“That’s howit’s always been done”

When routine becomes a risk

Behind the success of a company are the people who work there. Protecting the health and safety of our employees has a long tradition at thyssenkrupp. How important is it to constantly question tried-and-tested methods? Robin Kauß, an industrial mechanic at thyssenkrupp Steel in Duisburg, tells us about this from his own personal experience. In 2018, he lost his right leg in an accident at work.

Were you to pass Robin Kauß on the street, you would never guess that this lively young man with a swift stride was in fact missing one of his legs. In 2018, his life changed in an instant due to a terrible accident at the workplace.

A completely normal workday

February 17, 2018, is a sunny, cold Saturday. Robin Kauß is working the afternoon shift at thyssenkrupp Steel in Duisburg. From his hometown of Herne, it takes him almost an hour and a half by bus and train to get to the plant. For him, it is pure routine. On the train, he can read or plan his next vacation with his girlfriend. The year before, they had traveled to Florida together. In the summer, they are planning another trip to the USA, this time to Las Vegas.

Robin's workplace is at the sample shears. This is where pieces are cut from the metal sheets for quality testing. Shortly after four, he is told by a colleague that they have to "build the knives" today. This is routine work that is done dozens of times a month in Robin's work area - usually in pairs. Everyone knows the procedure. Robin also knows what to do. After all, he's no longer a beginner. He completed his training in 2014.

So far, nothing has ever happened

"Building knives" looks like this: There are two knives in a block, with a wedge between them. The bottom knife comes out first, then the knife wedge, which regulates the width of the knife. The knife wedge is almost four meters long and weighs around 630 kilos. It is removed by crane and placed on the steel walls at the staircase. There it is at a good working height. The first time Robin was involved in building knives, he wondered: "Why do you do it like that?" The answer from his older colleagues at the time: "We've always done it that way." So Robin does it the same way. Even on this Saturday.

630 kilos of steel in free fall

On February 17, 2018, Robin Kauß is alone with the knife wedge. The plant is understaffed today. He is focused and checks that the knife wedge is secure before unhooking it from the crane. Then he gives his colleague the signal to move the crane away. At this moment, the steel wedge moves. To this day, no one can say exactly why. The knife wedge falls from a height of 1.20 meters. Robin doesn't manage to pull his right leg away in time. His front foot came under 630 kilos of steel.

"At first it was very painful. Then it felt more like dipping your foot in hot water and not taking it out, like a burning sensation," he recalls. Robin is fully conscious. He instructs his colleague to bring him the cell phone from his rucksack. Robin knows the procedure: call the emergency services, contact the next of kin. He has been an active member of the Herne volunteer fire department for more than ten years.

The emergency services are alerted immediately. "At first we thought it was a fracture," says shift coordinator Steinhoff. The emergency doctor landed by helicopter a few minutes later. Robin is rushed to the hospital. In the operating theater, the doctors determine that his front foot can no longer be saved. It is removed immediately. Robin Kauß loses his right foot.  

Shock reactions

On Saturday evening, Robin wakes up in hospital. At the time, Robin's mother does not yet know how serious his injury is. When she finds out about the accident, no one can tell her which hospital her son is in. The ambulance service and emergency doctor only decide which hospital is suitable on the way and are bound by confidentiality - even towards the employer. Neither the company nor the control center can therefore provide Robin's mother with any information.

She stays up all night and calls Robin's older sisters. On Sunday morning, they call all the clinics in Duisburg. They finally find the right address and make their way to the BG Clinic. They both believe Robin has broken his foot. As his mother stands in front of the bed, Robin tells her straight away what's really wrong: "I'm missing half my foot." She is stunned. It takes a whole day before she realizes the extent of the serious accident.

Two months in hospital

Robin Kauß has to stay in hospital until the end of April and is given strong painkillers. His room neighbors change often. He gets to know a total of 25 patients. Many of them were even worse off than him. Four weeks after the accident, the doctors gave him a choice: the heel could be rebuilt with skin and muscle tissue from the thigh, with the risk of affecting the entire right leg. The alternative: a full amputation, followed by a prosthesis. Robin opts for the amputation. With the prosthesis, he thinks, there is a better chance that he will be able to put full weight on his leg again later. He is lucky, his hopes are fulfilled. But it will be a long time before that happens. A prosthesis can only be fitted once the tissue on the residual limb has healed well. After eight weeks, Robin Kauß is finally allowed to leave the clinic. It is very hot, with temperatures of over 35 degrees in May and June of the record-breaking summer of 2018. Robin can only move around in a wheelchair and on crutches. He reads a lot and spends a lot of time on the console. He does without psychological support.

Rehab and reintegration

There are days at home when time passes very slowly. Rehabilitation doesn't begin until a month and a half after his discharge. A prosthesis is fitted and Robin has to learn to move with it day by day. Initially, he can only wear the prosthesis for two to three hours. He cannot go out without help. The rehab is exhausting, partly because of the heat, and it lasts three months. His girlfriend comes to visit almost every day. She no longer has any problems seeing the stump of his leg. It will be weeks before Robin can wear the prosthesis all day long. During this time, he loses almost 30 kilos.

He has never regretted the decision to get the prosthesis. Just under a year after the accident, in February 2019, Robin Kauß began the reintegration process. He needs custom-made work trousers and work shoes. Due to the long journey, Robin starts working four hours a day straight away. It takes less than eight weeks before he is working normal eight-hour shifts again. But he does not return to his previous job. He now works on the ultrasound system. This is where the thickness of the steel is measured in quality control. Nevertheless, he often passes by the site of the accident. Robin is not familiar with flashbacks, i.e. those moments when he suddenly relives the accident situation and panic sets in. "No, I don't have a problem with that," he assures us. If something seems dangerous to him now? "Then I'll make sure it's not so dangerous!"

Future with a prosthesis

Like before, Robin Kauß still uses the bus and train to get to work. It now takes him a few minutes longer to walk to the station. In winter, when it is slippery, he is very careful. He can't walk fast or even run with the prosthesis. A special sports prosthesis would have to be made for this. He is no longer able to join the volunteer fire department on active missions. He is now the first member of the so-called care team. He stays in the fire station and makes sure that food and drinks are available after the operation. If all goes well, Robin Kauß also wants to get his driver's license soon. "That's possible, on automatic and with left-hand throttle," he says. Air travel is also no problem with the prosthesis. He wants to catch up on his vacation to Las Vegas with his girlfriend.

Consequences for occupational safety

After Robin's accident, thyssenkrupp Steel conducted an intensive investigation into how it could have happened. The knife-making processes have since been completely changed. Work instructions were written and a special device was made and installed on which the knife wedge can be placed. This ensures that the knife wedge no longer tips over and that an accident like the one Robin Kauss suffered cannot happen again.