German companies’ sense of responsibility for accidents: Apologies needed even over the past 50 years

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Regardless of the **, it is inevitable for companies to make mistakes or even experience accidents, but the ways in which such accidents are handled vary greatly. When certain companies suffer major liability accidents, their first reaction is to suppress the news; and when it becomes impossible to hide it, they try to downplay the incident or make it seem less serious. A few years later, if anyone passes by here, they certainly won’t think that violent scenes once took place here; it seems as though nothing ever happened. However, in many parts of the world, in cases of serious liability accidents, it is absolutely unacceptable to turn sorrow into joy or to downplay such incidents. For example, in Japan, the media reports on such incidents without any restraint; the companies responsible keep apologizing endlessly, and their executives even resort to suicide as a way to atone for their mistakes. On May 27, 2011, a express train operating in Shikotan Village, Hokkaido, suddenly developed a malfunction inside a tunnel, followed by a fire on board. Although the passengers were able to evacuate in time, 36 people were still injured in the fire. Almost the entire 6-car train was burned down. After the incident, Hokkaido Railway Company issued repeated apologies, and its president, Nakajima Naotoshi, agreed to forgo three months’ salary. After the incident was resolved, President Nakajima left behind over ten suicide notes and then jumped into the sea to take his own life. The letter contained these words: \"I’m sorry for causing you trouble with work matters...\" To ensure that all employees of Hokkaido Railway Company remember this accident, the company has decided to keep the 6 carriages that were burned in the accident on May 27 as a warning. Compared to Japan’s approach to handling accidents, Germany has its own characteristics, which we will discuss in detail. Grünenthal’s Thalidomide incident: An apology is needed even after 50 years. On August 31, 2012, a bronze statue named “The Sick Child” was erected in the western German city of Stolberg. To the left of the bronze statue is a little girl without arms and with deformed legs, leaning against a chair; to the right is an empty chair (a seat reserved for the deceased). In the middle of the base of the statue, it says, “In memory of those who died and those who survived as victims of thalidomide.” This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Thalidomide incident. Eger, the initiator of the statue and also a victim of thalidomide, said that the idea for creating a statue honoring the deformed children and victims of thalidomide came to him during a visit to Nazi concentration camps in Berlin. He hopes to build a bridge of communication between the perpetrators and the victims. The cost of around 5,000 euros for creating the bronze statue was covered by the event organizer, the German pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline. At the statue unveiling ceremony on that day, Stock, the CEO of Gruntai Company, apologized on behalf of the company for the first time in 50 years to the victims for the congenital defects in newborns caused by its product thalidomide. Stoke said that GlaxoSmithKline regretted the consequences caused by thalidomide and asked for forgiveness from its victims. The origin of this incident dates back to the 1950s. In 1953, a Swiss pharmaceutical company was the first to synthesize thalidomide (also known as “Therapeutic Agent X”). However, for certain reasons, the company abandoned further research on it. Meanwhile, the German company Grünenthal began researching thalidomide, and in 1957 introduced a sleeping pill whose main ingredient was thalidomide. This sleeping pill is highly effective in alleviating pregnancy-related symptoms; it can effectively reduce nausea, vomiting, and other such symptoms that occur in the early stages of pregnancy. As a result, it was quickly introduced to the market in various European countries, Japan, Africa, and other regions, where it was used extensively. However, due to the unreliable toxicology data obtained from animal tests on this drug, it was not able to enter the U.S. market. By 1960, the abnormally high rate of birth defects in Europe attracted a lot of attention. Investigations have found that the incidence of neonatal malformations is related to thalidomide. Subsequent toxicological studies have also shown that thalidomide has a strong teratogenic effect on primates. In October 1961, seal-like fetuses caused by thalidomide were reported at a West German obstetrics conference, and it was estimated that between 1957 and 1961 this drug resulted in over 8,000 deformed fetuses. Back then, the sale of thalidomide was banned, but the drugs sold prior to that had already caused congenital defects in nearly 10,000 babies around the world. Many infants die shortly after birth, and those who survive must live with disabilities for the rest of their lives. This is the Thalidomide incident that shocked the world. In fact, Glantay also went through a difficult struggle regarding apologies. Previously, Grünenthal has repeatedly expressed regret over the tragedies caused by its products in public, but has never offered a clear apology. The company’s former president, Wirtz, said in 2007 that he was deeply sorry for what had happened to the victims of thalidomide, expressing great respect for them, but he did not issue a clear apology. In his apology, the current president, Stock, also argued that when developing thalidomide, Grunenthal relied on all the scientific knowledge available at the time as well as all the industry standards applicable to the testing of new drugs during the 1950s and 1960s. Since Glantec’s mistakes back then were due to limitations in knowledge and were in line with the industry standards for drug testing at that time, why is there still a need to apologize to the victims? President Stock said that what prompted Glanté to apologize was the shock at the fate of these victims. Therefore, without the efforts of the victims, Granite Company could not have become aware of their suffering; and without awareness of that suffering, it would have been impossible to awaken the conscience of the people at Granite. Although the accident occurred 50 years ago, a belated apology can also help heal the wounds in the victims’ hearts. BASF gas leak incident: Prompt disclosure of the truth to the public. On November 23, 2000, a gas leak occurred at the plant of Germany’s renowned BASF chemical company in Mannheim; the accident resulted in 90 people needing hospital treatment, including 74 children. Reportedly, the victims were all residents living near the factory, including 40 local middle and primary school students, a pregnant woman, and two police officers. The victims’ eyes, noses, and throats were irritated, and some also experienced vomiting. Following the gas leak, BASF took a number of measures in response: First, it disclosed the details of the incident as quickly as possible: at 4 a.m. on November 23, 2000, an interruption occurred during the distillation of a certain product, and the facility was shut down. Starting around 8:10 a.m., the employees cleaned the equipment with nitrogen. Unexpectedly, a few minutes later, an employee noticed that a mist known as aerosol was forming in the glass pipe leading to the exhaust gas scrubber. He immediately stopped cleaning, but did not realize that some of the exhaust gases had already been released into the atmosphere through the exhaust gas scrubber located in the adjacent building. The release of this information informed all residents in the city that the gas leak was only temporary and that it has now been effectively brought under control. If BASF fails to provide a clear explanation, and merely tells everyone that no more toxic gas is leaking and asks residents not to panic, will people believe it? Secondly, in addition to official monitoring, BASF also immediately sent its own monitoring vehicles to measure the toxic gases in the air. BASF’s experts also worked together with the **ad hoc emergency committee established by the city of Mannheim to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. Meanwhile, BASF and the city of Mannheim began making arrangements for a meeting with regard to the affected Sandhofen school, in order to inform parents, teachers, and students about relevant information and discuss follow-up measures. Third, BASF covers all the medical treatment costs for the patients, and has made available the mobile phone numbers of BASF’s doctors for 24/7 contact. The purpose of making doctors’ phone numbers available is, on the one hand, to allow potential patients to consult the doctors at any time, and on the other hand, to enable family members to easily keep track of the condition of inpatients. Only by adopting this approach can the emotions of patients and their families be stabilized, rather than through the suppression of information or unprincipled reporting by the media. The Eschede intercity train derailment: Choosing to remember, reflect, rather than forget. On June 3, 1998, an intercity train traveling from Munich to Hamburg suffered a serious derailment in the town of Eschede, resulting in 101 deaths and 105 severe injuries. The accident was caused by a fracture in the steel rim of a new type of wheel on the train, resulting from metal fatigue. As the train passed through a track change point, this damaged wheel came loose from the track. When it reached the next track change point, the fractured steel rim accidentally hit a control valve, which led to the rear carriages moving along different tracks from the front carriages. Eventually, the third carriage of the train collided with a pillar on the right side of a bridge, causing the bridge to collapse; all the subsequent carriages then collided with one another. After the accident, the German police and railway authorities carried out thorough investigations first, and made public the truth and details of what had happened. Immediately afterwards, Deutsche Bahn took corresponding technical corrective measures: it phased out the new type of wheels consisting of a rubber inner ring and an outer steel ring, and reverted to using the old-fashioned solid all-steel wheels. In addition to timely and transparent information disclosure, an important follow-up measure is the issue of compensation. In this regard, Deutsche Bahn has gone to great lengths. By 2001, Deutsche Bahn had paid a total of 42.7 million marks in compensation to the victims of the Eschede accident. Compensation continued thereafter, and by 2008, Deutsche Bahn had paid a total of 32 million euros in damages resulting from the accident, with further payments in the tens of millions of euros expected in the future. Three years later, a memorial park was established in Eschede, the site of the accident, to commemorate the 101 lives lost through the planting of 101 cherry trees. Every June, the month in which the Eschweiler accident occurred, the bright red cherry fruits and the lush branches complement each other, symbolizing the victims of the accident supporting and caring for one another. In the center of the memorial park, there is also a monument that is 8 meters long and 2.1 meters high; it bears the names of the 101 victims, along with their dates of birth and places of origin. Judging from the names of the deceased, many of them are from the same family. The inscription reads: May the deceased rest in God’s hands, and may those who are alive turn their grief into strength and unite closely together. On the side of the gate, the following words are inscribed: “On June 3, 1998, at 10:58, the ICE884 Renchen train suffered a serious derailment here. 101 people lost their lives in this accident; their families were devastated. Hundreds more were severely injured, and those injuries will accompany them for life.” In the face of this disaster, we see how insignificant and ephemeral humanity is, as well as our own shortcomings. Those selfless rescuers and local citizens set an example for us; they accomplished tremendous tasks and provided great help and comfort to others. Through their actions, we also saw unity and genuine human emotions in Eschede. ” After its official completion, Esherd Park attracts large numbers of visitors each year who come here to mourn and reflect. The purpose of building this park is: first, to commemorate the deceased; second, to keep people aware of the high-speed train accident and ensure it is not forgotten by history; third, to serve as a reminder for future generations; fourth, to prompt reflection; and fifth, to heal the wounds. It is worth mentioning that after the accident, the carriages were not discarded or buried; all the remains of the train were recovered by the railway company. Two of the carriages, along with 100 meters of track at the scene and 22 bogies, each weighing 8 tons, were retained as evidence required by the court. During the 5-year investigation and trial that followed the incident, these carriages were used by the investigating authorities for research and evidence collection. “After “retiring”, it usually stays at the German Railway Museum; during events, it becomes the most valuable “teaching material” in the exhibition. Germany’s approach to dealing with high-speed train accidents involves not only compensation, commemoration, and reflection, but also holding the relevant individuals legally accountable. Four years later, in August 2002, three suspects related to this technology of rubber-built-in wheels were brought to court. These three individuals are a department head at Deutsche Bahn, a member of the Federal High Committee for Railway Technology, and an engineer from a wheel manufacturer. However, 9 months later, the judge announced that the judicial proceedings against these three defendants were suspended; they were not held liable for any serious offenses, but were required to pay a compensation of 10,000 euros. Additionally, a conductor on the accident train who failed to pull the emergency brake in time was acquitted in September 2002. To date, those responsible for the German high-speed rail accident have completed the judicial process. As can be seen from the above cases, when faced with issues regarding liability for accidents, German companies neither conceal information to turn a tragedy into a success nor do they become panicked like in Japan to the point of committing suicide as an act of atonement. Instead, they approach their responsibilities with a rational mindset and treat the victims or customers with sincerity. By promptly disclosing available information, conducting thorough investigations, offering compensation when necessary, and reflecting deeply on their responsibilities, they manage to earn the respect and understanding of society. As a result, there is no emotional conflict among those involved in the accident, let alone any form of unrest or collective actions.