Workplace Safety Culture – report from the ZWA New Year Meeting

How the Devil (Doesn’t) Sleep at ZW Automation

The main agenda item was the training game “The Devil Doesn’t Sleep,” created and coordinated by MindLab – Innovations in Development. 40 of our employees participated. As industrial automation contractors, we face time pressure and performance expectations daily. The simulation allowed us to test in safe conditions how conservative strategy and risk-taking affect the company’s final success.

“Thanks to the game, we were able to practice together what matters most in our work – vigilance. Each of us is responsible for ensuring that the installations we create are not only efficient, but above all safe for the people who will operate them. And the game showed what the consequences of possible negligence could be.” emphasized Jarosław Szafran, Chief Operating Officer of ZW Automation.

The game demonstrated that focusing on hazard elimination is the most profitable business strategy. In an accessible, playful format, employees solidified their knowledge of how to recognize sources of risky behaviors, such as routine or bravado, which directly translates into quality of work at client sites.

At the end, we also found time to summarize the past year in terms of completed projects, organizational changes implemented in the company, industry events we participated in, awards and distinctions received, as well as activities undertaken for local communities. We also presented to all employees key implementations and plans for 2026.

Precision and health and safety standards at “7 Axes”

After the workshop part, we moved to Europe’s largest facility offering active recreation in the form of axe throwing at targets for entertainment. We used 10 lanes to test our accuracy and composure in a spirit of healthy competition.

Even during recreation, safety culture was a key program element. Before making our first throws, everyone underwent mandatory health and safety briefing conducted by trainers. Only after mastering the throwing technique rules did we start the team tournament.

The team’s creativity manifested not only in throwing technique (both overhand and underhand, one-handed, two-handed, and even two hands with two axes), but also in team names – lanes saw competition from Silver Crows, Tomma Hawk, and Eastern Support Group, among others. The following competitors demonstrated the best precision. Congratulations!

• 1st Place: Michał Rutkowski and Daniel Dajczak
• 2nd Place: Mikołaj Reczek and Andrzej Mandro
• 3rd Place: Piotr Gordziski, Łukasz Pozimski and Andrzej Lelicki

Why do we invest in safety and integration?

The New Year meeting is part of our long-term employer branding strategy. As a technical company, we focus on building teams that can collaborate under pressure and back each other up.

Conclusions from this year’s event? First, hazard awareness – we confirmed that systematic workplace condition monitoring is more important than short-term profit. We demonstrated that we take safety rules seriously in every situation – from training games to recreation. Second, team trust – joint activities culminating in dinner at ORZO restaurant allowed us to strengthen relationships that are crucial during demanding implementations at facilities and daily interdepartmental work on complex projects we carry out daily.

It was a good day that reinforced our conviction that a responsible approach to engineering is the only path to success.

Do you want to work in a team that prioritizes professionalism and safety? Write to us and join ZW Automation!