We believe that the modern age brings enough of negative influences, so that it is not necessary to drag-in things like that among the 40 employees of the GALVAMET spol. s r.o. hardening shop.

• Our main idea is – this hardening shop existing also in the distant future.
• Our daily goal is – earn enough for ourselves while developing both ourselves and the company.
• Our signal for the others is our greening initiative – economisation and internal social network linked to the organisational structure.

A small part of our greening initiative is described here: studie.pdf (approx. 10 MB)
A visit of the waste logistics centre (19.10.2010):  trideniodpadu.pdf

Galvamet thinks of protecting its own and environment as well

Although the sun was shining everywhere, company Galvamet, located in former Zbrojovka Vsetín area in Jasenice, was poured with heavy rain. It was on 4th October 2011. There was even a flood, but thanks to the quick intervention of Galvamet staff, the operation of company was not endangered by it. Employees secured the objects of buildings by the levee of sandbags and they managed to protect property of Galvamet company and to prevent ecological disaster.

Galvamet company has been engaged in heat treatment of metals for many years and it currently employs 47 people. Within the management´s effort of further development as well as strengthen the relationship to the city, which includes environmental protection as well, in Galvamet they think also of possible natural disaster, ecological accidents and protection against them.

Anyway, in the valley of former Zbrojovka, the flood is not far during the heavy rains. Last time it was in 1997, when the flood washed up the most companies here. Some of damages caused of high water have not been removed up to now yet.

From that reason the owner of Galvamet, Aleš Šlechta wants to be ready to similar accidents. His company is one of the ecologically hazardous operations and in case of its hitting by high water could happen the damage to property and thus the threat to production and working places as well as ecological disaster. “We could not count on the fact that in case of flood firemen should have time to protect our company. They will have plenty of other work. Therefore we want to be ready and self-sufficient to protect our company and not to cause another damage to environment,” Šlechta gave reasons for organization the exercise, in which the firemen from Nový Hrozenkov helped with simulation of rain and flood.

The employees tried building the flood control levee of sandbags, cleaning the stream clogged with branches, disposal of leaking oil as well as first aid for injury. And - it all during the heavy rain and flood wave provided by firemen with the water cannon. “It is sometimes better to practice than just to talk about it, what to do in such case,” Aleš Šlechta believes and he closes: “When the high water comes again, and it will come, somebody will be surprised unpleasantly. We should be not.”

Galvamet company engages in the prevent of risk situations systematically. E.g. last year its management organized common exercise with firemen focused on fire in its object and also injury of the employees.

Trip to Hostětín

On 19 May 2011 employees of GALVAMET Company made a trip to Hostětín. At first sight, you would say that it is a small discreet village. However, on second glance you will find out that it is not so unobtrusive. On the contrary. A village with just over 200 inhabitants was able to make itself visible on the map just by the fact how ecologically and economically they think and how self-sufficient they can be. We wish there were more such villages.

We look at flagship projects of sustainable development:

Passive House of Veronica ecological centre – annual power consumption of such a house is 7-10x smaller than in standard constructions. This is reached namely by a thick level of thermal insulation, ventilation system with heat recovery (so-called recuperation), and airtightness of the construction.

Biomass central heating plant – here we took a look at one option of heating homes in the village. A big furnace of 732 kW power which runs on woodchips supplies 67 houses with heat.

Solar energy – you can see it more and more. Solar collectors. In Hostětín they can be seen on seven houses. Photovoltaic panels are also installed on the passive house and the cider house.

Bio-cider house – another interesting project. From apples delivered by the region they produce good quality – and we must say also very delicious beverage – cider. We have to say that this beverage is pure, it is not fitlrated and it is not sweetened; it is only preserved by pasteurization for longer sell-by-date. We tried it and we had to agree - it tasted really very nice.

Fruit drying room – another method how to keep fruit for longer time. Whether we think of apples, plums or always so popular pears which are used in traditional pear cakes - frgals. In Hostětín they think about processing these gifts of nature in such a way which would bring economical benefit for the village.

The base of root water treatment plant is an artificial wetland with common plants such as e.g. reed. Water is treated by bacteria living on roots of plants and they decompose organic pollution.

Last but not least it is worth mentioning friendly outdoor lighting. Public lighting fixtures have been replaced by those with a high efficiency. This is how it looks when someone thinks his/her head. When lighting a terrain, only light which is directed sufficiently steeply downwards is useful. The point is to light only that part of terrain which needs to be lit - that is the street only.

We all came home full of impressions. Nedless to say, everybody enjoyed something else but it is important that all the projects might act as a kind of a guideline where we all should go. Both in our working lives and also in our private lives.

And what to say in conclusion? I can say only one thing: when we want to do it, we can do it. And when we do not want to do it, it is worse than if we cannot do it.

Green Wave Galvamet

Change of the beverage policy is the simple contribution to greening. Original plastic barrels were replaced by the water machines from Mixa company. These water machines filter water directly from water lines and drinks regime of employees is ensured by using the bike bottles. In principle, the point is to eliminate CO2 arising at transport of barrels, by the carrying the barrels to the work places and by the production of the plastic barrels at all. In contrast to that, the water machine fills just one bike bottle. These bottles were distributed among all employees. Drinks regime is ensured continuously and it is not possible that water in water machine should be ran out.

The simulation preparation for a potential environmental accident with injury and fire has been done in cooperation with HZS Vsetín and SDH Nový Hrozenkov. That day the simulated ammonia station accident happened in the Galvamet Company and a company employee was hit by the ammonia. At the same time, a fire incurred in the attic, which was observed by an employee who announced the fire event and called for the fire guard as the initial action. A simulated injury was also incurred in the office area, so the simulation was company-wide and most of the employees could experience the stress situation for themselves.

You can see how networked our hardening shop is, by looking at these reports
 

• Galvamet Green Wave = Game for the Earth
  
  
•  There is a lot of joy when we buy a new machine
  
  
• In nice weather we go for a nature trip
  
  
• Sometimes an accident happens, but nobody was hurt, so no drama
  
  
• Everyone is able to work hard, inspite of who the manager is
  
  
• Standard work day
  
  
• Social conditions are adequate
  
  
• If there are results, it is time to party
  
  
•  We all educate ourselves, it is a good mixture of information
  
  
•  We are sponsoring the nature protection activities, the Valašsko region is worth it
  
  
•  We welcome the school excursions, so the young can see what working men look like
  
  
•  We don't like the work injuries, but we like our colleague
  
   
•  We are sponsoring the traditions and literature
  
  
•  We go on excursions to the better ones, to learn something from them