The UN World Day for Safety and Health at Work, held annually on April 28, is a valuable reminder of the importance of creating safer, healthier, and more resilient workplaces. At Huhtamaki, this day reflects a focus that is put into practice every day, not just once a year.
Hand and finger injuries represent the most common type of incident across Huhtamaki’s global manufacturing network. That is why the 2025 World Day for Safety and Health at Work emphasizes the critical importance of hand safety.
Since hands play a role in nearly every task on the production floor, protecting them is one of the most effective ways to keep employees safe. Achieving this requires proper control measures, clear procedures, correctly designed and maintained equipment and a strong safety culture embedded across all levels of the organization.
From awareness to action: Strengthening hand safety globally
Over the past year, Huhtamaki has introduced targeted, practical actions to reduce hand injuries at site level. One of the most impactful examples is the Sharps Policy, introduced in the Flexibles segment.
By removing unsafe blades and other sharp tools from production areas, this policy led to a 50% reduction in knife-related injuries at the sites where it was implemented.
Huhtamaki has also worked to reinforce safety behaviors at an individual level, emphasizing practices such as assessing risks before starting a task, wearing appropriate personal protective equipment for the task, reporting hazards, and celebrating safety achievements across teams. This daily commitment continues to embed safety deeper into the organizational culture, with measurable results.
Measurable progress across the organization
In 2024, Huhtamaki achieved a 28 percent reduction in total recordable injuries (TRIs) compared to the previous year. In addition, over 100 000 near-miss reports were submitted, supporting a proactive approach to learning, prevention and employee participation.
Several new tools have also been implemented to support local safety performance, including:
- Updated KPIs to better track and respond to safety data
- Standardized digital monitoring systems across sites
- Expanded access to training and e-learning opportunities
- Deployment of the “Safety Pillar” framework across the business. The Safety Pillar is part of our World Class Operations initiative, focusing on continuously improving workplace safety by providing a structured approach that involves all stakeholders across all levels of the organization.
Think Safe. Work Safe. Home Safe.
From global policies to local habits, from hands-on training to digital reporting, and from near-miss observations to site-wide recognition, Huhtamaki’s approach to hand safety reflects a clear belief: safety begins with people. All these mentioned efforts align with Huhtamaki’s commitment to building a global safety culture reflected in the guiding principle: Think Safe. Work Safe. Home Safe. While the progress to date is significant, the journey continues.