Article

"I started in this sector as an industrial cleaner and through my work got to know Mourik as a fine family business; I thought I would like to be part of that. While working as a cleaner, I noticed that safety is an important issue in the port, but I also noticed that the safety expert was often rarely found on the shop floor. There was a lack of good communication between the field and management and vice versa. This piqued my interest in safety; I wanted to do things differently. After 11 years in industrial cleaning, I decided to get my diplomas, and now I have been working for four years as a safety expert for Mourik on the Turn Arounds where I used to do the cleaning work."

 

 

Understanding group dynamics

"I have found that this strong bond with your team also helps improve safety. After all, it goes much further than just checking procedures and work instructions. It's all about personal contact, knowing what's going on with your team and understanding the group dynamics. So, I can be found outside a lot, because I am convinced that you have to ensure safety from the field, not from an office. Because I am part of the team, colleagues know where to find me and are more likely to come to me to ask if I would like to have a look with them.

Also women are welcome to work in the port

They really are ‘my boys’; that's how I see it. I look after them, and they look after me. That's the strength of our team. And so all in the field." Laughs: "And honestly, most people don't want me in the office all day, with my ADHD, haha."

"I realize I am one of the few women in the workplace at the moment. Fortunately, I've seen this change in recent years. It is an unjustified stigma that port work is only for men. More and more, I am getting to know smart and cool women who stand firmly in their shoes.

'I enjoy the What-you-see-is-what-you-get mentality'

Manuela van der Laarse-Glied — Safety Expert

"The men I work with are direct, and I actually like that. The atmosphere is no-nonsense. The freedom and the social aspect also make my work really fun. I can use my energy well in it. I can be myself here: a tough woman who is accepted by her colleagues! There is a ‘what you see is what you get’ mentality here: pure and honest."