The initiative will allow Evonik to provide safety training in an interactive and playful way.
The specialty chemicals company Evonik
has inaugurated Safety Street, a specially designed 330 m2
hangar that will allow the company’s 1.050 employees and around 250 contractors to be fully immersed in a combination of theory, practical exercises and simulations on safety measures. The initiative is aimed at giving the safety mindset an extra boost, focusing the attention on safety principles through a “learning by doing” approach.
“As part of ‘Safety at Evonik 2025’, our roadmap for the coming years, we are also looking for best practices at Evonik sites. With the new Safety Street, Evonik Antwerp immediately catches the eye. The fact that Safety Streets will also be created on other sites is a success story that started here in Antwerp. You can all be very proud of that. It shows that we learn from each other and share our knowledge with each other,” has stated Thomas Wessel, the Chief Human Resources Officer and Director of Industrial Relations of Evonik Industries AG.
Workers and contractors that enter the site, located in the port of Antwerp (Belgium), are required to be informed about safety measures. Previously, Evonik provided a video and a presentation during safety-related meetings, but the company will now employ a “learning by doing” approach by making safety training tangible and interactive.
“Safety does not stop with training, which until now consisted of attending presentations and films. With this new approach, we are now creating an interactive event, a do-centre, where the participant actively participates and experiences in order to better put theory into practice. You learn by doing,” has explained Werner Van Acker, the workshop engineer and founder of Safety Street.
Evonik believes that practiced scenes draw attention on a regular basis, as they are easier to remember than words on slides or watching videos. In addition, thanks to the recognisable mascot Sasha (whose name is derived from Alexander and stands for the 'protector'), a dull subject is made manageable and very lively in a playful and entertaining way.
“The safety and health of our employees and contractors are essential for Evonik Antwerp. With this Safety Street we are bringing the operational safety systems closer to our employees and contractors. Safety is and remains our priority,” has concluded Ivan Pelgrims, the managing director of Evonik Antwerpen NV.