Our social responsibility
Fully protecting people also includes safety within the social sphere: We enable our staff to do this and we require it of our business partners too. We are also committed to helping people in need across the world.
The Social Standard of the uvex group
As a global leader in the development, manufacture and sale of personal protective clothing, uvex has integrated fundamental ethical principles into its corporate policy and into the way it does business ever since the company was established in 1926. We expect the same commitment from all our business partners. Our principle of protecting people is a binding commitment to our customers and their employees – and also to our own staff and those of our business partners.
It is our corporate policy that uvex works only with companies that respect basic human rights and the freedom of their employees to carry out their work. Against this backdrop, the uvex group has developed a catalogue with seven core demands, which our business partners must apply. This Social Standard is based on specifications of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which represent the basis for all recognised social standards such as Social Accountability SA 8000.
Social engagement of the RAINER WINTER FOUNDATION
The RAINER WINTER FOUNDATION is an incorporated public foundation under German civil law based in Fürth. The foundation was established in 1980 by Rainer Winter, shareholder and chairman of UVEX WINTER HOLDING GmbH & Co. KG. "I made it my mission to help sick and disabled children across the world as quickly and with as little red tape as possible," explains Rainer Winter.
Since the foundation was set up 30 years ago, 1.6 million euros has been pumped into countless regional and international projects. The RAINER WINTER FOUNDATION also works with other organisations and makes one-off donations, particularly in the case of disasters or famine in order to provide immediate support to children in need. The Foundation also handles sponsorships. Examples include the earthquake in Haiti, the tsunami in Asia and the 9/11 attacks in New York.
Projects in Germany, especially in the Nuremberg and Fürth area, are particularly dear to the foundation and its founder. Recipients of support include youth welfare offices and children's nurseries in the town and district of Fürth, St Michael's children's home, the Zentrum Aktiver Bürger (Active Citizen Centre), the 1-2-3 e. V. Association (addiction and violence prevention in secondary schools) and Nuremberg City Mission. Another key area is the long-standing collaboration with Christliches Jugenddorfwerk Deutschland (Christian organisation providing support and training).
Support for VISION FOR THE WORLD e. V.
Worldwide, 45 million people suffer from blindness, with 90 % of all blind people living in the Third World. This means that the risk of going blind for people living in developing countries is ten times greater than for those in industrialised countries. 80 % of cases of blindness could be avoided!
To prevent, cure and sustainably reduce the risk of blindness among people in Third World countries is the objective of Vision for the World e. V. which was established in 2002. The members are engaged and want to carry out their social responsibility by using their experience, knowledge and personal networks for the benefit of disadvantaged people – particularly by developing opthalmic care in the Third World countries. Vision for the World e. V. works alongside recognised and experienced organisations like the CBM (Christoffel-Blindenmission) to select projects.
The uvex safety group – whose background and success as a global leader in eye protection is inextricably linked with protecting eyesight – is committed to Vision for the World e. V. and will continue to support the organisation in its work and projects in the Third World well into the future. A particular concern is treating cataracts, the progressive clouding of the lens that leads to complete blindness. The long-term and excessive effect of harmful UV light, among other things, contributes to this particular eye disease.
