MeramaTec Oy
Founder, Owner, CEO
Jaakko Mäkinen
Design Engineer
Tapani 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
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Definitely an opportunity
Occupational safety is always a lucrative investment
Substantial benefits for productivity
Strong sales argument
Records in Finland have ugly numbers:
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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
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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 700 000€
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
ROLL cut-s
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Automated fail roll
handling
No manual work in
the dangerous
blade zone
Works for all size of
reels
Rolleri
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Minimizes crushing
danger, no pushing of
rolls
Size, weight and material
independent on cylinder
shaped objects
Small space need
Lifting equipment
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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
Legal squiggle
 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
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