Best Practices Safety

In the course of the BEST programme, in 2016, a regular “walk-around” was introduced at Brenntag Benelux for representatives from management. Following the walk-around, they discussed their impressions and the safety-related aspects of the various workflows with the employees working at the sites. This is enhancing the common understanding of safety across the various levels within the company.

A similar initiative was launched by Brenntag France: The drivers here wanted improved communication with the managers and a greater understanding of the daily challenges they face in terms of occupational safety. The HSE team subsequently arranged for managers from the HSE, Operations and Sales areas to spend a day travelling around with the drivers. A total of 68 accompanied tours took place in the reporting period and the positive feedback from both sides convinced the decision-makers to continue with this BEST practice in the future.

At Brenntag UK & Ireland, orange high-visibility jackets were introduced in July 2016, on the back of which is printed “Am I safe? Talk to me”. The aim is to encourage employees to speak directly to the person wearing the jacket if they see them engaging in unsafe behaviour – even if the person is a line manager or authorizing officer. Hierarchy levels are proven to be a reason why attention is not drawn immediately to dangerous behaviour.

The initiative is related to the global Brenntag Enhanced Safety Thinking (BEST) programme, which was launched in 2015. It focuses on the safety behaviour of Brenntag employees at all levels within the company, which is the primary cause of accidents in more than 80% of cases.

To increase the “personalization” of safety, the Brenntag organizations in Latin America have launched various initiatives as part of their comprehensive CASA programme*. Under the motto of “Safety is my option”, employees in Columbia are requested to perform their own individual risk analysis that also explicitly covers their personal lives in addition to their workplace and their job activities.

The “Repositioning the family” programme at Brenntag Ecuador also aims to involve the families of employees in the culture of safety through safety and rescue exercises and information events on health, group dynamics and alcohol and drug abuse, for example. Safety in their personal life and the desire to return home safely to their family every day are proven to motivate employees to engage in safe behaviour at the workplace.

The annual “CASA Week”, which was held throughout the Latin America region in April 2016, also focused on the personalization of safety. As part of this health and safety week, a diverse range of activities, workshops, games and exercises took place at all locations, with customers, suppliers and service providers also invited in addition to the families of employees.

^{* CASA stands for quality (CALIDAD), health and safety (SEGURIDAD & SALUD) and the environment (MEDIO AMBIENTE).}

Delivering long session of training on a regular basis especially to front line level is not practical. It also does not provide the desired impact. Therefore, Brenntag Indonesia is using alternative ways to ensure our front line employees are receiving and understand the messages and training we are providing to them by using tools such as daily tool box talks, smart phone applications, notice boards, and utilizing brief time slots during no-production days such as on stock counting day to convey short but concise educational messages.

This approach has helped Brenntag Indonesia continuously improve safety knowledge and awareness while making safety part of their normal routine.

At Brenntag Northeast in the USA, representatives from almost every company division founded a committee to work together to achieve maximum safety in the working environment. In an exemplary manner, this group of employees has repeatedly succeeded in raising their colleagues’ awareness of safety issues by means of a newsletter and clever ideas and campaigns, bringing room for improvement to their attention and improving the safety processes and infrastructure at the Brenntag Northeast sites.

There are now also regular warehouse inspections conducted by a multi-departmental group of employees (”Management by Walking Around”): thanks to their impartiality, these employees can spot hazard sources that are otherwise easily overlooked in day-to-day work.

Brenntag Asia Pacific has drawn up a comprehensive vehicle and transport safety scheme as part of its HSE “5-Star Facility Program”. This ensures that employees are able to operate vehicles and equipment expertly and safely throughout the region. The core components of the program include driver training, the vehicles’ good overall condition and the required safety equipment, both for vehicles as well as on the company’s sites.

Drivers regularly undergo special safety training including hazardous goods classification, safe loading methods, behavior in the event of an emergency, securing cargo and defensive driving. Employees also receive inspection and maintenance training to ensure the vehicles operate at an optimal level. At the start of every working day, a safety meeting is held and vehicles and equipment are checked.

Occupational safety is an integral part of Brenntag Latin America’s comprehensive CASA* program. A health and safety week involving workshops and informative events is held every year at all of the region’s locations as part of this program. There are demonstrations and exercises, e. g. covering the correct use of protective clothing, emergency procedures, responsible driving and healthy lifestyles. The employees are offered free health check-ups, as are their family members in many cases.

A high degree of safety awareness has developed among the employees as a result. Together with regular training sessions and the established safety measures and processes, Brenntag Latin America has succeeded in considerably reducing its accident rate over the years thanks to the CASA program.

^{* CASA stands for quality (CALIDAD), health and safety (SEGURIDAD & SALUD) and the environment (MEDIO AMBIENTE).}