The meeting room is being used for mindfulness: Focusing on the present moment is intended to reduce workplace accidents

At the manufacturing company Gyproc in Kalundborg, they use mindfulness in the hope of preventing workplace accidents.

– Please place your hand on your stomach, stand still for a moment, and listen to your body.

Soft music flows from a speaker in the conference room. The lighting is subdued, and a few candle-like LED lights sit on the table, flickering.

The chairs have been moved away from the large conference table in the middle of the room. Standing around the table are 12 to 15 employees—some in work clothes and some in their regular office attire.

A mindfulness instructor is leading this morning’s session for employees at the Gyproc manufacturing plant in Kalundborg. But the focus is neither on productivity nor efficiency.

“It’s not about getting from A to B as quickly as possible. It’s about being mindful of what’s happening right here and now. We need to stay focused on the task at hand so we don’t overlook any risks and end up getting hurt,” says Finn Stokholm, plant manager at Gyproc.

Investing in security is good business

The theme is safety in everyday life. According to Gyproc, it’s about being mindful and living in the moment.

With their arms and legs moving slowly to the gentle music, the 150 employees at Gyproc are on their way to a safer workday, according to the global manufacturer. The company uses this method for its 170,000 employees worldwide.

“It’s about being present in the moment. That means acknowledging that you’re here now, and not focusing on what happened a long time ago,” says Finn Stokholm.

I need to work with people

According to their own counter, it has been 691 days since anyone was injured at Gyproc. And the focus is on extending that streak even further. But that will require a new approach, if you ask the plant manager.

– If we want to change behavior, we need to work with our employees. We can’t just hide behind safety barriers and personal protective equipment and think that’s enough. We need to work much more with our people—that is, with our colleagues’ behavior in their day-to-day work—because that’s the only way we can ensure that no Gyproc employees get hurt, says Finn Stokholm.

Neither the Danish Working Environment Authority nor the National Research Center for the Working Environment has conducted studies or research that directly demonstrate that mindfulness has a preventive effect or improves safety.

But at Gyproc, they believe that mindfulness—with its calm movements and no focus on productivity—is time well spent.

“Investing in safety is good for business. It makes our employees happy and boosts our productivity, so it’s a really good investment,” says Finn Stokholm.

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