Industrial Safety at Casa Sauza's Working Areas

Industrial Safety Controls at our Warehouse

The tequila warehouse area is classified as a high-risk area, which is why the tanks are firmly attached to the floor and have flame arresters that help contain the alcohol gases being produced. At the same time, it prevents any outside fire from entering the tanks.

Visual Aids for Safety at the Working Areas

There is adequate lighting. Our electrical installations include pumps, contacts, and explosion-proof light bulbs. Each tank is identified with a hazmat sign that indicates the flammability risk associated with the tequila it stores. It also displays each tank's capacity and the name of the substance it contains.

As a visual aid, we have established levels that indicate the amount of liters each tank contains, and we have also marked them to show their maximum filling level, which is 90% of their capacity. This prevents spills and complies with mandatory requirements.

All pipes visible within the area, including those for water, air, electricity, and any other relevant utilities, are correctly labeled and identified according to the color code established in NOM-026-STPS-2008.

Spill Containment at Working Areas

We also have containment dikes, and the floors are kept clean and without cracks. There is a well-covered entrance drainage system that will block the passage of tequila in case of a spill and keep it contained in the area, preventing it from spreading to other sites and avoiding soil or water contamination.

Staff Safety in Working Areas

For the safety of staff working in high-risk areas, there are safe means to ascend, descend, and remain on pipes or tanks, including portable ladders with protection, fixed platforms with guardrails, marine ladders, ramps, and fall arrest systems. All staff members wear dielectric safety footwear and appropriate clothing.

All containers that operate under pressure are classified as critical and are equipped with calibrated manometers and safety valves, as well as the authorization required by NOM-020-STPS-2011. They also undergo periodic review routines that monitor the proper functioning of the equipment.

Permits that Involve Security Measures

To carry out internal tank cleaning, a work permit for confined spaces must be obtained. This permit outlines specific guidelines (control measurements) that must be met before commencing the job, as well as during its execution. It regulates, for example:

1. The conditions that the tools to be used must be in
2. The conditions of the staff protection equipment, which should be adequate, should follow the work that will be carried out.
3. The training of staff ensures they acquire the necessary knowledge to perform their job effectively.
4. A previous and continuous monitoring of the conditions of the atmosphere inside the working area to measure the amounts of oxygen present in the air, as well as the existence of toxic and/or explosive substances, among others.

For working at heights, it is also necessary to obtain a specific permit to carry out the job. This permit regulates essential issues such as the health of the personnel, tools, ladders and the conditions of the climbing equipment; the use of protective equipment for the staff, such as footwear, helmet with chin strap, harness, gloves; and that the area is marked and cordoned off, indicating that work is being carried out, thus blocking the passage of personnel not involved in the activity.

Fire Safety

At Casa Sauza's warehouse, both manual and automated fire-fighting systems are in place, including fire extinguishers, hydrants, carts with alcohol-resistant foam, and sprinklers, among others. There are also emergency alarms that provide an alert in the event of an incident, as well as continuous monitoring systems that detect the presence of smoke and heat.

Safety Brigade

One of Casa Sauza's achievements is having our brigade group. All of its members are appropriately trained and have all the necessary personal protection equipment for every specific need or incident that may occur.

In the event of a spill or product leak, our trained and authorized staff can immediately respond and address the situation. When dealing with a spill, they all have personal protection equipment, such as Tyvek suits, facial masks, masks with filters against vapors, and rubber boots.

Preventive Safety Measures at Working Areas

In the warehouse area of Casa Sauza, periodic assessments are conducted to measure the exposure of our staff to alcohol vapors during their activities, the noise generated by the equipment they use, as well as the lighting conditions of the warehouse, among other factors. The goal of this assessment is to prevent any illness caused by our staff's exposure to abnormal working conditions.

The results have been favorable, following the implementation of our internal controls, such as:

• Staff training
• Comply with the legal requirements
• Assess each area according to its risks
• Have the necessary personal protection equipment, according to the area and activity to be carried out.
• Routine assessment of fire-fighting networks, extinguishers, and personal protection equipment
• Periodic feedback on the critical controls of our staff and rescue teams
• Drills in different areas and feedback on them
• Regions identified according to their specific risks
• Carrying out the activities according to the recommendations that have already been agreed on, according to their risk.
• Every activity, regardless of how simple it may seem, must be carried out by trained staff.

All of these are measurement controls that help us avoid accidents and work-related diseases, as well as to improve the environment in which we carry out our jobs.

If you want to know more about Casa Sauza's tequila production processes, you can click on the links below:

• Casa Sauza, a Sustainable Company with a Sense of Belonging.
• Casa Sauza: a Visual Factory / Visual management in TPM
• What is The Gentle Extraction of Agave Sugar?
• Lean Manufacturing in Tequila

Come and visit Casa Sauza to learn how our modernized production processes deliver the purest tequila available on the market.