At Aeroflex, a Paraná-based manufacturing industry, a simple PVC tube became a symbol of transformation. Installed by an employee to prevent an iron rod from slipping and causing accidents, the adapted device became a reference point. There, initiatives like these do not go unnoticed and are publicly celebrated through the ‘Safety Star’, a process created to recognize those who contribute practical ideas to make the factory safer. In 15 months, dozens of solutions have been implemented — some at no cost, but with high impact. ‘Safety, here, is no longer seen as a cost or a rule. It is a value, something we must practice even when no one is watching,’ says Marcelo Arice, EHS coordinator (which stands for environment, health, and safety) of the company.
Aeroflex is a aerosol solutions manufacturing industry based in Curitiba (PR), and its experience reflects a growing trend in Brazilian industries: the incorporation of continuous improvement tools as a strategy for accident prevention. One of the pillars of this process is lean management, an approach that aims to make work more efficient by eliminating excesses and focusing only on what adds value. The discussion gains momentum with World Day for Safety and Health at Work, celebrated on April 28, which coincides with the National Campaign for Accident Prevention at Work (Canpat 2025), launched in April by the Ministry of Labor and Employment.
The theme is urgent. Federal government data reveal that Brazil recorded, only in 2023, over 732 thousand cases of work-related accidents and diseases. Of these, 2,780 resulted in death and over 6,300 in permanent disabilities. Underreporting still prevents a complete picture. It is estimated that the economic impacts exceed R$ 400 billion per year, equivalent to up to 4% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the Statistical Yearbook of Work Accidents from the Ministry of Social Security.
According to experts, more than formal protocols, it is necessary to cultivate a safety culture, and it is at this point that methodologies such as 5S, the basis of lean management, gain prominence.
Organization, perception, and belonging
Consultant Edison Medeiros, a specialist in Lean management and consultant at Gemba Group, compares the care for workers to the care given to a young child. “If there is a table with a sharp corner, it is not enough to tell the child not to hit their head. The risk condition must be eliminated. And it’s the same with adults,” he says. According to him, the first step is to structure the environment to prevent mistakes from happening. “5S helps exactly with that. When you remove what is unnecessary, organize the space, and standardize routines, you reduce accidents and improve physical and mental health.”
The methodology, created in Japan, involves five pillars: utilization, orderliness, cleanliness, standardization, and self-discipline. It goes beyond appearance as it directly influences ergonomics, circulation, visibility, and behavior. “Many occupational diseases begin when the employee needs to repeatedly bend over, reach for objects out of reach, or deal with invisible dirt like dust and fungi,” says Edison.
Brasílio da Silva, a consultant specialist with 30 years of experience in occupational safety, reinforces the argument. “When you start with the basics – like labeling an outlet, covering a hole in the floor, or eliminating an exposed wire – you are starting a process that changes the way everyone perceives the environment. Safety starts with the visible but transforms the invisible: the culture.” For him, safety culture is the foundation on which risk perception is built.
But to work, the method cannot be imposed. “Sense means understanding. The person needs to know why they do it, understand that it protects them. Otherwise, they will only comply when the manager is watching,” adds Edison. He argues that companies wanting to implement a safety culture need to promote understanding and foster a sense of ownership: “When the employees feel cared for, they care back.”
Simple actions, lasting effects
At Aeroflex, lean manufacturing has been implemented in partnership with the Gemba Group, which is a consultancy specialized in Lean management, continuous improvement, and professional training. Since then, the safety area went from being a supporting character to a protagonist. “Today we have seven committees, including the 5S and Safety Guardians. All employees participate in some. The goal is to ensure that safety responsibility is shared,” explains Marcelo Arice, EHS coordinator at Aeroflex.
He cites other examples of improvements proposed by the employees themselves. An electrician increased the brightness of an area by 40% by replacing the milky acrylics of the luminaires with transparent ones. A Production Supervisor adapted discarded cages to transport drums more safely. Even the maid suggested adjustments to the organization of the pantry to improve a simple process of making coffee and also prevent short circuits.
The concept that safety is a value – not just an obligation – is at the heart of the change. “We work with risk perception, something that varies among people. Some may be unconsciously unsafe and not realize they are at risk. The focus now is to level this perception,” says Marcelo. He emphasizes that critical areas, such as logistics and forklift operation, receive targeted training to develop attention and safe behavior.
Brasílio agrees and recalls that one of the great difficulties in companies is precisely the lack of shared perception. “Each one takes care of their own square, but real safety requires that everyone knows how to recognize risks and communicate what they perceive. This is corporate citizenship.”
Management systems and leadership by example
Beyond individual actions, a safety culture needs structure. Brasílio advocates for the adoption of management systems based on international standards such as ISO 45001, which organize processes and guide decisions based on data. “A company that already maps risks and monitors indicators has a much better chance of acting preventatively. And may even dispense with bureaucratic steps required by law, such as the Risk Management Plan (RMP). This shows that management and safety go hand in hand,” explains the consultant.
According to him, many companies still see safety as an expense, not as an investment. “However, it only takes one serious incident to understand that prevention costs less,” points out Brasílio. He argues that effective training, reliable data, and active listening should be used to sensitize leadership. “The manager needs to be the first to set an example. Power is imposed by the position, but authority is earned through behavior,” he reinforces.
According to Edison, coherence between speech and practice also defines the culture. “It is not enough to say that safety comes first if the locker room is degraded or the cafeteria is unhealthy. This value must be unfolded into visible actions.”
From obligation to culture
Despite the challenges, the three experts agree: there is progress. “There are already companies with a well-established safety culture. They started years ago with simple actions and persisted,” says Edison. For Brasílio, Abril Verde can help accelerate this process.
Brasílio also warns of the evolution of legislation, which now includes topics such as harassment, psychosocial risks, and mental health. “Mental illnesses will surpass physical ones in the coming years, according to the World Health Organization, and the work environment needs to keep up with this reality.”
In addition, Brasílio and Edison argue that caring for the worker should go beyond the company’s gates. “An employee who knows they are safe works better; but also needs to go home well, be with their family. This is also culture,” says Edison. Brasílio adds: “Safety reflects at home. The worker who wears goggles to drill the factory wall shouldn’t climb an unstable chair to do the same at home”.
In the end, the change does not only depend on rules or training, but on a shift in how work is perceived. “Taking workplace safety seriously is what you do when no one is watching,” says Marcelo. This is the level of maturity that the Brazilian industry is still seeking and that begins with small actions, repeated every day, until they become culture.
