Former F-16 pilot Rudi Thoelen and communications expert Werner Couck join forces in the ‘Focus On Target’ (FOT) project. Their mission: to drastically reduce the number of occupational accidents in the transport and logistics sector by strengthening the focus and alertness of employees.
The initiators start from a striking angle: the mental and physical discipline of a fighter pilot. Just like in the cockpit, a small mistake in a logistics environment can have major consequences. Thoelen translates his experience with stress management and breathing – themes from his book ‘breathing power’ – to practical workshops on the work floor.
Couck emphasizes attitude formation within companies. “Safe behavior is not a one-time campaign, but a culture,” he says. FOT therefore offers a structural program with evaluation, reward and repetition, supported by data and digital tools.
“According to our information, almost 200,000 occupational accidents were reported in Belgium in 2023,” the initiators say. “The transport and logistics sector is one of the sectors with a high accident risk. In the sector, truck drivers and logistics workers are most often involved in serious accidents. The need for this initiative is therefore real.”
