"Mindfulness makes you safe"

ABB emerged from the founding company Brown Boveri & Co. From the very beginning, for 125 years, the company has been characterized by electrification and automation. Today, ABB is one of the world market leaders in the digitalization of many areas of life. Innovative engineering

"Look instead of looking away."

make this possible. "Not only", says Remo Küry, Head of Sustainability & Security, "our business success is ultimately based on the performance of the company as a whole. This requires healthy and motivated employees. And it's equally true that healthy employees perform better in a healthier working environment."

Certified management system as a basis
Sustainability is also a binding element in the ABB Group. And this is reflected in ABB's globally applicable values with the cornerstones "Safe and health-protecting working environment, compliance with legal requirements, continuous improvement and raising awareness among all employees". The corporate policy forms the framework for the integrated management system.

Exploring risks, planning measures
Remo Küry supports the line managers at ABB Switzerland in fulfilling their responsibilities. He explains the organization as follows: "In line with the respective risk situation, competence resources for occupational safety are nominated in each organizational unit. The company's main risks are electrical safety, working at height and road traffic. There are also chemical risks, fire protection, emergency precautions, evacuation, travel safety and construction site safety.

Concept proves successful
ABB has succeeded in significantly reducing occupational accidents. The Lost Time Injuries Frequency Rate has been halved since 2008 to a value of 0.578 at the end of 2015, and the downward trend continued in 2016, according to Küry. "Unfortunately, there are still too many incidents as a result of 'unconscious misconduct' in the workplace," he says, adding: "Awareness-raising, on-site observations, analyses and controlling, as well as communication and empowerment are important tools. The worldwide 'OHS Leader-ship Training' and 'Master Class Training' with upper and middle management create the prerequisites for further improvements."

Education and training for practice
Below are 4 exemplary modules from the training program:

- Module "STOP" and "OHS short conversation

"STOP" shows the quality of effect of measures that are suitable for eliminating or reducing hazards. The elimination of hazards is always in the foreground, for example by means of substitution (S) of a hazardous substance by a non-hazardous one. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, so that risk reduction must be considered. Then - in this order - technical (T), organizational (O) and personal protective measures (P) have to be implemented. At some point, all technical measures have been taken, so that the analysis of occupational accidents reveals mainly behaviour-related causes. At that point, at the latest, this approach must be supplemented with a reverse method. In the OHS brief discussion, employees work in small teams to determine what effects their individual activities may have on their health. As a team, they question their personal working methods (P) to ensure that nothing happens to them or their colleagues. If organisational (O) or technical (T) shortcomings are discovered during these considerations, they are dealt with immediately. The teams analyse a part of their entire work process month by month; in this way they turn from being affected to being involved.

- Module "Human Factors of Influence

In this module, employees discuss human behaviour patterns and the different perceptions of what is considered dangerous or rather harmless. Experience shows that it is not the objectively dangerous things that are the main cause of accidents, but 90 percent of the routine activities that are not dangerous in themselves. Therefore the seminar participants work out on the basis practical examples, how unconscious wrong behaviour comes about and which possibilities exist for its avoidance. This includes raising awareness of influencing factors such as fatigue, stress, noise, illegible or ambiguous wording, missing information or personal and private problems. Remo Küry on human behaviour: "In the security sector, too, it is well known that the behaviour of employees is decisively determined by the role model and leadership function of their superiors.

- Module "The Mindful Organization

Highly reliable organizations - as studies show - have the best safety records. This state is achieved through a collective mindfulness. Warning signs that occur before any accidental event must be recognized and measures must be initiated to prevent an event from occurring. "Do not look the other way!" is an important behavioral call.

- Safety Observation Tour (SOT) Module

Audit and management review close the loop in the management system. In an SOT, the superiors check the behaviour of the employee in terms of safety in the way he or she works. First, a few minutes are spent observing, followed by a structured dialogue at eye level. The supervisor clarifies the context by asking questions about the situation and praises what is to be praised. Then improvement measures are identified and appropriate measures are agreed upon. The SOT is part of the management reviews. The results allow conclusions to be drawn about the effectiveness of instructions, training and regulations, not least about the maturity of ABB's safety culture.

"We want to improve continuously," emphasizes Remo Lütolf, CEO of ABB Switzerland. "It is our responsibility to be attentive and to take care of ourselves and our colleagues. Every day."