The second incident took place during the New Year's reception, at a external venue. Luuk was present himself. "A colleague had an allergic reaction to something he had eaten. I was called in, and together with Arnold and Linda, I provided help. The person in question did not have any medication with him, so we called an ambulance." In the meantime, Luuk knows, it is especially important to keep calm. "I sat down in front of him at eye level and talked to him. That's for distraction, but also a way to see how things are going. The colleague was easy to approach and therefore remained calm himself, so his vital functions were intact. But he did become increasingly paler and nauseous." The ambulance arrived and provided the further assistance needed. A day later, an email came in to the emergency response team. "The colleague thanked us for our help and the peace around him during the incident. He really appreciated that enormously."

Retrained

The emergency response team at head office has taken a step forward in its professional development. The approximately twenty-five members now hold more frequent meetings and have got to know each other better. As a result, they are better attuned to one another in emergencies. In addition, they have all been retrained as first-aiders. “That’s quite different from only having emergency response training,” explains Luuk. “First aid is now the standard training.” And that has paid off, as became clear during the two incidents in the past quarter. How does Luuk look back on it? “With a sense of satisfaction. Colleagues needed help, and we were able to assist them. It also shows that we’ve come a long way together. We’re now an active and well-prepared team. The Take Care Award came as a surprise to us. All staff members who become emergency response team members choose to be there for their colleagues. That extra commitment has now been recognised. We’re delighted about that.”

Cheque of €500,-

The Take Care Award jury (HSE Director Geert van der Linde and the members of the Works Council’s VGWM Committee) selects a winner four times a year from the nominations submitted in the preceding quarter. The winning nomination receives €500,- to arrange a treat for the colleagues involved, do something enjoyable together, or donate the amount to a good cause.

Congrats Luuk, Linda, Hans, Rick and Arnold!