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GRUPO POSTIGO, a leader in signs and requirements (FREMAP Magazine No 32 Oct-Dec 2006) Did you ever stop to think where the thousands of traffic signs that clutter the Spanish roads come from? The security they bring to road system and the information they provide to all its users are invaluable, but we never think about the production process these signs go though before their message finally reaches us. The magazine FREMAP visited the plant that the Postigo Group has in the Valencian town of Manises. These days nearly 500 employees make up the group's workforce, at whose headquarters thousands of signs are designed and produced with a high level of demand that makes the Valencian company a leader in its sector and one of the most active in the domestic market. Since Postigo was born in Manises (Valencia) for over thirty years the company has undergone numerous changes to become what it is today. From being a small company dedicated to creating traffic signs, it went on to become a business group with a huge presence in the national market that is also internationally renowned. Currently the Postigo Group has ten permanent production facilities in Spain and is formed by Postigo Obras y Servicios, S.A., the parent company of the group, dedicated to road safety equipment, public works construction, anti-noise systems and urban equipment; FUNTAM S.A., dedicated since 1941 to the design and manufacture of steel supports for power lines, railway electrification, lighting, security, wind farms and solar panels, Corporate Image Solutions S.L., Prevapost S.L., 3C Construcciones y Conservaciones Canarias S.L., Alvipost S.L. and Alba Electrónica S.L. In short, diversification has created a favourable atmosphere for offering all-round services and products within the field of road and urban infrastructures. Vicente Escobar, director of Grupo Postigo, Luis Mallen economic director, and Jose Luis Sanchis, head of Human Resources and Prevention, talked FREMAP Magazine through the production process carried out at its plant in Manises. They placed particular emphasis on the guidelines followed in the field of prevention of occupational risks, a field in which they are getting superb results through the commitment of their employees and the collaboration of FREMAP through the office run by Francisco Planells in the nearby town of Paterna. The process which the thousands of road signs we end up seeing on our roads undergo is simple, despite involving a large number of people who require preparation and specific training. From when the huge metal plates are cut to when we see them on the roadside a series of events happen. First they go through a cycle of special primer and paint, depending on what their end function will be, and always guaranteeing their durability in adverse weather conditions. Once the base colour is prepared, each of the letters or numbers that make up the final message are stuck on totally manually. One of the final processes that has to be applied to the sign is to provide it with a reflective film, which will allow us to make out the information in good time when driving at night. Finally, the sign passes through a series of safety and quality checks before being carefully packed for distribution to any point in Spain. Aside from the fact that it is curious to observe how conventional traffic signs are made, when you enter the Postigo production facility you can see the great professionalism and thoroughness with which each of its employees work. Whether they are developing small signals or the huge information panels that decorate our main roads and motorways, or structures and variable message electronic panels providing information in real time, their production and technological development ensures a secure future for this company from Valencia. How does Risk Prevention work in a company like this? According to Jose Luis Sanchis, head of Human Resources and Prevention in the group, "the key to success in this field is the integration of a preventive culture in our business plans”. Beyond having good professionals in the prevention area in each of the production centres, there has been a clear commitment to safety at each stage of the production process at all levels. "We have successfully opted for a team who identify with the business culture of the group and who have got involved in continuous process of training and improvement," says Sanchis. In 1999, Jose Luis Sanchis received the medal of honour from the Spanish Road Association, for his work in the management of occupational hazards for his work in the installation of signposting and road safety on Spanish roads, achieving five million hours worked without a single work accident resulting in sick leave during the period between 1993 and 1998. Postigo’s System for Occupational Risk Prevention has been in place since 1989, long before the legal obligations were as present as they are today. The preventative policy has led the company to conduct its activities in a way that ensures the health and safety of its employees, as well as third parties directly or indirectly involved in them, be they workers or consumers. To this end, a comprehensive security program was created, whose fundamental pillars are to achieve realistic goals in the area of prevention, to allocate the financial, human and technical resources necessary to achieve those goals, and to empower workers in order to facilitate their participation in the program. That is why in 1991 a half-yearly Security prize was set up, whereby workers participate by contributing ideas to improve their working conditions. The feedback and motivation from the workforce has led to the incorporation of safety devices created by themselves in the production chain. This commitment, from both workers and technicians in prevention as well as the board of directors, produce some more than enviable figures. Throughout 2005, the group only recorded 26 accidents with sick leave, of which 8 were in-itenere. These data show an average frequency of 28.67, which is well below the national average. It is without doubt the best sign of a job well done. |
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