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Theme series: People at Loibl

Category: Career, Company | | Created by Lea Pfingsten

Franz (56), Maintenance and EH&S Specialist at Loibl Förderanlagen GmbH:

"You are only as good as your own team."

Inventor of occupational safety

Franz found his way to Loibl very classically through a job advertisement in the newspaper. A trained occupational safety specialist was being sought at the time. An opportunity that the trained journeyman toolmaker and master craftsman with training in occupational safety was determined to seize. When Franz started his career at Loibl 10 years ago, the company was still run by a large American corporation. "It was less difficult to introduce a completely new system and successfully integrate it into the daily work of colleagues," Franz says today, "than to document the entire process in English." Not that Franz doesn't know English. On the contrary, the self-confessed Canada fan loves the country, language and people. But technical English presented a new challenge for him. Especially since American and German occupational safety law differ greatly in some respects. In the end, however, the hard work bore fruit. "Over the years, occupational safety and maintenance have merged into one overall concept at Loibl. One is not separated from the other, which is one of the many quality factors of the company."

Occupational safety is in a class of its own, Franz says. You have to have your eyes everywhere, be able to perceive details and train your colleagues on how to behave in an emergency. Not always easy.

"You are only as good as your team. I have to rely on my colleagues 100 %, since every second counts in an emergency." That's why Franz regularly sends the Loibl staff on first-aid training courses and organised monthly meetings where he exchanges ideas with colleagues from production and office. "My intention is to ensure that everyone can perform their work safely and reliably." That means regularly checking workplaces and safety clothing, putting suggestions for improvement into practice, creating awareness and keeping the risk of injury as low as possible. "We work with heavy equipment at Loibl," explains Franz. Where conveyor systems weighing tonnes are built, every move has to be precise. If Franz discovers a potential source of danger, he addresses the employees directly. "We have to call things by their name. If we don't address them, which is dangerous or negligent, someone could get hurt. Definitely, we don't want that to happen." Despite the seriousness of the subject, Franz takes a playful approach to occupational safety. "It doesn't help anyone if I walk around the halls all day grouchy. You're much more likely to learn something if it's taught with lightness." Franz has that lightness. He likes to laugh, always has an open ear for his colleagues and is ready for a good laugh.

  • Franz values casual interactions with his colleagues

  • In order to avoid accidents, Franz has to be able to rely 100% on his colleagues.

  • Occupational safety audits are a great challenge. Franz handles them confidently together with our external auditor Dr. Jung

In his free time, Franz switches off by riding his motorbike. He also skis, goes to the gym three times a week and is active in ice hockey. For 30 years, he has been volunteering with the Straubing Tigers, one of the most successful ice hockey clubs in Bavaria. Franz spent most of his youth on snow-covered lakes playing hockey with his friends. At 18, he switched to club sports. By chance, he ended up with the Straubing Tigers. "I just kind of slid into it." Franz carries the Off-Ice Official honorary office and looks after the guest penalty bench at games as a steward. However, he no longer plays himself. "At some point, the risk of injury became too great for me." That was about 10 years ago.

His enthusiasm for the sport is still undiminished: "If the sport leaves you cold, you are out of place. I love my voluntary work and cheer along every time the team fights for victory." Franz also met one of his best friends through sport. Robert played in the same club as Franz, and the two are now even united in their part-time jobs. Robert is the owner of the Ochsenbraterei Tauscher, where Franz helps out. He more or less slipped into that too: "I wanted to do something good on the side. I wanted to offer a product that promises top quality and excites people. It's just nice to see people happy about something you've made yourself."

  • Ice hockey has been one of Franz's greatest passions since his youth. He himself played for a long time in the club

  • Canada is one of Franz's absolute favourite travel destinations. He is particularly enthusiastic about the pristine forests, where he has even run into a black bear once

  • One of Franz's many hobbies is roasting oxen. His friend Robert Tauscher has been running his own barbecue shop for over 20 years, and Franz likes to help out in his spare time

Franz has a lot in common with Straubing. He was born and raised here, his parents live in the house next door, his daughter works in the city administration. Although he and his wife love Canada's breathtaking nature and helpful people, they could not imagine leaving Straubing permanently.

"You don't move a tree that has grown here," says Franz. When asked what makes him special, he points to his team: "They can certainly answer that better than me." This modesty is probably what makes him so popular among his colleagues.

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