A healthy and safe working environment...

0.44%

Headquarters Accident-Frequency Rate

As one of its main sustainability priorities, Aster strives to create a safe and healthy working environment for employees and minimise the possibility of any accident. Aster’s occupational health and safety management approach is based on identifying potential risks in advance and taking any necessary precautions. The Board of Directors is the decision-making body on issues related to occupational health and safety. Aster actively fosters a strong health and safety culture across the organisation. Increasing the level of employee awareness on OHS issues is of the utmost importance at Aster.

Expertly trained occupational health and safety professionals work at the Aster operation centres. These OHS specialists regularly conduct risk assessment studies on machine safety, process safety, emergency management, and chemical management. Occupational health and safety work plans are created in light of risk analysis findings, internal audits, and feedback from employees. Occupational health and safety work plans are reviewed by the internal Occupational Health and Safety Boards, which are established separately at each Aster facility, and submitted to relevant bodies for approval. The Occupational Health and Safety Boards convene monthly with the participation of the occupational safety specialist, workplace physician, production team leaders, worker representatives, human resources manager, and factory director.

Aster Textile employees undergo periodic health check-ups conducted by workplace doctors. Furthermore, various types of trainings and seminars are held throughout the year to raise the awareness of Aster employees on pertinent health related topics.

Projects with an emphasis on providing social benefit...

In addition to contributing to the economy, Aster Textile Group focuses on adding social value and supporting social development. The Group supports efforts that will yield social benefit by developing social responsibility projects with its stakeholders. Aster executes initiatives supporting culture and the arts, education, and the natural environment that appeal to all segments of society. These efforts demonstrate Aster’s commitment to being a good corporate citizen.

Aster plans to implement long-term social improvement efforts via the Aster Foundation, which was established in 2014. Aster has provided scholarship support to many students in need throughout their educational career.

Aster’s contributions to education are not limited to scholarships. In 2017, Birsen Koçali Alış Primary School in Kars-Arpaçay was built with the Aster’s support. The school consists of classrooms, a kindergarten, library, cafeteria, and teachers’ lodging facilities. Aster representatives regularly meet with students and hold activities at the school.

Various projects are undertaken with educational institutions to ensure that the textile industry has qualified human resources. These efforts are designed to promote students’ knowledge and experience in the sector. The Group conducts internship programs to attract new generations to Aster and the textile industry. Aster also engages in joint cooperation with schools on key topics such as technical competence and adapting to professional life. A training program called “3+1” was created in cooperation with vocational higher education schools. As part of this program, students have the opportunity to attend full-time internship programs at an Aster facilities during one term of their final year at school.

In 2019, Aster representatives met with students from Marmara University’s Fashion Design Department and shared their experience on Sustainable Fashion Design.

Aster encourages its employees to volunteer their time in many areas, including the arts, healthcare, animal rights, the environment and human rights. Aster Textile Group cooperates with Turkey’s leading civil society organisations that focus on these issues. To date, Aster has entered into unique collaborations with the Foundation for Children with Leukemia (LÖSEV), Tohum Autism Foundation, Koruncuk Foundation and Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Vakfı (Association for Supporting Contemporary Life).

On April 2 World Autism Awareness Day, Autism Awareness Training was held at the Aster facilities as part of the Give a Blue Light campaign, an initiative launched to draw attention to autism. The Group contributed to the campaign with various fundraising activities.

Donations for Koruncuk Foundation and Tohum Autism Foundation were collected at Aster during the Istanbul Marathon to contribute to their respective campaigns.

Aster Group provided animal shelters with cushions made from leftover fabric to ensure a warm environment and contribute to sustainability by recycling material waste.

Aster Textile Group also remains committed to acting in an environmentally responsible way, in conjunction with its stakeholders, across the organisation and in all its business operations.