21st FVI Expert Breakfast

Topic: "The Swiss Cheese Model" – Occupational safety as a cultural issue (not just a regulation).

Guests were Robin Engelmann (Hopfenveredlung) and Bernhard Heindel, who showed why accidents happen despite a thousand rules. The "Swiss Cheese" model visualizes: Each safety barrier (technology, organization, human) has holes. When the holes align, the accident happens.

• The illusion of perfect safety: We have technology (emergency stop), we have organization (release certificates), but in the end, it's the human. If the human believes the technology takes care of everything ("The sensor will stop it"), they become careless. Safety only arises when the human thinks along ("Mind the handrail").

• Bureaucracy kills acceptance: Jörg (Abrasives) complained: "We are suffocating in instructions." Does a trained electrician need to be told every year how to walk down stairs? No. Pointless rules lead to even sensible rules being ignored.
• Sense instead of signature: Robin reported how he introduced work release certificates. Initially, there was resistance ("Another piece of paper!"). But when he explained: "We don't do this for insurance, but so you can go home healthy to your family tonight," acceptance changed. Safety must be emotionally anchored ("For whom am I doing this?").
• Language barriers as a risk: A huge problem on the shop floor is foreign companies and temporary workers who don't speak German. A German safety film is useless if the Polish truck driver doesn't understand it. Here, pictograms and AI-supported video translations (live in the browser) help.
• The Bradley Curve: Bernhard Heindel showed the development of safety culture:

1. Instinct ("Accidents just happen").
2. Supervision ("I do it because the boss is watching").
3. Self-responsibility ("I do it for myself").
4. Team spirit ("We look out for each other").

The goal is level 4. Most companies are stuck at level 2.

Classification: Safety through simplicity (Simplify Safety)

This episode shows that safety is not an "add-on," but must be integrated into the process.

• ADAM as a "Safety Assistant": Instead of doing a boring training once a year, ADAM provides "Safety Nuggets" (short tips) exactly when they are relevant. Before the technician opens the system, a pop-up appears on the tablet: "Attention, there is still pressure here. Vent first!" This is "Just-in-Time" safety.

• Breaking language barriers: ADAM's AI translation (which we saw in Ep 6) is a safety feature. When the work instruction is automatically translated into the temporary worker's native language, the risk of accidents decreases significantly.

• Digital releases: The "paper war" (release certificates) is being digitized. The foreman releases the system in ADAM, and the technician immediately sees it in green on their device. No paper can be lost, no signature forgotten.

Conclusion: True safety does not arise from more rules, but from better communication and understanding. ADAM ensures that the right warning reaches the right person at the right time – in their language.