for the European market. One of our
plants is on an island some 60 km
out to sea. A wind park with 48 wind
turbines was recently installed on
this island, which supplies us with
clean electricity. Around 60% of
the island plant’s energy comes from
wind power. Particularly progressive
is the fact that we have an
environmental-management system
certified in accordance with ISO
14001 and an occupational health
and safety system certified in
accordance with OHSAS 18001.
What is the significance of these
certifications in China
The effect of such standards here in
China is far greater than in Europe,
as there is still a lot of catching
up to do. The two certifications are
new for China and important signs
for both our employees and our
customers. Important incentives are
coming from the government for
better company environmental protection,
however, the main task is
to raise people’s awareness.
How do you interest employees
in this
We must set an example of how
to comply with standards and what
continuous improvement means.
Supervisors and I occasionally correctly
separate waste that has
been incorrectly disposed of. I need
to be a role model every day. We
comply with all legal requirements:
Our workstations are clean, bright
and safe. We work a 40-hour week,
have clear overtime regulations
and pass the Geberit culture on to
the employees. With great success:
In our office we have an average
staff turnover that is no greater than
that at Geberit’s headquarters in
Switzerland. The nice thing about
working in China is being able
to see that major changes are still
possible and that the team can
be motivated to joint efforts. This
requires grassroots work, which
I hugely enjoy.
Christian Steiger is Head Operations
Asia Pacific at Geberit Plumbing Technology
Shanghai in China. He is responsible
for production and logistics at two plants.
What other developments
are planned
We are building new headquarters
near today’s site in Shanghai,
where our entire production and
logistics will be combined as of
spring 2010. It is a state-of-the-art
building oriented towards European
standards for sustainable
construction regarding insulation
and shading – not a matter of
course in China. Also, we will be
able to significantly reduce our
water consumption in production
thanks to new systems. These
are examples of the fact that we
understand environmental
management to be an ongoing
process.
Geberit Sustainability Report 2010 36