A few months ago, Rick ter Horst joined us as a QHSE Manager. He is responsible for quality, safety, health and sustainability within Voortman Steel Construction, Voortman De Haven and Voortman Design & Build. So now it is time to get acquainted and ask Rick more about his daily work.
We currently work on further improving our objectives in the areas of safety, quality and the environment. Rick says: “There are already many initiatives spread across the various departments, which we want to integrate. The aim is to optimize our current management system for quality, safety and environment, so that we can monitor and adjust where necessary.” Rick also maps out the processes within Voortman, in consultation with the team leaders. “This way we see where processes overlap and how we can further streamline them for greater efficiency.”
We are also taking steps in the field of sustainability. Rick: “We have set up a working group that has started drawing up a life cycle analysis (LCA) of our steel. We do this in close collaboration with certification body SGS. We investigate the origin of the steel, the CO2 emissions of each part of the processing process and how we can reuse the steel at the end of its lifespan.” Based on this information, we know where to improve to produce more sustainably.
The QHSE manager's duties include checking Health and Safety Plans. Rick explains: “We use these to determine the risks of a project in advance. I then discuss with our client's safety expert how we can work together on site in order to carry out the project as safely as possible.” To see how this works in practice, Rick regularly makes safety tours on site. “During a visit I discuss safety subjects with the mechanics, for example a safe way to secure themselves. I think it is important that work is done in accordance with the safety rules, but it must also remain workable for the people on site. Their input is therefore very valuable.”
Rick is also responsible for obtaining and maintaining the appropriate certifications in the areas of quality, safety and sustainability. Next year, we want to work towards our certification for step 3 of the Safety Culture Ladder at Voortman Steel Construction. Rick explains: “This means that we are actively working on increasing the safety awareness of our employees. We address this company-wide by analysing problems, identifying their causes and solving them.” By constantly looking where we can improve, we continue to develop as an organization.