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From Johannesburg to Berlin: Driving safety at the leading edge
For construction professionals there is often no such thing as a typical day in the life.
This certainly rings true for Leon Smit, EHS Lead with Mercury’s Enterprise Data Centre Business Unit. Originally from South Africa, he is based in Berlin, Germany where he works across two leading-edge data centre projects, and another data centre project in the Netherlands alongside Mercury’s wider teams to ensure the company’s powerful Work Safe, Home Safe culture is fostered by our people. He is passionate about guaranteeing the safe and efficient delivery of projects for valued clients.
Mercury’s approach to safety prioritises consistency and efficiency. Smit typically arrives to site at 7.30am and his days regularly involve several different meetings “with both the project manager and construction manager to update them on the project’s EHS progress, if there are any points of concern and if we need to get ahead of any emerging issues.” Leon also regularly holds meetings with the client team to present EHS updates and stats and plays a role in developing EHS approaches for each project. His work is not only client-focused but people-focused as well. He works with the wider project teams to ensure mental wellbeing and overall site welfare are prioritised.
“We understand that if our people are happy coming to work, they are more likely to give their best to the project every day. Some of our people may be working away from their families, so it’s important that there’s a positive culture in place.” Leon has first-hand experience of starting fresh in a new country when he left his native South Africa behind in the summer of 2022 to join Mercury. “Moving to Europe was a massive step for me and even though it has been an incredibly positive experience, I still had some culture shock.”
He is quick to admit that he didn’t originally envision himself working in safety. “I studied business management and worked in the corporate world for a few years, but I eventually realised that it wasn’t for me.” A relative pointed out the growing need for EHS professionals, “but even then, I had a perception that working in safety involved telling someone to put on their protective glasses and hard hat. It took me a while longer to realise it’s far wider ranging than that, with no two days ever the same.” His interest was sparked when he learned about the logistical and legal elements of the work and before long, he returned to education to study health and safety. In 2015, Leon Smit set up his own business, working for clients in the petrochemical, glass, and healthcare industries, conducting EHS risk assessments and developing plans in line with national safety regulations.
What was it that drew him to Mercury? After learning about the company and following a successful interview, Leon felt assured he was ready to make a bold push forward in his career. “I felt compelled to make the move to Europe because I wanted to lead safety on some of the most complex, cutting-edge projects at the forefront of the digital evolution.” Leon continues, “Personally, the chance to move to Germany was really exciting and most of all, Mercury’s commitment to being an industry leader in EHS made it an absolute no brainer.”
As a driving force of Mercury’s fundamental Work Safe, Home Safe culture, Leon relishes his role. “On a Mercury project, safety is everybody’s responsibility. Our goal is to leave work every day the exact same way that we arrived. I think what sets Mercury apart is that we do what we say we do, which can be rare.” He emphasises, “The support we receive from senior management and the wider team is incredible and the value of personal accountability helps ensure we can deliver safely to the client.”
Leading teams across projects is “exhilarating.” It is at once “really exciting as I love meeting new people, but also quite challenging.” Leon’s favourite part of the job is the fast-paced nature. Projects evolve quickly. “I’m not sitting in front of a laptop. We’re constantly on the go and working to provide solutions that will have a major impact on this city and bring benefits to its people. It’s highly rewarding.”
At Mercury, safety is embedded in our DNA. We understand that without our people like Leon, we are nothing. This is why our Work Safe, Home Safe culture prioritises personal accountability for all.
WORKSAFE | HOMESAFE
We are dedicated to achieving the highest possible standards of Health & Safety. Safety is embedded in our DNA, it is the Mercury way – from design to construction, commissioning, and handover – our safety processes ensure adequate coordination and communication to enable our projects to be constructed safely.
Our team understands that by sticking to the safe coordinated plan we can guarantee that our people get home safely to their families at the end of every day. Safety is personal and we intervene proactively to ensure compliance day by day and hour by hour. We respect our workforce, and they respect our management as an integrated team with a common goal – to get home safe each day. Through our Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) policies and procedures, we ensure an industry-leading project delivery every time and most importantly – the safety and wellbeing of all our employees.
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