Strengthening Safety Culture Through Leadership

At THOR, keeping our people safe is not optional, and it’s not a statistic. It’s fundamental to how we operate.

Wherever we work in the world, occupational health and safety remains front of mind. We recognise that a strong safety culture is not static; it requires continual focus, reflection, and improvement to ensure our people return home safely each day.

On World Day for Safety and Health at Work, we are reminded of this responsibility. While the THOR Group has never recorded a work‑related fatality and continues to reduce its lost‑time incident rate, progress alone is not enough. Sustained, proactive effort is essential to ensure that safety procedures remain effective, relevant, and consistently applied in everyday operations.

As part of this commitment, THOR GmbH has launched a new safety culture strategy in collaboration with Wandelwerker. The initiative began with the first in a series of dedicated workshops for managers, recognising their vital role in shaping behaviours, building trust, and setting clear expectations throughout the organisation.

The kick‑off workshop in Speyer, Germany, focused on two core elements of a strong and sustainable safety culture.

The first was attitude and role modelling. Safety begins with personal responsibility. When leaders demonstrate care, awareness, and sound decision‑making in their daily actions, they reinforce the importance of health and safety and help embed these behaviours within their teams.

The second focus was open and constructive dialogue. Managers explored how to address both safe and unsafe behaviours clearly, respectfully, and effectively. Encouraging open conversation creates an environment where concerns can be raised early, learning is shared, and people feel confident taking responsibility not only for their own safety, but for the safety of others.

This focus on leadership aligns with THOR’s wider safety ambitions, including our ongoing commitment to maintaining and continuously improving the ISO 45001 standard across all manufacturing sites. Certification is not viewed as an end point, but as a framework that supports continual learning, strong governance, and consistent safety practices in everyday operations. By pairing robust management systems with visible leadership behaviours, we continue to embed high standards of occupational health and safety across the organisation.

The workshops were characterised by strong engagement and open discussion. Managers shared experiences on an equal footing and reflected on how safety leadership can be strengthened in day‑to‑day operations. Alongside traditional safety indicators, discussions also emphasised the value of proactive measures such as near‑miss reporting, supporting early intervention and continuous improvement.

THOR GmbH would like to thank Wandelwerker for their professional support, insight, and contribution to launching this programme. This collaboration represents an important step in THOR’s ongoing efforts to strengthen a safety culture that protects people, encourages responsibility, and supports long‑term success.