Creating a safe workplace is our priority

Why are we doing it?

In a previous company I saw someone get seriously injured and I will never forget how I felt - and how that person’s colleagues felt. I don’t ever want to experience that feeling again.”

Jason Chu – Senior Engineer for Global Operations

What are we doing?

What does creating a safe and healthy working environment really mean in practice? “I will say without hesitation that at Corbion we put safety over production,” says Jason – who is currently leading a major expansion project. “I can take criticism for being late on a project, or for being over budget. But I can never, ever give a justifiable reason for someone getting hurt.”

Jason recently won Corbion’s quarterly Values Showcase award, which recognizes colleagues who have demonstrated the company values of Care, Courage, Collaboration, and Commitment. Having spotted a project supervisor, that has been previously coached on safety practices, acting in an unsafe manner, the project team decided to remove the individual from the site and project. “It was a tough decision, but it was the right decision – because it was made for the good of everyone on our site,” says Jason. “This is the key point: safety is not about one individual. It’s up to every one of us to protect the people we work with, care about and spend time with every day.”

How are we doing?

Corbion is ultimately aiming for a zero-incident culture. Is it achievable? “Absolutely. It needs to be driven by culture and example – not just with Corbion colleagues but also the third-party contractor colleagues who help us every day,” says Jason. “Bottom line: I would never ask a colleague to perform a task on-site that I would not be willing to perform myself.”