Workplace safety in three questions

Safety comes first in everything Sodexo does. Working sustainably is working safely; from the kitchen to technical services. We do everything we can to get and keep safety top of mind with employees and clients.

Willeke Giessen, QHSE Consultant, and Sander Schaafsma, Manager Projects, on working safely at Sodexo.

1 What is Sodexo’s vision for workplace safety?

Willeke: ‘In short, a zero-accident mindset. Zero accidents in the workplace is achievable. Our employees need to return home safe and sound every day. But safety is more than following rules; it’s about a different way of thinking.’

Sander: ‘We want to get that awareness into the DNA of our employees and customers. An accident is waiting for a place to happen. With attention to safety, you prevent unnecessary employee downtime and therefore loss of production.’

2 What is Sodexo doing to ensure a safe workplace?

Willeke: ‘We start every consultation with a safety moment. Whether it’s a staff member, client or kitchen team meeting: we briefly discuss a safety topic. Another practical example is our Salus app, with which colleagues report unsafe situations in the workplace. It is well-known that 1,000 near-accidents precede every workplace accident that leads to absenteeism. Every report of an unsafe situation reduces the likelihood of an actual accident.’ and is my environment safe? If you run into a no, it’s “stop the job” and make sure it becomes three yeses. We also learn from each other by organising safety walks and sharing (inter)national quickshares of current incidents.’

Sander: ‘Every employee also starts their task with three safety checks: do I know how to do my job, do I have the right equipment Sodexo’s Technical Services has VCA** and ISO 45001 certification.

3 How is Sodexo working with clients on safety?

Sander: ‘From day one of our cooperation, we join forces when it comes to safety. It’s an integral part of mobilisation (the start of service provision), in both hard and soft facility management services. Our QHSE experts coordinate the safety policy with the client.’

Willeke: ‘Our own safety policy is the minimum standard in this regard. Sometimes new customers are surprised by our attention to safety. There is a lot to learn in new work situations in particular, and we want to create a work environment where everyone is encouraged to talk about (un) safe situations and actions. And after the start of the cooperation, we continue to talk about safety through our QHSE experts on site, among other things. This is also aligned with our mission. When we work together to ensure safe working environments, we actually improve people’s quality of life.’

1,000 near-accidents precede every workplace accident that leads to absenteeism.