That takes real backbone, but Michel himself sees it as quite straightforward. “If something isn’t allowed, you have to draw a line immediately.” The Ballast Nedam Specialist Groundworks machine operator was presented with the award in the canteen. “I thought we were going to have a safety talk, but it turned out to be about me. I really didn’t see that coming.”

Rightly so, because for this work the TCVT FMG certificate is legally required. And Michel does not have that certificate. Did he find it difficult to say ‘no’ to a client? “I did think about it briefly, because it is, of course, the customer. But if you go ahead and do something like that and it goes wrong, you as the machine operator are the one who bears the responsibility. Legally, without a certificate, you would be in serious trouble. It seems obvious to me that you wouldn’t take a risk like that just to stay on good terms with a site manager. So I didn’t find it difficult to say ‘no’.”

What also helped was that the request involved doing something that didn’t seem feasible anyway. “The planks in question were still connected to each other,” Michel explains. “In that situation, it’s actually impossible to vibrate them loose in the way that was requested.” This became apparent when the client asked another subcontractor to carry out the task. “They did have the necessary certification, but they also indicated that they couldn’t perform those specific activities. So I clearly had a point.” The matter did not lead to any further issues. The client later showed understanding for Michel’s course of action. “I never once had the feeling that they held it against me.”

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.