Liability and safety in focus - clear words from Kenny Decruyenaere (Claeys & Engels)

Free Lunch & Learn at Blue Gate Training Center Antwerp - Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025

In the port of Antwerp, where reachstackers, empty container handlers and forklifts run day in and day out, everyone knows: one fraction of inattention can have major consequences. But what if things go wrong? Who then really bears the responsibility?

Retrieved from Tuesday, December 9, 2025 invites SBM executives, prevention consultants and logistics managers to a free Lunch & Learn in the Blue Gate Training Center Antwerp. Central theme: Work accident - liability and responsibilities of employer and hierarchy.

More than a theory: insights from practice

Keynote speaker Kenny Decruyenaere, partner at Claeys & Engels, shares his experience from dozens of cases involving serious workplace accidents. Not as a lawyer in abstract terms, but with real-life examples.

“Employers often don't realize what their responsibilities really entail until after an accident,” says Decruyenaere. “Yet you can avoid a lot of misery with the right knowledge and preparation.”

During his session, he unravels step by step Where legal liability begins and ends, and how the hierarchical line co-responsible for safe workplace behavior.

Port, logistics and mobile work equipment: risks requiring customization

In the port industry and logistics sector, mobile work equipment a constant source of risk. A wrong maneuver with a reachstacker, an inattentive forklift driver at the stuffing or stripping of containers, or a poorly maintained AWP - these are situations that come up daily.

Therefore, SBM offers not only standard training through Blue Gate, but also custom pathways that match the reality of each business.

An example?
The forklift training in small groups, where each student receives personal guidance, is proof of that. Safety does not become a theory here, but a reflex.

Lunch, learn and experience

During the networking lunch participants can not only share experiences, but also live demos follow around safety sensitization, digital extinguishing units, VR training and innovative learning solutions. This makes safety tangible and current.

In addition, SBM states its broad training offer for:

• Mobile work equipment (forklift, reachstacker, empty container handler, stuffing and stripping, etc.).
• VCA and BA4/BA5
• Asbestos and hazardous materials
• First aid and firefighting
• Code 95 refresher courses
• Customized and in-company trainings

A port that wants to move forward trains today

In the competitive reality of the Port of Antwerp, every minute counts. Downtime costs money. But an accident costs much more - human and financial.

This is why more and more companies in the region are choosing structural safety training at SBM. Not just to comply with legislation, but to better protect their people.

Lecturer Jonas Van Eeckhout speaking:

"In our three-day basic forklift training, each student gets extra practice, small-group instruction and customized guidance. This way you learn to drive with confidence and safety is always paramount.”

Participate for free? Register now

The Lunch & Learn is free, but places are limited.
SBM Blue Gate Training Center, d'Herbouvillekaai, 2000 Antwerp
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
As of 10:45 a.m. - including lunch and hands-on demos