We are very proud to announce that our extraordinarily high safety standards have been recognized! One of our partners #joblife nominated us as a company with an impressively high focus on safety in the workplace.
We made it all the way through to the top four in the category: "Eliminating Accidents in The Workplace"! Although we didn’t win the first prize, we still left with an overwhelming feeling of honor and dignity in doing the right thing.
Every year the Danish Working Environment Council presents four nominated workplaces in three different categories, who do an extraordinary effort for the working environment. All the nominated companies move working environment in a positive direction while creating results which makes a difference in everyday life.
Managing Director, Steven Olsen says:
“Nothing is more important than ensuring people return home safely at the end of each working day! We have for several years worked with an exceptionally high focus on safety at work. It has resulted in less sick leave and not least fewer accidents.
Latest Steps of Action
- We have introduced a new safety initiative called “360° Safety”. It ensures that all colleagues working on our production line are protected from possible product leakages, getting fingers caught etc. This additional safety feature is a mobile screen separating the element/product from all colleagues working nearby.
- All employees must complete safety cards twice a month following safety walks in their work areas. During these walks, they observe potential improvements, removals, or changes which are needed to enhance safety. This practice helps keep everyone vigilant about safety!
The Turning Point
In 2022, Svendborg Brakes realized that the number of work-related accidents was too high. A comprehensive analysis of the brake company's work environment revealed an increase in the number of accidents from 2018 to 2021. This was the starting point for breaking the curve.
“A few years ago, we saw a worrying trend in accidents, which led us to develop a comprehensive action plan together with the employees,” says Managing Director Steven Olsen.
"The key has been the consistent focus on following this plan, which has broad support throughout the organization. As a result, safety is now an even more integral part of our DNA and values."
Vision Zero and New Safety Initiatives
Svendborg Brakes decided to act quickly on the disheartening figures and introduced a long-term strategy called “Vision Zero” with the aim of eliminating workplace accidents completely.
As part of the strategy, a series of action plans were launched in 2023 that include concrete safety improvements such as guards on test machines, safety manuals, safety walks and an increased focus on safety induction and follow-up after three months for new employees.
Steven Olsen advises other companies in a similar situation to first and foremost recognize the problem and stick with the solutions to fix it. Coordination across the workplace is also important for a long-term model.
“An organization should be a unit, it's crucial that management, executive management, employees and health and safety representatives all support implementing solutions for the long term - not just for a period of 6 or 12 months.”