Field Trip Day on Safety Technology

Smart Building Technologies visits hollu Systemhygiene GmbH and Personalshop

On May 8, 2026, lecturer Stefan Mader from TMC – Technisches Consulting GmbH gave the fourth-semester students in the Smart Building Technologies program the opportunity to gain insights into safety engineering practices at two different companies.

In the morning, the group visited the hollu headquarters in Zirl. Accompanied by fire safety officer Fabian Walch, the students were able to experience firsthand the practical application of the fundamentals taught in the course: The topic of system-specific and structural fire protection was covered in advance during the course, followed by a discussion of this building’s fire safety concept and an on-site inspection of its implementation in Zirl. The topic of explosion protection was also covered in advance, and the theoretical concept was assessed during the on-site inspection.

In addition, our students were able to gain insight into the logistical safety measures at hollu: The focus here was on the storage rooms for flammable liquids and the tank farm. A particularly valuable addition: the opportunity to tour the newly constructed raw material tank farm as well as the liquid product production facility, which represents the state-of-the-art in automation.

In the afternoon, the students visited the Personalshop headquarters in Polling. During the tour, they were able to follow the entire flow of goods – from delivery and storage in the fully automated high-bay and shuttle warehouse systems through to order picking, packaging, and shipping. Particular emphasis was placed on the logistical challenge of picking individual items from the ordered goods. In addition, the high degree of automation in the complex logistics facility and the planned expansion of the facility were explained. The extensive safety and fire protection measures required for the operation of the facility were also presented and explained.

In addition to logistics, all central corporate departments are also located in Polling, including Controlling, IT, Purchasing (including procurement planning), Facility Management, Financial Accounting, Research and Development, Executive Management, Graphics (covering photography, video, and text), Human Resources, Customer Service, Marketing, and Engineering (including maintenance and repairs).

Under the umbrella brand Personalshop, Servus Handels- und Verlags-Gesellschaft m.b.H. operates a mail-order business with core markets in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In addition, eight outlet stores are currently operated in Austria in Vienna, St. Pölten, Linz, Graz, Innsbruck-Rum, Wiener Neustadt, Vösendorf, and Villach.