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"Occupational safetyis everyone's business"
A moment of inattention changed Nico Schmidinger’s life fundamentally. Since his workplace accident, he has been especially committed to improving occupational safety and raising awareness of how quickly routine tasks can become dangerous. His story shows why workplace safety concerns us all.
Workplace safety concerns us all
Behind every successful company are the people who work there. Protecting the safety and health of our employees has a long tradition at thyssenkrupp. Across a network of employees, many everyday heroes help keep their colleagues safe. Nico Schmidinger, Team Leader Work Preparation Sheet Metal at tk accelis in Ulm, knows just how important this work is. In a workplace accident in November 2020, he lost four fingers on his right hand. Today, his message is clear: “Workplace safety concerns us all!”
A moment of inattention
“It can happen to anyone. You go about your work and can quickly become inattentive during routine tasks,” says Nico Schmidinger as he tells us about his workplace accident. At the time, he was working as a machine operator at tk accelis in materials distribution, processing sheet metal. On the day of the accident, Nico noticed scratches on a sheet of metal. Together with a colleague, he wanted to repair them before the sheet was transported to the next station.
“It’s often the tasks you just want to get done quickly where something goes wrong.”
Together, they tried to remove small spots of dirt from the conveyor roller with a cloth. A moment of inattention followed: Nico’s glove was caught by the machine, crushing the fingers of his right hand.
No way back
An accident that turned Nico's life upside down. Today, the young man actively campaigns for the safety of his colleagues. He wants to raise awareness of the issue of occupational safety.
"Even if it's not always easy in everyday working life, stay alert and always think about occupational safety."
"Industrial companies in particular work with heavy weights and large machines. If something happens here, it's usually irreversible."
"How will my life change?"
During the first few days after the accident, Nico fell into a deep hole. He was particularly preoccupied with the question of what to do next. However, it quickly became clear to him that this accident would not change who he was as a person. All of his colleagues were very concerned about the accident and he received many wishes for his recovery.
The machine operator was also concerned about his private life: “How will the people around me react? How will strangers on the street respond to me, and how will I deal with it?” In the period after his accident, Nico Schmidinger spent a great deal of time reflecting on what his life would be like from then on.
Challenges in everyday life
After completing further training as a certified industrial specialist in logistics, Nico returned to the plant in Ulm. Even though he has found his way back into everyday life, it is sometimes the small things that prove particularly difficult.
“What I still struggle with are the unexpected little things we tend to take for granted, such as writing or tying my shoes,” Nico tells us. “You only really think about things like that when you can no longer do them easily or without someone else’s help.” Nico’s experience highlights just how important it is to think about both your own safety and that of your colleagues while at work.
Safety Talk & Walk
To identify blind spots in occupational safety and make work processes safer, tk accelis has introduced a number of changes. One particularly noteworthy measure is the Safety Talk & Walk. During these sessions, work processes are reviewed step by step with a specific focus on occupational safety, closely examined, and optimized. Particular attention is paid to potential hazards that could lead to arm and hand injuries.