Brenntag is working continuously to further improve safety within the company. Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) strategy encapsulates principles in the areas of occupational health & safety, product stewardship and product safety, the environment, compliance and quality.

Brenntag adopts a predominantly decentralised approach to its HSE management, as the global strategy is implemented in regions as part of their own HSE programmes. Thus Brenntag UK & Ireland are able to apply their knowledge of the local operating conditions including legislation, culture, infrastructure and industry standards (water treatment in particular), whilst supported by Brenntag HSE expertise worldwide to continue to drive safety standards and culture across the sites in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Russel Argo, Regional President Brenntag UK & Ireland, said: “The Safety First principle is our most important company value. We have celebrated our best safety period for our company over the last five years. We are extremely proud of that level of success and I personally thank everyone at Brenntag UK & Ireland for their role in that achievement. We recognise however that we must continue our relentless pursuit of sustaining a safety culture in which zero incidents is the only acceptable objective“.

The day was organised under the banner of “Let’s Take Time To Think Safety”, with the aim for all employees across Brenntag UK & Ireland sites to participate in various activities focusing on operational and behavioural safety. Argo said: “The level of engagement of our employees was remarkable, making me personally extremely proud of our safety culture. Building on our daily pledge of commitment to our own safety and the safety around us, we structured the day around See, Stop, Do: when I SEE Something, I will STOP and DO Something, taking action when we see a hazard, an unsafe habit, or a risk that can be avoided. Every Brenntag employee has the right to stop any unsafe work and positively influence the culture of our company”.

The format of the day was developed by Brenntag UK & Ireland HSE team. All employees were encouraged to wear the Safety Day badge and join with the activities around the key safety messages that have been chosen to remind all of the importance of Safety. Activities on the day included safety equipment demonstrations, first aid training, interactive presentations run by representatives of local ambulance, fire, police and anti-terrorism departments, “Safety Safari” hazard spotting exercises, emergency drills and many more activities ran at each site. The poignant video on Ken Woodward OBE experience which generated thought provoking discussions and reflections (WIJ: Ken Woodward’s presentation at Brenntag Safety Day 2017 left a lasting positive impression on the event’s delegates). All staff were also encouraged to complete the “Personal Safety Action Plan” focusing on personal safety at work, personal safety at home, and the safety of their colleagues.

The day culminated in the Big Picture Reveal, demonstrating the company wide commitment to Safety First.