From absence of accidents to a focus on safety: STARK’s journey towards a higher level of prevention

From ’inspector’ to strategic partner

– Historically, STARK’s safety and health efforts were characterised by ‘inspectors’ visiting branches, delivering audit reports, and perhaps being perceived as an unwelcome distraction, says Peter Sønderkjær.

– There was no ownership, and it brought little value beyond reports, which unfortunately often ended up forgotten in the drawer.

One of Peter Sønderkjær’s initial realisations upon undertaking the role as Head of Health and Safety in May 2022 was the importance of integrating HSE closely with line management – both in decision-making and implementation.

– For real change to happen, ownership must lie with line management. It is also line management who should make the decisions, he emphasises.

This approach has fundamentally transformed safety and health practices at STARK. Every other month, Peter Sønderkjær now meets with the executive board to jointly set the agenda, define strategic direction, and ensure decisions are anchored and communicated through the management group.

Furthermore, all 150 managers – from the CEO to branch directors – have completed a half-day leadership training focused on the company’s safety culture and its development, fostering a vital shared understanding of the overarching strategic direction.

– It has made an enormous difference for us. It allows us to connect with one another, and it gives our safety and health messages far greater impact, says the Head of Health and Safety.

Proactivity rather than reactive accident statistics

– One of the major shifts has been a change in focus and our perspective on the working environment. It can be distilled into one key sentence: Success in safety and health is not the absence of accidents, it is the presence of safety, Peter Sønderkjær points out.

This principle has taken root in the organisation, and the executive management has also embraced it. Today, each branch is not only measured by accident statistics, but also by proactive targets: Five clear KPIs designed to foster everyday prevention and safety.

– In a sales organisation, you would rather be ‘green’ than ‘red’ on the KPIs – it’s a strong motivator, says Peter Sønderkjær, smiling.

The results speak for themselves: The accident frequency rate has more than halved, sickness absence due to accidents has decreased, and in April, for the first time, STARK recorded zero accidents throughout the company.

– Our accident statistics now clearly show that proactive initiatives genuinely reduce the number of accidents, he notes.

Empowerment and structure within the HSE organisation

With 86 branches across the country, effective prevention demands robust local anchoring. STARK has therefore renewed its HSE organisation and invested in strengthening local safety and health groups.

180 employees have received upskilling – many through the mandatory safety and health training.

Peter Sønderkjær explains:

– Previously, HSE groups met twice annually with a vague or unclear agenda. Now, we have introduced structure to the work: Groups convene monthly, there are structured agendas, minutes and action plans – and everyone can see the value, overview, and engagement it brings.

The strategy is about building competencies step by step

– As our CEO said when we began rolling out this new HSE vision: You are presenting us with a huge elephant. The only way we have a chance of eating it is by taking one bite at a time, recounts Peter Sønderkjær.

Today, 25% of STARK’s HSE groups are so strong that they hardly require support from Peter Sønderkjær or his HSE team. The current focus is therefore on the remaining groups, who are still developing towards the desired level – supported through differentiated assistance and visits.

Local ownership in a diverse organisation 

STARK is characterised by a rich diversity of cultures, and many branch directors come from sales backgrounds, where safety and health was not previously a priority.

However, a values-driven approach has made a significant impact, explains Peter Sønderkjær.

– It is about focusing on what prevention and safety in the working environment truly mean. To put it into perspective, you can encourage people to ask themselves: How would I feel if my son or daughter had to work here? Would you feel comfortable sending your son or daughter to work at your workplace? We must be able to answer yes to that question. Our first value at STARK is integrity. If we cannot vouch for the safety of those working here, then it is not proper. And that is something many in our organisation have embraced, he says.

For Peter Sønderkjær, it is clear that change occurs in many branches when individual managers witness success within their own organisation:

– It initiates a positive spiral, because then they start to see for themselves the value and improvement in everyday working life, he explains.

Ambitions guided by Vision Zero principles

The latest development is that wellbeing has been incorporated into the HSE organisation’s remit.

– We now need to address wellbeing, stress, bullying, and unwanted sexual attention, which unfortunately exist in every industry. This is further reinforced by our desire for greater diversity: For instance, we want to recruit more women into the sector, which calls for enhanced focus on these issues.

STARK’s journey towards a higher level of prevention is well underway – and continues. The efforts are guided by Vision Zero principles – especially the 7 Golden Rules – and the next step is the implementation of a new HSE IT system to systematically document and manage proactive targets.

– We are making good progress on this maturity journey, where both managers and employees are developing further, concludes the Head of Health and Safety.