“If you have an apple, and I have an apple, and we exchange them, then you and I still each have one apple. But if you have an idea, and I have an idea, and we exchange them, then we both have two ideas.”
G.B. Shaw
This quote perfectly describes the spirit of the meeting that took place in recent weeks at our Belluno plant, together with our HSE colleagues from the Electrolux Group and UNIS&F – Unindustria Treviso Servizi e Formazione. The goal was simple but fundamental: to share experiences and projects to create safer workplaces. Because the difference lies not only in what we do, but in how we do it.
During the day, Alberto Curtolo, our plant manager, reminded us that safety is not a goal in itself, but a prerequisite. It is the foundation on which everything else is built. We saw how the integration of Lean Manufacturing and Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) is yielding concrete results, improving processes and reducing risks.
The presentations by Alessandro Danti and Felix Contin from Electrolux gave us a glimpse into the future, while with Andrea Maddalozzo from UNIS&F we addressed sensitive issues such as the DVR on harassment and the management of lithium batteries. I myself contributed to the discussion on the link between internal traffic and sustainability, two aspects which, when well integrated, increase productivity and reduce risks. A concrete example? The circular economy project we are developing with our suppliers.
We didn’t stop at words. The factory tour allowed us to see firsthand how these principles translate into daily actions. A special moment was in our Dojo Room, where new operators are accompanied by dojo trainers on a 20/40/80-hour training course. Here, we not only share procedures, but also how we want them to be applied: safety, quality, and lean manufacturing.
Meeting up to exchange experiences is the fastest way to grow. For this reason, I can only thank UNIS&F, Matteo Scomparin, and Lorenzo Santin for promoting this initiative.