When accidents happen in companies today, it is usually not due to the technology used, but to our behaviour. Sometimes we are distracted, not well enough prepared, have to do something "quickly" or deliberately do not take the safest route in the hope that everything will go well. And often everything does go well. But unfortunately not always. The following causes of accidents are at the top of the list at the Chemical Park - and not only there, but at most companies in the industry. The causes are often mutually beneficial, or several factors combine to bring about an accident. Nevertheless, these five types of behaviour are particularly common:

Carelessness

This is one of the most frequent causes of accidents at chemical sites. This is because we often do not give enough thought to what could happen before we start an activity, or we are preoccupied with something completely different during the task itself. If you want to repair your siphon at home, you will naturally put a bucket under it and not press your nose directly against the fitting. Pipelines under pressure or with dangerous contents require much more caution and planning: What is next to, below and above me? What is the safest way to stand near a valve that needs to be opened? Can a jet hit me or others if the emptied pipe is not completely empty after all? Where do I have to pay special attention? If you want to avoid accidents, you should think carefully about your actions and possible consequences beforehand. If you then remain fully concentrated during the work itself, not much can go wrong.

Unprotected

"Oh, these gloves will do for that little thing." Sure, it's a nuisance to provide yourself with the right protective equipment - especially if the work itself only takes a little time. And sure, there are often more comfortable things to do. It gets warm in the protective suit, the gloves restrict mobility or the glasses fog up. Nevertheless, without the right protection, we expose ourselves to unnecessary dangers. In the best case, the work simply takes longer; in the worst case, we can seriously injure ourselves. If you feel you cannot work optimally in your personal protective equipment (PPE), talk to your supervisors. Today, there is suitable equipment for a wide range of activities. Your employer is obliged to equip you accordingly. It is up to us occupational safety experts to find a solution for you. But we can only take action if we know where the problem lies. So it is better to address it than to leave it out.

Deliberate personal misconduct

"What could possibly happen?" Actually, we know that what we are about to do doesn't quite fit the rules - and we consciously decide against it. Because the right tool is not at hand, because we want to shorten something or because we have already struggled into the protective suit when we notice that something is still missing. Deliberate personal misconduct caused around 16 percent of all accidents at the Chemical Park Knapsack in Hürth last year. For example, someone has already fallen into an open manhole cover while taking a shortcut through the bushes. The area was only cordoned off from the road side because no one expected a colleague to cut his way through the bushes. So, as a rule, there is a good reason why there are paths or why a work process has been laid down in this way and not another - namely, not to annoy us, but to keep us healthy. Therefore - even if it is sometimes difficult - it is best to just stick to it.

Time pressure and the wrong pace of work

The work at a standstill is already behind schedule anyway, you have to go home urgently or perceived pressure from the boss - if you are under time pressure, mistakes happen quickly. In our experience, many employees create the time pressure themselves. The boss is often much more relaxed, because he is much more annoyed if we hurt ourselves than if we take a little longer to do our work. At YNCORIS, we clearly take the view: safety comes before profitability - and we know that the entire management is behind us in this.
Incidentally, in addition to carelessness, a mismatched work pace is also one of the main causes of accidents when two people work together. If one of the two is faster than the other, the hammer easily lands on the colleague's hand instead of on the workpiece. Therefore, try to free yourself from time pressure as much as possible. Even if your customer has offered a bonus for early completion or comes to you with a request five minutes before closing time: Work in a concentrated and controlled manner. A "quick job" will quickly go down the drain.

Lack of cooperation

Normally, it means a plus in safety when several people work together. This way, everyone can point out possible dangers to their colleagues. If they are working on a component at the same time, however, cooperation also harbours dangers. The same applies when several teams are working on a plant - for example during a shutdown. That's why communication and coordination must work well within the team and from team to team - not only in planning, but also in the activities themselves. Those who work together with others must always take responsibility. Not only for themselves and their work, but always for the colleagues around them. Here too, it is better to ask more than too little, to inform more than not at all. After all, a short call like: "Attention, we are now opening the pipeline" does not cost much time.

In the chemical industry, we fix activities with a high risk of injury and danger to workers and bystanders in writing by means of work permits. These permits are by no means just a formality to protect yourself in the event of an accident; they are intended to ensure that you remain protected at all times, even during dangerous work. That is why it is also worthwhile to adhere to them consistently.