‘No serious accident’ in 24 years

“We’ve never had a serious accident,” the Hovione Macau general manager said. In 24 years of operation, “most of the accidents” recorded in the local factory “are not related to the dangerous substances we handle,” Jorge Pastilha stressed.
Working with hazardous raw materials can actually be an advantage, he said, because Hovione “takes all possible measures to prevent all possible risks”. The facilities were designed to deal with such dangers, which are also underlined during the training of new workers, Pastilha explained.
All materials, vehicles and visitors coming in and out of Hovione are closely monitored, something Macau Daily Times witnessed firsthand. For instance, no cellular phones are allowed in the facilities and both feet and wheels must be covered.
“Security is one area where Hovione invests a lot,” Pastilha assured. Throughout the year, the factory management conducts 40 security checks of all areas. Furthermore, a large-scale drill is organised once a year in cooperation with the fire department, as well as smaller internal drills once a month testing “a whole range of scenarios,” he explained.
In the end, the accidents registered are “the kind that anyone can have at home,” the Hovione general manager said, “like someone pinching a finger in a door”. Nonetheless, the factory has put into place a “Near Misses” system, urging workers to report “issues which could prove to be problematic. That way we can correct them before an accident happens,” Pastilha said.
The company also pays attention to its environmental impact, for instance measuring the noise several times a year, “in order to minimise any negative effects on our neighbours,” he explained. The water waste and air emissions are monitored, even though the factory chimneys have a filtering system.
Of utmost importance for Hovione, Pastilha assured, is the health of its workers. The production staff has to go for medical checkups twice a year and the whole personnel can call upon the services of a doctor once a week.