Subject to safeguards to protect occupational health, Fill Machine Engineering is now resuming work at its headquarters in Gurten. Individual working time models tailored to the situation have been devised for the 900 and more employees. „Since we were not legally compelled to close, we are obligated to respect the delivery dates agreed with our customers. Consequently, we are currently working a limited production operation,“ explains proprietor and CEO Andreas Fill.
„The safety of our employees and their families is our top priority. This naturally pertains primarily to their health, but economic aspects also play a major role, especially in times like these,“ says Andreas Fill, proprietor and CEO of Fill Machine Engineering, which is based in Gurten, Upper Austria. The company began operating again at the beginning of April.
General conditions adapted to the situation
Disinfectant dispensers and special floor markings in production and manufacturing departments will now ensure clean, safe, and trouble-free processes at Fill Machine Engineering. Furthermore, staggered working hours will prevent too many people from being on the company premises at any one time. Lower attendance will enable better and simpler compliance with the safety regulations for maintaining good health. Large quantities of protective masks have already been ordered from a business partner in China, and these will soon arrive in Gurten. As things stand, the special working hours will probably remain in effect for two to three months. The situation will continue to be closely monitored, and any adaptations will be made in close consultation with employees.
Online apprentice training
80 apprentices are currently being trained at Fill. The machine engineering experts are also going about training their apprentices creatively in a manner adapted to the current situation. Their approach quickly gave rise to the „Fill apprentice challenge.“ This is based on three pillars: practical training in very small groups, virtual training to be completed from home, and weekly project work to be elaborated in groups and subsequently presented. This all takes place on the internet. Fill’s apprentice trainers check and assess the projects. The best are then awarded prizes. „I am pleased that we can still train the next generation of professionals in this situation,“ says Andreas Fill.
