Basi in dialog: Sustainable companies – well positioned in occupational health and safety
Companies that focus on sustainable occupational health and safety are well positioned – also economically. The discussion partners at the first edition of the online format “Die Basi im Dialog” agreed on this. Around 200 participants put many questions to Dr Christian Felten, Managing Director of Basi, the Federal Working Group for Safety and Health at Work, and his guest Sebastian Bartels, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Sustainability Services at the global expert organization DEKRA.
Participation is welcome – in the spirit of sustainability: the audience of the online format “Die Basi im Dialog” was involved from the very beginning when it came to shedding light on the effectiveness and efficiency of sustainable occupational health and safety. The central role that occupational health and safety plays in concrete progress became immediately clear in an initial survey of around 200 participants at their screens. Dr. Christian Felten, Managing Director of Basi, the Federal Working Group for Safety and Health at Work, explained: “A single measure does not make a company sustainable – it’s about how different measures work together.” As an example, he cited a company that not only purchases personal protective equipment for employees, but also uses it consistently. An important aspect in terms of increased sustainability is the European Union’s “Green Deal”, which aims to ensure that hazardous substances are no longer used at work, among other things.
Agreeing and communicating targets
No company can avoid the topic of sustainability any more – it is anchored in all supply chains. “This ranges from the raw materials required to manufacture a product to the responsibility that must be assumed for this product,” says Sebastian Bartels, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Sustainability Services at the global expert organization DEKRA. “Sustainability is now assessed when doing business with banks and investors,” says Bartels. This involves issues such as health or the mental well-being of employees, but also equality. Occupational health and safety can play a decisive role in helping companies to develop accordingly. “The prerequisite for this, however, is that managers want this and agree targets that are communicated,” emphasized Dr Felten. It is not a state of affairs, but a process in which employees must be “taken along” so that it pays off.
Drawing on established methods and processes
Sebastian Bartels pointed out that, unlike large companies, small and medium-sized enterprises do not have specialist departments with the relevant expertise: “In such cases, it makes sense to fall back on established methods, decision-making processes and committees such as the occupational health and safety committees in order to keep up. For example, risk assessments can be used well along the value chain.” Dr Christian Felten emphasized that familiar procedures, such as those based on the STOP principle (substitution, technical measures, organizational measures and personal protective equipment), can generally be used in the company or in audits, for topics such as energy efficiency or determining the company’s carbon footprint. Dr. Felten: “The occupational health and safety stakeholders in companies, such as safety engineers or occupational physicians, can provide expert advice on how a company can become sustainable. In this sense, accident insurance and health insurance should also work ever more closely together.”
Preventive measures – smart investments
According to the discussion partners, the pandemic has brought it to light: companies that had already introduced well thought-out business continuity management before the pandemic found it easier to overcome the challenges during the pandemic. “Critical processes and resources were known, alternative solutions were available or temporarily unavailable units could be replaced,” said Sebastian Bartels, adding: “Managers can no longer ignore issues such as sustainability or occupational health and safety. In my view, it has become clear that forward-looking risk and crisis management brings real added value and also meets the expectations of both shareholders and customers. We have to assume that global crises will continue to occur in the future. Therefore, these preventive measures are simply smart investments and help companies to remain robust.”
Occupational safety as a measurably worthwhile effort
A culture of prevention in companies can ensure that employees are able to cope with stress and that the sickness rate does not rise – this aspect emerged as significant in a question from the audience. “A comprehensive assessment of working conditions in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act helps to achieve this in the long term,” emphasized Dr. Christian Felten. Key figures show that the effort is worthwhile – there are tools to measure the “return on prevention” after investing in certain measures such as employee training. Dr. Felten: “There are now also scientifically based ‘proactive leading indicators’ that can be used to measure the level of sustainability of occupational health and safety in the company.”
According to him, the value of a company increases when its image improves – due to concrete, verifiable actions, for example for Vision Zero. Sebastian Bartels: “It’s not enough to show off a certificate, but in future you have to show responsibility for concrete values and their change and assert yourself. I expect this to further enhance the environmental, occupational health and safety aspects of supply chains.” Dr. Felten and Sebastian Bartels agreed that the demands of customers, shareholders, insurance companies and society could potentially become more important for companies than traditional company audits by inspectors. This could also provide a tailwind for supervisory action. The goal is the same at all levels: products and work processes must not have a negative impact on the health and safety of employees.
On a separate page “The Basi in dialog” you will find a recording of the event as well as questions from the chat and the answers of the dialog partners. Graphics provide an overview of the results of the audience surveys.