Just like last year, Circet is taking part in the European Week for Safety and Health at Work. You can expect a special action every day. Of course, we take safety very seriously in all other weeks of the year as well. Luca Vanheusden of the QHSE team: “This is evidenced by our declining workplace accident figures.”
First and foremost: what are the tasks of the QHSE team?
Luca: “QHSE stands for Quality, Health, Safety and Environment. Our team is therefore responsible for the implementation of the policy on quality, safety, well-being, health and the environment within Circet. In other words: we create a safe and healthy workplace for all colleagues and for our subcontractors.
This includes a number of legal obligations, including risk assessments, a comprehensive prevention plan and annual action plans, the follow-up of internal and external inspections, checks and audits... Our team has been significantly bolstered in recent years. We are now four prevention advisors implementing Circet’s safety and well-being policy.”
Our workplace accidents are on a downward trend, can you put figures on that?
Luca: “In 2021, Circet had 27 workplace accidents, and by the end of 2022 this figure had dropped to 15. And only 5 were recorded until the beginning of October this year, which means the annual figure will almost certainly be lower again. Of course, this decline is no coincidence. It’s the result of sustained action and everyone’s caution at work, supported by the QHSE team.”
What is a workplace accident?
Any accident which happens to an employee during and as a result of the performance of the employment contract and which causes injury. Accidents on the way to and from work and first aid accidents (without medical costs) do not fall under the definition of a workplace accident.
“An unsafe situation or near miss may in the long run trigger a workplace accident. That’s why we’re urging everyone to report these types of situations to us.”
Which actions do you take to increase occupational safety and therefore avoid accidents at work?
Luca: “First of all, there are a lot of safety checks: we check internal inspections of electrical equipment, conduct LMRAs, workplace inspections, checks on the presence and use of personal protective equipment (PPE)... We take on these checks a lot more systematically than a few years ago. We created checklists to help us, which can be completed on a smartphone, tablet or laptop through the Appeee platform.
Not only do these checks now have a fixed structure; we also store all data. We learn a lot from those analyses. That’s why we also investigate every workplace accident to determine its cause. Was there a specific set of circumstances? And most importantly: which additional or other measures are necessary to avoid the re-occurrence of a similar accident?
In addition to the accidents themselves, we also want to get better insights into first aid accidents, near misses and unsafe working conditions. Because dangerous situations can trigger a workplace accident in the long run. That’s why we’re urging everyone to report these types of situations to us.”
Report an unsafe situation or near miss? Do it here!
Finally: we have fewer workplace accidents year after year, but how do we know whether we are really doing the right thing?
Luca: “Both in frequency and severity, our figures are far below the average annual figures published by Fedris – the Federal Agency for Occupational Risks – for our sector. Again, that’s down to everyone’s sustained efforts. And because the safety actions of the QHSE team are supported by our directors and management.
It is gratifying to work as a prevention advisor for an organisation that takes safety so seriously. But every accident at work is one too many. That’s why we continue to develop a broadly supported safety culture within Circet.”