This makes Opel the second-oldest German automaker still in existence. Opel products are sold in more than 100 countries worldwide. By 23 October 2000, the employees of the Opel Plant in Eisenach could look back to one million working hours without accidents. The average figure for the whole German car industry in 1999 was 9,6 accidents per million accomplished working hours. The reason for this success lies in the consistent observation of the safety rules and the high degree of discipline of the employees.
Prevention plays a very important role.
Near-misses are reported immediately and improvement suggestions are handed in. Systematic work safety audits support the prevention process. Thus, possible risks are detected early and can be removed before they become a serious safety problem. Opel is traditionally considered as a leader in terms of safety. In 1999, Opel was for the fourth consecutive time the automotive company with the lowest rate of accidents per accomplished working hours in Germany.