The most important thing for Agro Care, the Dutch greenhouse grower whose greenhouse collapsed on Friday, is that there were no casualties. Guaranteeing the safety of the company's employees is the next priority. That is why the company is once again providing transparency now that there is more clarity about the collapse of the greenhouse.
"Saturday morning, a number of specialists, experts, and inspectors were present bright and early to investigate exactly what had happened. Of course, no work was done in the other greenhouses that day—safety comes first. We can now confirm with certainty that all other greenhouses are safe. The construction is as it should be, and maintenance is in order, just like all other Agro Care greenhouses", the company shares.
"The cause of the incident is that during preparations for the installation of the second energy screen, the structure of the greenhouse was temporarily partially modified, which allowed it to become unbalanced. A slight increase in wind was already enough to undermine stability. In other greenhouses where a second screen was previously installed, no instability occurred. Further investigation is of course being conducted into the cause. Since the collapsed greenhouse is currently inaccessible, we don't yet know all the details, but based on the inspections carried out, we can say with certainty that safety in our other greenhouses is assured."
"This morning (Monday) we held information sessions at our locations in North Holland with the management team present. We provided explanations, shared information, and there was of course room for questions so that everyone could return to work with peace of mind. Thanks to our thorough explanation, no unrest arose, and people resumed their work with confidence. Last night, we first informed all employees and seasonal workers (in their own language via their employer) about the situation and invited them to the sessions. These sessions were open to employees to attend as needed. HR advisors from the sites were also present, in case anyone needed support—which, fortunately, wasn't necessary. Of course, they are available if anyone still needs help or wants to talk about it. We will do whatever is needed. Employees from greenhouse 6 (the affected one) and the greenhouse adjacent to it had a separate session later in the morning, which we felt deserved more attention. Understandably, people were very shocked, but they appreciated the information provided and the immediate investigations and actions that started on Saturday morning. We're in close contact with the employment agency and are making sure no one is left without work. Fortunately, this is a busy time of year, so we have enough work to offer these people jobs elsewhere within the company," says Ad van Kester (COO of Agro Care Netherlands).
"Despite the considerable material damage, we continue to look ahead with confidence. In the coming period, we will work on a realistic plan to rebuild greenhouse 6, with the expectation that it will once again be full of young, fresh plants early next year. Our current priority is the well-being of our employees. At the same time, we're working intensively behind the scenes with installers, insurers, and other specialists to carefully coordinate the next steps. We're continuing our daily work: growing tomatoes. The weather will be nice this week, which means the tomatoes will grow faster. We're adjusting working hours to the heat so that our people can start earlier and head home in time to enjoy the good weather. It was an intense weekend that affected us all, but I'm proud to see how professionally and compassionately everyone responded," concludes Roy van Vliet."
