Serious Accidents
Henkel openly reports serious accidents. A serious accident refers to the lethal injury of a Henkel employee or an employee of a contractor carrying out work for Henkel. In 2006 and in 2007, no fatal occupational accidents were suffered by Henkel employees or employees of contractors carrying out work on Henkel sites.
Despite the very positive progress made, there have regrettably been a small number of fatal occupational accidents in past years. The accidents and the preventive measures initiated as a result of these are shown below.
Serious Accidents 2005
Tuzla, Turkey, May 8, 2005
| Accident/operational incident | Measures initiated |
| An employee of a contractor engaged by Henkel fell from a height of 10 meters while carrying out cleaning work on a silo. He died from his injuries. To make his work easier, he had removed a section of grating from the floor of the work platform, and later fell through this opening. | All sites were informed about the accident and instructed to inform their own employees and contractors’ employees regularly and emphatically about the possible consequences of unsafe behavior. Workplace safety analyses should also factor in unlikely but not impossible risks. |
Engels, Russia, Oct. 6, 2005
| Accident/operational incident | Measures initiated |
| An employee of a construction firm engaged by Henkel died when the walls of a trench collapsed and buried him. The employee was present in the trench despite the fact that work on a new sewer system had been halted. Continuous rainfall had softened the soil. | All sites were informed about the accident and made aware of the importance of emphasizing the necessity of compliance with safety standards to the supervisory staff of contractors, and of closely monitoring such compliance. In addition, sites worldwide were informed about the necessary safety measures to be taken when work is carried out in trenches. |
Serious Accidents 2004
Tosno, Russia, March 24, 2004
| Accident/operational incident | Measures initiated |
| While carrying out installation work, an employee of a contractor engaged by Henkel ERA fell four meters and suffered fatal injuries. Acting contrary to safety regulations and to the work instructions he had received, he had not used the available safety platform, but had stepped onto an unfinished intermediate ceiling, which then collapsed. | All sites were informed about the accident and instructed to inform contractors´ employees even more comprehensively about safety risks and requirements, to encourage their managers even more strongly to ensure compliance with the safety requirements, and to monitor this closely. |
Port Said, Egypt, July 11, 2004
| Accident/operational incident | Measures initiated |
| A truck driver´s assistant working for a freight company contracted by Henkel was fatally injured when he was run over by the truck. Despite a clear ban, he had been lying in the shade underneath the truck. The accident occurred despite the fact that extensive warnings of the risks were provided at the site and the driver had confirmed in writing that he would heed them. | All sites were instructed to inform truck drivers in writing of the safety regulations and to strictly monitor compliance. |
Montornés, Spain, Aug. 5, 2004
| Accident/operational incident | Measures initiated |
| An experienced employee of an electrical contractor with which Henkel Ibérica had worked for many years died of an electric shock while carrying out repairs on a cooling system. He had switched off part of the power supply, but, inexplicably, not the supply to the motor on which he was working. | All sites were informed about the accident and the safety measures necessary when work is being carried out on electrical installations. They were instructed to tighten supervision of contractors´ employees. |
Aleppo, Syria, Sept. 24, 2004
| Accident/operational incident | Measures initiated |
| A Henkel employee died after suffering an electric shock. When he tried to move a packaging machine without first switching it off, a defective cable energized the casing of the machine. | In response to this accident, an immediate review of all electrical installations at all production sites was initiated. In addition, an extensive international training program on electrical safety was launched. |
Nieuwegein, Netherlands, Dec. 9, 2004
| Accident/operational incident | Measures initiated |
| A Henkel employee was killed in a traffic accident on the way to a customer. He pulled up behind a truck at the tail of a traffic jam on the highway. The truck behind him failed to stop in time and pushed the car into the truck in front. |
Serious Accidents 2003
Sungai Buloh, Malaysia, Sept. 29, 2003
| Accident/operational incident | Measures initiated |
| Sadly, a Henkel employee died as a result of chemical burns he sustained while filling a reactor. He had added nickel oxide too quickly, causing nitric acid to blow out. Despite immediate emergency action and intensive care, he died a week after the accident. | As a consequence of this accident, an immediate review of the work instructions, emergency response plans, and alarm systems was initiated for all sites using comparable processes. In addition, the worldwide training programs are being intensified. |
Serious Accidents 2002
Slovenia, Maribor, Jan. 21, 2002
| Accident/operational incident | Measures initiated |
| A truck driver employed by an external transport company was killed on January 21, 2002, at the Maribor site in Slovenia. Ignoring the regulations, the driver attempted to couple his trailer to the truck by hand on his own, on a slope. After releasing the brake, he lost control of the rolling trailer and was crushed against the truck. | Henkel Slovenia informed all transport companies about the accident and insisted on compliance with the prescribed safety regulations. When a driver has to couple or uncouple a trailer and has no co-driver to help him, he must always request the assistance of a qualified Henkel employee. In addition, Henkel Slovenija has tightened controls at the site. |
Mexico, Oct. 24, 2002
| Accident/operational incident | Measures initiated |
| At the site of a Henkel customer in Mexico City, four employees of a contracted company were killed and three others were injured on October 24, 2002, while a wastewater treatment plant was being shut down. The accidental introduction of a chemical resulted in the release of a toxic gas. Although safety training had been provided and protective equipment was available, the gas formed so rapidly and unexpectedly that nothing could be done to prevent this tragic accident. | To avoid such accidents in the future, throughout the whole Company a risk assessment must now be carried out before similar work is undertaken and suitable precautionary procedures must be defined. The technical condition of the plant involved and the possibility of human error must also be taken into account. |
