A new campaign starting on April 1 aims to bring occupational safety and health protection (HSE) back into sharp focus.
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) is firmly committed to preventing accidents and proactively protecting the health of its employees. These objectives are the cornerstones of the company’s values and culture. “Safe workplaces and acting in a safe manner are the foundations for the sustainable success of our business,” notes CTO Gary VanWambeke. HSE is a top priority at FST for many reasons.
Backed by numerous campaigns, FST has made clear progress toward its goal of “zero accidents” over many years. The metrics it uses to measure occupational safety and health protection have declined steadily. For an industrial company, they are remarkably low. Even so, accidents still happen at FST from time to time, including serious ones – with all the unfortunate consequences that such incidents bring, first and foremost for those affected, but also for their families, colleagues and the company.
This makes it so important to keep sharpening everyone’s awareness of occupational safety and health protection time and again. The reasons for accidents and near misses are often mundane. Repetitive workflows become routine, the mind starts to wander, attention slips, the person gets distracted… and just like that, it happens.
These moments of inattention are the focus of the new “Stop – Think – Act” campaign. It has a clear message: autopilot off, attention on! “Stop” means pausing briefly before starting a task. “Think” means considering what unintended situation could follow from the next move or step. “Act” means either continuing if no hazards are present, or stopping the task if it is unsafe. This goes hand in hand with the request to eliminate the hazard or report it immediately if help is needed.
The campaign launches on April 1 in conjunction with existing HSE initiatives. FST sites will receive various supporting materials, including “Stop – Think – Act” posters. All sites are encouraged to bring the campaign to life with their own ideas, by implementing it creatively or integrating it into their own activities. “Help us ensure that all employees internalize the ‘Stop – Think – Act’ rule and take time to assess the safety risks before starting a task,” VanWambeke says in preparation for the campaign.
In other words: occupational safety is more than just another checklist. It should become second nature to all FST employees.
