Award winner 2026
Product company (PC) Asan is awarded for it's innovative use of technology to deliver measurable improvements in safety.
PC Asan is a newly established manufacturing site in Asan City, South Korea, operating in a high‑risk environment with hazardous gas laboratories, clean‑room production, and advanced manufacturing. Despite rapid growth, the site embedded safety and health into its operations from the start by adopting a structured, digital, and preventive safety approach.
This has led to clear, measurable results such as one million injury‑free working hours, zero incidents in hazardous gas laboratory operations during 2025, and significantly improved emergency response times through smart digital systems.
PC Asan shows how technology, proactive risk prevention, and a strong safety culture can go hand in hand to protect people while supporting fast‑growing operations.
Winner: Product company (PC) Asan in South Korea
In recognition of: It's innovative use of technology to deliver measurable improvements in safety.
About the project: PC Asan is a newly established manufacturing site in Asan City, South Korea, operating in a high‑risk environment with hazardous gas laboratories, clean‑room production, and advanced manufacturing. Despite rapid growth, the site embedded safety and health into its operations from the start by adopting a structured, digital, and preventive safety approach. This has led to clear, measurable results such as one million injury‑free working hours, zero incidents in hazardous gas laboratory operations during 2025, and significantly improved emergency response times through smart digital systems. PC Asan shows how technology, proactive risk prevention, and a strong safety culture can go hand in hand to protect people while supporting fast‑growing operations.
Winner: 'SHE starts with Me’ program
In recognition of: Emphasizing the personal responsibility involved in workplace safety and for significantly reducing the number of recordable injuries.
About the project: SHE refers to safety, health and environment, and ‘SHE starts with Me’ is an umbrella program of many training and communication packages, emphasizing the personal responsibility involved in workplace safety. Each package is delivered to employees as a ‘Toolbox Talk’ in their local language. The program was developed for the Service Technology Centers (STCs) in Vacuum Technique business area’s Semiconductor Service division (VSS) to regain the focus on safety and world class performance.
Winner: Product Company Chakan in Pune, India
In recognition of: Establishing a proactive safety culture through extensive training programs and by involving its employees in all aspects of safety management.
About the project: Due to its extensive training programs, the company demonstrates that a proactive approach results in very low safety figures. Their key of the success is participation of its employees in all aspects of managing safety. Even though the operations and its processes are quite complex, the organization has managed to mitigate the risks and reduce the number of injuries to an absolute minimum. This has resulted in a very transparent and mature safety culture where employees take responsibilities when it concerns their own safety.
The award has been given annually since 2012. Previously, the award year has referred to the achievement year. However, as of 2024, the announcement year is used as the award year, which seemingly makes 2023 a gap year.
Winners: Global Field Service Teams within the Semiconductor Service Division, Vacuum Technique Business Area
In recognition of: Their i-act mental wellbeing training program for managers, which seeks to create a stigma free workplace, promote wellbeing, and prevent mental ill health.
About the project: The i-act training program is aimed at supporting managers to proactively improve workplace wellbeing as well as reactively support employees who may experience a mental health or wellbeing issue in the workplace. In 2020, this training program became mandatory for all line managers working in semiconductor field service. In parallel, the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns highlighted, for the Vacuum Technique Management Team, the criticality of supporting the mental well-being of their teams. This training has now been rolled out to all line managers within Vacuum Technique Business Area.
Winner: Product Company Zaragoza, Power and Flow Division within Power Technique Business Area
In recognition of: Their Sustainable Ergonomics program, an innovative and science-based approach to improving ergonomics in the operations.
About the project: The Sustainable Ergonomics program targets to improve ergonomic work conditions and creating an awareness and knowledge among the employees in the prevention of ergonomic disorders. With the help of a physiotherapist and an ergonomist all employees received a personalized report with recommendations on how to improve their health at work and in their private life, from a physical point of view. The employees learned stretch and warm up exercises, and the factory received a report on how to improve the ergonomic work conditions.
Winners: All employees
In recognition of: During 2020, with the global impact of COVID-19, safety and well-being has been at the forefront for all of us in a new way. Throughout the Atlas Copco Group world, our colleagues have done tremendous work to keep us safe and sound, and also often reached out a hand to families and communities. There are numerous individuals who have shown an outstanding commitment to tackling the COVID-19 crisis, as well as every employee who has had to change their way of working to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone. We therefore felt it important to recognize everyone’s contribution, no matter how small, in keeping us all safe and well.
