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Database of national-level policy measures

Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure SK-2020-13/1441 – measures in Slovakia

Product innovation in Slovnaft Bratislava

Inovácia výrobkov v podniku Slovnaft Bratislava

Country Slovakia , applies nationwide
Time period Open ended, started on 25 March 2020
Context COVID-19
Type Company practices
Category Reorientation of business activities
– Change of production/Innovation
Author Ludovit Cziria (IVPR) and Eurofound
Measure added 19 November 2020 (updated 13 May 2021)

Background information

To minimize the effects of the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic on the citizens, the government ordered to keep strict hygienic requirements and adopted related protective sanitary measures in March 2020. Besides wearing personal protective sanitary masks and keeping personal distance, disinfection of facilities, workshops, office rooms as well as peoples´ hands played important role. This enormously increased the demand of companies, especially hospitals, social services facilities, particularly senior homes, for disinfection products in the country.

Content of measure

Some companies responded to the increased demand for disinfection products by adaptation of their production. For instance, the St. Nicolaus Distillery included in the COVID-19 database. Important oil refinery company in Slovakia, Slovnaft Bratislava, MOL Group, responded by development of own disinfectant. Research and Development Institute VURUP, which is member of Slovnaft Company, developed original disinfection product SLOVNAFT HYGI Fluid. It is based on ethanol and isopropanol, and after compulsory testing it was officially registered by competent health authorities. Slovnaft management decided to extend the production programme of  Company and started its production in March 2020. The new disinfectant is used for disinfection of workplaces and workers in the company and of Slovnaft owned fuel stations. The company management decided on offer the production of SLOVNAFT HYGI Fluid also to other companies of the MOL Group.

Use of measure

The daily production capacity of this disinfection product in Slovnaft Company in Bratislava is 8,000 litres. According to the Company CEO, this disinfection product is effectively used not only for disinfection of facilities and workplaces but also for disinfection of employees working in the company. Thus, the company does not need to buy disinfection products in the eternal market where higher volume of such products remains available for other customers, especially users in the health care sector. Disinfectant SLOVNAFT HYGI Fluid is also produced abroad by MOL mother company in Hungary and by INA Company in Croatia.

Contents

  • Health and safety

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Employees in standard employment
The COVID-19 risk group at the workplace
Sector specific set of companies
Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
Company / Companies
Companies

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Informed Unknown
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • Unknown
  • Main level of involvement: Company level

Involvement

The local trade union organisation of ECHOZ in Slovnaft, MOL Bratislava was informed about the extension of the production programme of company by disinfection product SLOVNAFT HYGI Fluid.

Views and reactions

Trade unions finds the extension of production useful for the company as well as for employees.

Sectors and occupations

    • Economic area Sector (NACE level 2)
      C - Manufacturing C20 Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

  • 25 March 2020: Skupina SLOVNAFT vyrába vlastnú dezinfekciu na ochranu pred šírením koronavírusu Skupina SLOVNAFT vyrába vlastnú dezinfekciu na ochranu pred šírením koronavírusu Skupina SLOVNAFT vyrába vlastnú dezinfekciu na ochranu pred šírením koronavírusu Skupina SLOVNAFT vyrába vlastnú dezinfekciu na ochranu pred šírením koronavírusu Skupina Slovnaft vyrába vlastnú dezinfekciu na ochranu pred šírením koronavirusu (slovnaft.sk)

Citation

Eurofound (2020), Product innovation in Slovnaft Bratislava, measure SK-2020-13/1441 (measures in Slovakia), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/SK-2020-13_1441.html

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Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.