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“Work Safe Home Safe is owned and driven by everyone on our project”. EHS Manager Ryno Louw on building a shared safety culture
Since joining Mercury’s team in Frankfurt in February 2025, EHS Manager Ryno Louw has played a key role in driving the company’s Work Safe, Home Safe culture at every stage of a complex data centre build.
Central to his work has been leading a team of EHS Advisors on one of Mercury’s largest data centre projects yet to “embed responsibility for safety at every level of work across the project.” Ryno, who joined Mercury from his native South Africa notes “one of the reasons I wanted to join Mercury was because of the high regard for, and understanding of, safety at every level of the business.” “From site supervisors to executive leadership, safety expectations are built into every role and decision, not delegated solely to the EHS team. We provide oversight, challenge and expertise- but safety is owned and driven by everyone across the project.”
We act proactively and not reactively
Ryno has led on the implementation of new systems that drive this culture day-to-day. “Our Safety Observation Reporting (SOR) Programme allows Mercury employees and our trade partners to identify potential hazards or unsafe behaviours quickly through the digital platform. Every person across the project must complete Safety Observation Reports on a regular basis.”
This instant feedback and data collection has allowed the EHS team to quickly identify high-risk activities and focus attention on where it’s needed most. Ryno says that the system “provides clear visibility of uncertainty and perceived risk on site, allowing us to act proactively and not reactively.” The system has led to improved overall safety performance across Mercury. “Our people have seen that raising concerns leads to positive action.” “We’ve also been able to share learnings with other Mercury EHS teams across Europe, which helps us to anticipate risks, intervene early and prevent incidents before they occur.”
Further tangible examples of prioritising safety culture onsite include “collaborative planning with our supply chain partners through our Daily Activity Briefing meeting.” These meetings help Ryno and his team to identify conflicting activities, exclusion zones and high-risk interfaces before work starts. Ryno also notes that “having the right expertise on site for high-risk activities means that complex work is planned and executed safely without unnecessary disruption.”
Clarity, consistency and empowerment
While “the days are always different” a constant focus on “clarity, consistency and empowerment” is what drives Ryno’s role. He began his career in the construction industry in South Africa, where he learned many of the skills he now applies at Mercury. “The most important skills for an EHS professional are understanding how complex construction activities work, applying sound reasoning to risk and being able to communicate clear, practical controls.”
With demanding daily schedules, and several different trade partners working simultaneously how does Ryno prioritise safety without compromising on efficiency? “For our team, efficiency does not mean working faster, it means getting the job done right first time, without putting our people at risk. On our projects, consistent EHS expectations and systems mean trade partners can mobilise quickly without reinventing procedures and find solutions together. This means challenges are resolved without compromising technical standards.”
Since joining Mercury, Ryno notes what he’s learned most is that “EHS adds the most value when complex problems are simplified into solutions that people can easily understand and apply on site.”
WORK SAFE HOME SAFE
Safety is our anchor value. It underpins everything that we do. It’s a mindset that’s firmly fixed in every individual, team, and rank throughout Mercury and our supply chain.
Safety is embedded in our DNA. It’s the bedrock of our delivery, training, and processes. We insist that it is a fundamental component of every facet of our business. We never, ever take this for granted.
Without our people we are nothing. This fact means that every individual within Mercury is accountable. Safety isn’t just our policy, it’s our duty.
