In the Pharmaceutical industry, Novo Nordisk´s focus has always been on quality, and to provide the best medicines to the customers. Since Novo Nordisk works with biological and chemical molecules that are designed to affect the human body, Novo Nordisk also needs to focus on the safety of the staff. As in all businesses, the staff sometimes were being injured in the process of working. People in research and development, product manufacturing and sales, were having near misses and incidents. As an industry focused on care and health, Novo Nordisk´s eyes were opened to the need of safety of the staff.
 
Novo Nordisk is part of an industry that is used to working with systems, procedures and regulations. Having these in place is what supports Novo Nordisk in having safe products of the highest level of quality for the customers. When Novo Nordisk started its safety journey, Novo Nordisk began in the area it is the best at: systems. Safety and Occupational Health systems were developed to clarify the expectations and requirements of the staff. These safety systems have significantly reduced the number of incidents and injuries; howver, it is possible to see that systems alone are insufficient to take Novo Nordisk to the next steps in the safety journey. Something else is needed.
 
Like many industries, it is possible to see the need for engaging the staff in the values, behaviors, culture and leadership of safety.
By sharing Novo Nordisk´s experiences and it is engaged in safety in the Pharma industry, my hope is that we learn from one another, across industries, and have safer workplaces for the staff.