Building safety together

At engineering firm Movares, safety is about much more than just ticking boxes. Vincent van Zaalen understands this better than anyone. As a Safety and Health consultant, he is responsible for everything related to internal safety: from VCA (Health, Safety, Health and Environment Checklist Contractors) and Emergency Response (BHV) to policy and awareness. "The entire playing field," as he calls it. And it was precisely this playing field that demanded a future-proof solution.

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“We started talking and thought: this could be it.”

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From own app to customized collaboration

"We had our own application, but it was outdated," says Vincent. "Maintenance was becoming too expensive, and the platform was outdated." While IT was considering a new system, VeiligWerk came into the picture. "We started talking and thought: this could be it. Everything we needed – from notifications to LMRAs – was included."

The transition wasn't entirely smooth. "We had to find our feet at first – as with any change, there were some initial hiccups, and it was a matter of aligning expectations." But as the collaboration intensified, trust grew. "Now it's going well. We continue to develop together and continuously add new features. I visit the VeiligWerk office in Weesp twice a year, and we go over everything. Things that aren't working or adjustments we want. We've made quite a few adjustments since then. VeiligWerk also suggests improvements that we then implement. And if there's ever a problem, they resolve it quickly."

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“We have adapted the process accordingly, and you notice that people are increasingly able to use the system better.”

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Movares Safe: Recognizable and Effective

Movares uses SafetyFirst under its own brand: Movares Safe. The app was given a unique look and feel, including corporate identity, logo, and specific modules such as 'working alone' and document management. "We adapted the process accordingly, and you can see that people are getting better at using the system. We've also added modules. Yes, I really enjoy working with it, and the end is not yet in sight. So it's constantly improving."

Overall, the system works well and is stable, says Vincent. "You know, often when something goes wrong, it's the fault of the people themselves. For example, they might scan the QR code with their own scanner instead of the one built in. But overall, the feedback has been very positive. People are finding it somewhat user-friendly."

Other industry players have also joined in. For example, we needed an instructional module. It turned out another large engineering firm also had this need. We contacted them and built on that. Now another party is joining as well. We're trying to do this as broadly as possible, because all engineering firms face the same challenges. The more broadly we can do this, and the more easily it fits into other firms' processes, the better everyone benefits.

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"You want to organize safety without it getting bogged down in paperwork."

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No paperwork, just ownership

The biggest challenge? The enormous variety of activities within Movares. From bat counts to bridge inspections and everything in between. “We employ ecologists who count bats in the forest or look up a tree from a cherry picker to see if a butterfly has laid eggs. Others are digging a test trench next to a provincial road or inspecting a bridge from a pontoon under a bridge. Our people walk along the railway line—I could name so many examples of what our people do! You want to organize safety without it getting bogged down in paperwork. Therefore, a single health and safety plan for everything isn't realistic. Additionally, we've developed an internal training course: half a day, including a certificate. Everyone who goes outside is required to take it. With this training, our people have sufficient tools to work truly safely. Movares Safe is an essential part of that.”

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“Try to collaborate with other companies in the same industry.”

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Tip for other companies

“My tip for other organizations is: try to collaborate with other companies in the same industry. I think companies sometimes keep too much to themselves, which is a real shame. There's so much variation now, for example, in safety passports and safety clothing, people can't see the forest for the trees. It would be great if the entire industry could use the same app. I really want that kind of collaboration.”