Salvatore Ruocco (Trentino Sicurezza) from Safety Expo: “Workplace safety is not a business, it's a mission”
Salvatore Ruocco (Trentino Sicurezza): "Workplace safety? Italy is at the top of the list from a technical and legislative standpoint."
On the occasion of participation in Safety Expo we have collected the impressions, the point of view and the ideas of Salvatore Ruocco, Administrator of Trentino Sicurezza and an entrepreneur who has made workplace safety a true mission.
Let's start with a reflection: where does Italy stand when it comes to workplace safety, and what significance does a trade fair like Safety Expo have?
From a technical and legislative standpoint, Italy is very advanced. A trade fair like this serves to demonstrate how far ahead our country is in terms of manufacturing and workplace safety. In these respects, I'd say we're very close to the top, especially in terms of regulations, because the regulations already provide significant protection for workers.
The problem, from my point of view, is of a different nature; the problem is linked to the fact that safety has always been seen as a cost and not as a value or an opportunity. This is true for everyone, from employers to workers themselves. Safety in the workplace is considered a waste of time; putting on a harness and going onto a roof means spending thirty or sixty seconds more, but being able to connect with this harness and a lanyard to an anchor point that... you should Having a cover allows you to go to work with peace of mind and return home with equal peace of mind. Instead, as we also see from INAIL data, 400-500 people die every year from falls from heights because they aren't protected. It's absurd.
This Fair is a presentation Fair; devices are presented, well-made, functional, and aesthetically pleasing devices. The problem is that those who should be protecting themselves don't do so. lack of cultureWe need to change the paradigm, it's about changing the culture And to do that, we need more control. It will take years, probably decades, but a paradigm shift is necessary. In Italy, we have the best laws in Europe, probably in the world, but then we see people working like Tarzans, exposed to the risk of falling. The Fair offers an overview of the products, but we need to raise awareness because there's little of it currently. The problem isn't the product, but the desire to use it.
How did the desire and will to get involved in a field that is also and above all culturally complex arise?
This desire stems from the fact that since I was a child, I've always loved big challenges. Many years ago, due to work-related issues, I found myself faced with the need to secure some roofing for a large international company. I went crazy trying to find a solution. It took me over a month, and I finally found it in England. It was the late 90s. Since my dream was to start my own business, and finding it so difficult to find solutions in Italy regarding workplace safety, I decided to open a company in the security sector because it was a necessity.
I myself saw my father climbing onto the roof of his house to fix the antenna after a windy night and risking his life, I said to myself 'Maybe if an international reality needs security, my father needs it too, and if my father needs it, maybe others need it too.'. And so it was born Trentino SicurezzaWe had to water a lot of soil obviously, then over the course of these twenty-one years things have changed significantly for the better even if people, at least the majority, are far from considering safety as a fundamental value for their lives.
Trentino Sicurezza It was born out of necessity and then transformed into a mission. There's a moral responsibility. It's not just about selling a product, right?
For me, yes. I've often turned down supplies that had nothing to do with safety but were just smoke and mirrors to increase revenue. I refuse to do certain things, and this mentality drives me. Trentino SicurezzaThen you have to consider that our results are tied to what we do and how we do it. We're having great results, and that means that what we do and how we do it is obviously appreciated.
Prospects and goals for the future?
The prospects are excellent. The goal is to involve many more young people within our organization, both professionally and personally, and to entrust them with the continuation of this type of activity. As the years pass, the future is in the hands of young people, who aren't necessarily idle. It's just a matter of finding the right key.