INTRINSICALLY MOTIVATED TO HELP OTHERS

Rikkert is passionate about the environment. Nature has always fascinated him ever since he was a young child. Back then, he was a member of clubs such as the WWF Rangers, but now he's an environmental scientist.

He studied at the forerunner to the Saxion University of Applied Sciences before going on to work for several environmental consultancy firms in the waste and chemical sectors
One of Rikkert's strengths is his ability to persuade others, seemingly getting things done without breaking sweat or threatening with rules and procedures. As he himself says, 'He's pretty easy going.'

Rikkert is intrinsically motivated to help others, which at times can be his undoing. He listens intently to everyone, which can often result in too many people coming to him to bend his ear. But this doesn't mean he can't or doesn't stand his ground when things get serious. Once, a company was about to be shut down after a major incident, but he managed to prevent this from happening by bashing things out with his team. Patrick also seems to be in his prime when the pressure is at its greatest, delivering just at the right moment.

He believes one of the most important HSE trends to be a move from 'have to' to 'want to'. Companies are already taking more responsibility of their own accord, which he believes is in response to pressure from the Millennial generation. Climate change is an everyday reality for this generation and they innately care more about the environment.

Patrick feels very much at home at Paltrock, which is quite understandable looking at his Belbin profile.

Rikkert van den Eelaart has worked for Oranjewoud, ROVA and Elementis.

LESS PAPER, GREATER TRUST

Patrick believes safety and process engineering have more in common that you might think at first glance. The theory behind this is that the steps involved in process engineering are the same steps needed to establish safe working processes.

Patrick studied Process Engineering, Environmental Science and of course Safety Studies. He chose to go into HSE after his military service because it was more people related and addressed the issue of why people do what they do. There's very little to control with a processing system, 'You design it, install it, turn it on and from there on in, it should just work.' According to Patrick, a system is 'dead', people and their behaviour on the other hand are 'living' and can be changed.

One of his strengths is developing management systems. Another is his ability to switch from work floor to boardroom, which is essential because, 'You can only get shop floor problems on to boardroom agendas if you maintain good relations in both areas.'

He believes safety is a means to ensuring that employees get home safe and sound at the end of the day. He's genuinely concerned by current trends towards an overboard safety culture and excessive procedures, all of which he believes do not contribute to behavioural change. According to Patrick, the solution involves placing greater trust in people's professionalism, '... they're not little children, let them come up with solutions themselves. Ultimately, we need to move towards less paper and greater trust.'

Patrick has worked for Mourik, Heerema and Lanxess.

PAIN FREE ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS

Dirk studied Chemistry at Utrecht University. It was here that he developed an interest in nature and the environment, which is why he then went on to study at Wageningen agricultural college. After graduating, he worked for Shell and embarked on an international career in the oil & gas and chemical industries.

It wasn't until many years later that he returned to his old love – since then, he's immersed himself fully in safety and the environment. Dirk believes it's ultimately about people getting home safe and sound after a hard day's work.

He views himself primarily as a bridge builder and a man of structure, not of wild and whacky ideas. Dirk is happiest when he sees people's perceptions relating to safety improve and they start working more safely of their own accord. Not because the boss wants them to, but because they're motivated to do so themselves.

But equally satisfying for Dirk is arranging an environmental permit that's good for the environment, but isn't too restrictive for the company. He's also concerned about certain HSE trends that go too far in terms of procedures and documentation.

Dirk is also a proponent of the time honoured stewardship principle, 'We're not here to use everything up, we're here to pass everything on to the next generation.' Hence, his motivation for the QHSE field.

Dirk den Ottelander has worked for Shell, Hexion, Thermphos, Mourik and Paltrock.

NIL VOLENTIBUS ARDUUM

'Nothing is impossible to the valiant.'

This is written on Frank de Jager's arm and is his personal motto. Frank is a go getter, if that weren't already readily apparent.

He studied integral safety but wasn't that enamoured with it at the time. But he warmed up to occupational, industrial and explosives safety and ended up working in this sector. Frank believes safety is about taking risks in a responsible and accountable fashion. Doing something 100% safely isn't always feasible, but it should always be your goal. What's more, safety is always a current issue with ever changing themes, legislation and regulations.

One of Frank's strengths is his ability to mould legislation into practical recommendations, which he also believes is one of the current trends in HSE. He loves working for Paltrock where he feels totally at home. He considers himself to be 'boring', but like most people who say this about themselves they're actually the exact opposite.

Frank de Jager has worked for ...

LEADERSHIP, OWNERSHIP, RESPONSIBILITY

Ferry believes safety is about technology, organization and behaviour. The latter interests Ferry above all.

His greatest talent is getting people moving. Not because they have to, but because they want to of their own accord. Ferry is open minded, which he also says of himself, and knows how to get to the crux of any matter quickly.

He believes that safety has everything to do with leadership, ownership and personal responsibility – safeguarding your own health and safety and those of the people around you.

Ferry studied Environmental Science at the forerunner to the Saxion University of Applied Sciences in Deventer and was involved with environmental management within the Royal Netherlands Air Force during his military service. Time well spent! He also followed postgraduate studies in Safety Studies and from that point on dedicated himself totally to HSE. In his own words, '... because it's about people, it's about behaviour.'

Ferry is happiest when he can make a real difference within an organization. Finding and giving meaning to something is important to him and at Paltrock, he's truly in his element, 'It's a perfect match!' He believes that if you do something you like doing, then very little can go wrong. Above all else, he wants satisfied clients and healthy employees '... who go home at the end of the day with all their fingers.'

He'd also love to be a carpenter if he weren't himself all fingers and thumbs.

Ferry Smedema has worked for AVR, Eurotank, Van Gansewinkel Industrial Services, TNT Express, Reym and Paltrock.

YOU'LL NOT HEAR FROM ME IF THE FIGURES TALLY

Astrid is our financial wizard. She values her freedom and has plenty of it at Paltrock. She also prefers working in smaller organizations such as Paltrock because it makes things more manageable, and she can spot and respond to any irregularities more rapidly.

Astrid's crazy about her co workers as long as they submit their billable hours properly and is over the moon as long as the figures tally.

She recently wrote her first thriller, Skipiste ('Ski Run') – it's got nothing to do with health & safety, but it still makes for a gripping read!

GUIDELINES: OPEN TO INTERPRETATION

With degrees in Engineering & Technology and Safety Studies, Adriaan has worked primarily for Dutch fire brigades and provincial and city councils around the Netherlands. But Adriaan also likes a little variety in life, which is why commercial organizations including Sime Darby Unimills, Cargill and Dupont also welcome Adriaan with open arms. It's this variety that he finds so appealing about his intrapreneurship at Paltrock.

Adriaan's greatest strength is his ability to motivate others and to get them to make conscious decisions that benefit the organization as a whole. He views safety not as a goal, but as a means to keeping the 'machine' running smoothly. His work satisfies him most when he has the freedom to achieve objectives as part of a team. But what really gets him down is when one of 'his' teams is called to account for something that went wrong.

He also has a penchant for 'compliance' and relishes the challenge of creating a safe working environment without having to enforce compliance rules one on one. Government merely provides the guidelines. These are open to interpretation and Adriaan takes them and establishes the prerequisite safety framework.

What's more, he knows how to get things done for his clients, in part due to years of experience navigating the corridors of government. He finds Paltrock to be a particularly 'human' organization in which he can bounce ideas around with other specialists at a top level.

Adriaan van Dorst has worked for various provincial and city councils, fire brigades and ProRail.

CREATING OWNERSHIP

Risks are significant in the processing industry – safety is a constant issue. This is what Bernadette loves to sink her teeth into and why she went on to study for a master's in HSE at TU Delft after studying Chemical Technology.

Bernadette is one of those rare people who has two apparently contradictory talents, namely the ability to dig deep into complex issues without losing sight of the broader picture. She loves to analyse and map out problems and to find solutions that although complex appear simple. This is something she thinks is important – providing insight and making solutions understandable and acceptable for others. In other words, making complex matters simple. This helps foster ownership such that the project then belongs to everybody.

Bernadette also believes that one of the latest HSE trends involves being more of an all rounder. You can't get away with saying that's not my expertise or specialist field anymore.
She also values the variety of projects and working flexibility at Paltrock. One of her goals is to jump on her bike and go touring for a few months.

Bernadette Giesen has worked for DSM, Nyrstar Budel, Nyrstar Australia and MSD.

ALLERGIC TO AMATEURS

'Too practical to study a single molecule for ten years' just about sums up Jet van der Steen. Having studied Physics and Chemistry at TU Delft supplemented with Environmental Safety and Health Management, she soon opted for a career in HSE management. Unknowingly, safety had always been a common thread throughout her life. As a child, she witnessed how a school friend narrowly escaped with her life through a small window during a fire on a farm and later also witnessed a major fire at a university. 'It's entrancing to watch as a child, but the consequences of such a fire are unfathomable ...'

Jet believes safety is about being in control. Think, then act. Unfortunately, she often sees the opposite to be true. Jet's greatest strength is her drive – persistent to the last. You finish what you start, that's Jet for you. She's at her happiest once she completed a project and achieved her objectives – safely, of course!

You could say that Jet is results driven. Other apt adjectives include passionate, knowledgeable and resolute. She's also allergic to amateurs and is always game for solving complex chemical engineering-related problems.

Jet holds a very special place in our hearts at Paltrock. She was our very first employee way back when we started out.

Jet van der Steen has worked for Enthone OMI, Fujifilm Manufacturing, Tyco Electronics, Trespa, AkzoNobel, Heineken and MSD Oss.

ZERO INCIDENTS – A HARD AND FAST TARGET

Jasper studied Environmental Science at the forerunner to the Saxion University of Applied Sciences in Deventer, despite always having had a greater affinity for occupational health & safety.

When he was younger, he worked as a flower bulb peeler and soon noted the hazards associated with a conveyor belt that had no safety guards below it. And what's more he didn't hesitate to bring this oversight to his employer's attention – that's just the way Jasper is.

He believes there are two sorts of safety – physical safety (zero injuries) and mental safety, i.e. a safe space in which to grow personally and professionally without any restrictions from others or an overpowering company culture. The latter he believes to be particularly important. Ultimately, it's the culture pervading the work floor that determines whether someone puts on their safety helmet or not.

One of Jasper's strengths is connecting with others. He's also good at persuading others and explaining things without being pedantic. But he's definitely not a policeman, although he won't hesitate to intervene if the situation dictates.

Jasper's at his happiest when he can help an organization view matters from a different perspective. In other words, it's not just about time and money. He'd personally like to see goals being set for zero incidents, in the same way as goals are set for profit maximization.

An increasing number of incidents on the work floor bothers Jasper in particular, which is why he believes government and employer monitoring remain crucial aspects.

But why Paltrock? Jasper's reasons include the personal approach, challenging projects and the company of fellow specialists.

Jasper Hersbach has worked for Grolsch, AVR, Van Gansewinkel and Reym.

SAFETY'S ABOUT PEOPLE

Having studied Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering and Civil Engineering, Dave started out as an 'environmental man' before turning to safety. An industrial accident during his environmental engineering internship triggered an interest in safety and related issues. He ultimately opted for this field because it deals with people more than the environment does. There's far more interaction between people. The environment as a field is often more cut and dry.

Dave believes every employee has a right to a safe workplace. Generally speaking, this is well regulated in the Netherlands, but there are still some grey areas. His goal is to create the safest possible working environment for people wherever and whenever they are at work.

He views himself as a generalist but is also a networker, bridge builder and team player. He prefers to achieve goals as a team – sharing common goals. You could sum Dave up as someone who does the right things the right way.

He believes that big data and social media will be playing an increasingly important role in HSE, making it even easier to compile and share information about incidents.

Dave chose Paltrock because he felt it was the perfect match and because of his love for HSE.

Dave Tukkers has worked for Oranjewoud, KRS, Lloyds, TÜV, Directorate General for Public Works & Water Management and Yellowtec.