“Safety – As Part of the Journey, Not Just on the Way”

Last week, an important safety visit took place at the National Blood Bank in Ramla, as part of Electra FM’s Safety Week. The visit aimed to ensure that all employees at the site, from both Electra FM and Tavas, are aware of the importance of safety in the workplace and adhere to established procedures.

The National Blood Bank serves as a center for collecting, testing, and distributing blood donations for all hospitals in Israel. Its proper operation is essential for saving many lives, making the maintenance of high safety standards in the workplace critical.

The visit was chaired by Avi Matzliach, CEO of the Electra FM Maintenance Division, and included the participation of Gil Goldschmidt, VP of Service and Operations, Piki Kaufman, VP of Engineering and Procurement, Ilan Cohen, Shfela Branch Manager at Tavas, Rafi Yair, Account Manager at Electra FM, and Michel Magira, Electra FM Safety Officer.

The maintenance staff, managers, and supervisors from Tavas stationed at the facility were also present, including:
Charlie Bitton, Maintenance Manager at the Blood Bank; Yaki Levy, Deputy Maintenance Manager; Robert Zevulun, Maintenance Staff; Anat Barashi, Tavas Site Manager; Peleg Hadar, Maintenance Electrician; Guy Izakovich, Supervisor from the Tavas Supervisory Team; Tal Flom, General Worker; Zehava Mamo, Operations Coordinator; Yossi Nimni, Calibration and Control; and Boris Stern, Chief Electrician responsible for Control and Calibration.

The meeting was opened by Gil Goldschmidt, who presented Electra Group’s Safety Week and the specific goals of the visit to the blood bank. Gil thanked all the staff at the site for their extensive work throughout the year.

Avi Matzliach emphasized the importance of safety and quality, stating, “We are engaged in a dangerous profession, climbing rooftops, ladders, maintaining electromechanical systems, and entering enclosed spaces with oxygen masks. We have procedures and risk assessments. We provide managers and employees with all the necessary tools – read, understand, and work according to procedures.” Avi concluded, “There is an agreement between us. We want everyone to return home safely to their families. There will be no compromises for managers and employees who do not adhere to the company’s safety and quality procedures.”

Following Avi’s remarks, Piki Kaufman, VP of Engineering and Procurement, added, “We must think and be careful about safety. We need to conduct risk management for all company tasks. Failure to do so will result in performance failures in both quality and safety. Additionally, safety messages from management must be conveyed to employees. Failing to pass on this information is a managerial failure that endangers the employee, the customer, and passersby. Managers should communicate safety messages in regular staff meetings and provide safety briefings before complex tasks. Note that we disseminate every investigation both by email and on the portal.”

Concluding the first part of the visit, Gil Goldschmidt emphasized, “Safety is done as part of the journey, not just on the way.” Participants noted the importance of implementing the discussed points among their employees in their feedback. Ilan Cohen, Tavas Branch Manager, stated, “I learned from the meeting and will apply it to other clients.”
Anat Barashi, Tavas Site Manager, added, “We will continue to emphasize safety with the cleaning staff because it is one of the most important things.” Charlie Bitton, Maintenance Manager at the Blood Bank, said, “We will sharpen the various messages among the employees at the Blood Bank, communicate the issues raised here, and continue to be careful about these matters.”

After the discussions, a tour of the National Blood Bank was conducted. Participants learned about the bank’s important activities and its vital contribution to Israel’s healthcare system. They learned about the process of collecting, testing, and distributing blood to hospitals and the importance of maintaining proper storage conditions for blood donations.

The National Blood Bank plays a vital role in Israel’s healthcare system. It is responsible for supplying blood donations to all hospitals in the country, saving many lives each year. The proper functioning of the bank is crucial for performing surgeries, urgent medical treatments, and handling emergency situations.

Maintaining high safety standards at the National Blood Bank is essential to ensure its proper operation. Healthy and protected workers can perform their duties more efficiently and reliably, ensuring a safe and fast supply of blood to all citizens of Israel.

The successful safety visit to the National Blood Bank was a significant event that emphasized the importance of workplace safety, conveyed vital knowledge on these issues, and strengthened the sense of mutual responsibility among all involved parties. The visit greatly contributed to raising awareness of safety and underscored the commitment of Electra FM, Tavas, and the National Blood Bank to maintaining a safe and proper work environment.