MeramaTec Oy

Founder, Owner, CEO Jaakko Mäkinen

Design EngineerTapani Smått

Material handling systems

Lifting equipment

Occupational safety training and consulting

Located in Ikaalinen, Finland

Founded 1982

Currently 7 employees

Turnover 1,5 m€

Small Business and Occupational Safety and Health-

The Challenge; The Opportunity Definitely an opportunity Occupational safety is always a lucrative investment Substantial benefits for productivity Strong sales argument

Records in Finland have ugly numbers:

28 fatal accidents in Year 2012 Total of 126 500 accidents Annual national cost is Billions of euros Meramatec has always invested in knowledge of rules,

regulations and documentation Known for leading the way for new era on occupational

safety, Inno Suomi award for patented products 4 years without work related accidents

0-Accident Forum Occupational Safety Rating 1. “WORLD CLASS”

Our Story

• Funnel loading systems

– Total weight 300 t– Loading Capacity 1000 t/h– Picture from test drive at autumn 2008

Toughest challenge in company history

• Documentation of project and knowledge of current legislation was in order, otherwise the whole company would have ended up like the carriage

• No injuries for workers thank god• Cause was an error in yield / buckling strength calculations• Beginning of 4 year legal process which concluded in

absolutely incomprehensible decision that cost us 700 000ۥ Laws and regulations are same for everyone, but the court

interpretation can be totally incoherent.

Turning Challenge to Opportunity

• We turned this severe challenge to opportunity• Legal procedure gave us deeper understanding on

the law and norms, plus a great contact network which has been a great help afterwards

• We struggled back to our feet and continued the hard work to make work places safer

• Fundamental idea in our every process has been occupational safety

• Meramatec has innovated, developed and patented equipment for industries that have had great numbers of serious accidents

Replacing old accident prone technology

RolleriMinimizes crushing danger, no pushing of rollsSize, weight and material independent on cylinder shaped objects Small space need

ROLL cut-sAutomated fail roll handlingNo manual work in the dangerous blade zoneWorks for all size of reels

Huge economical losses, not to mention the human suffering

Hundreds of severe accidents every year only in Finland

When the accident has happened it can’t be taken back, nothing can correct it and there is no safety net anymore

The Challenge and a great Opportunity!

We developed X-lift telescopic lifting beam Speeds up the work at rises

cost effectiveness Versatile and wide

adjustability Lowers accident risk

significantly

Lifting equipment

SFS1492 demands a flat lifting device for broad slings

Hooks can not be used Such a product was not in the market MeramaTec developed it Even the authorities do not know

Legal squiggle

Our Message to Brussels• Information bank and sharing the info to

companies• Companies, especially in the SME sector can not

be aware of all the new laws if the information is not distributed correctly

• Uniform interpretation guides especially for authorities and courts

• Designer responsibility must be highlighted • Authorities supervising must be professionals• Economic encouragement:

– insurance and tax deductions • Sentences for obscene crimes on work safety are

ludicrous:– DUI can get a prison sentence and an involuntary

manslaughter due to neglecting work safety is only fines.

• Finnish Courts do not abide by the law on work safety related crimes or they interpret the law differently

Thank you for your attention