A Kaizen Must: Safety first

The company ThyssenKrupp VDM sees sustainability as an integral part of corporate culture. And this applies not only to the products, but also for the safety of employees. "They all work together to ensure that no employee had an accident at work," assured Klaus-Peter Henning, CEO of Stainless Global business area. He has the work in Altena yesterday to the Safe Award 2010th

This prize was awarded for the third time, the Altenaer got him a second time, "It's sensational," said Hennig. With the Safe Award should work to enhance security in the workplace, and do so sustainably, he said.

Two-thirds of the accidents that happen in Altena, are cuts, affecting hands and arms. Then set them in the project group, with the Kaizen method. Kaizen was developed in Japan and means Kai same change, change, like Zen for the better - is central to this philosophy, the quest for continuous improvement. In economics, the concept of a management system has been developed. "We asked ourselves how we can make with this methodology, the Occupational Safety and founded an interdisciplinary team," said the deputy plant manager Dr. Jan Jürging. There were problems described and ideas for improvement have been collected. Some measures were then transposed directly, for the others had been set targets. Everything was recorded, "every little impairment, any small scratch or a speck of dust in the eye".



Out came the kaizen newspaper with a total of 30 measures. It aims to ensure the sustainability of the project. "The health and safety must always be the priority," said Hennig.

Determined the Kaizen team has, for example, that a lack of or defective tool brings to the plant hazards. So now, every employee gets his own tools, for which he is then responsible. Next is to find a solution, such as rotating parts can be covered on lathes, to prevent hot metal filings that are flying around uncontrollably. Also lacking in the straightening press a chain guard on the roller tables. There was a risk that clothing or moved to the worker's fingers squeezed. In the lathe lacked a telephone, is now one mounted on the wall - for emergencies. In addition, signs were placed on "forbidden gloves on rotating parts." The existing measures have been used, yesterday declared the manager.