The transition to the 2010s was a turning point for safety development in the construction industry: the industry's central regulation was renewed and companies began to manage safety more systematically.
There has been enough to do and there will be enough in the future. The company's top management sets goals and metrics for occupational safety, but safety management still does not permeate the entire construction value chain.
"Not all companies have safety management as a part of the whole operation and, for example, from the perspective of psychosocial well-being, there is still a lot to do", Rakennusteollisuus RT's occupational safety expert Henri Litmanen says.
In construction safety management, it is essential that everyone understands that their own work affects the safety of others.
"Safety management is about building a culture, that is, management shows and works actively for safety. When the management wants it, then safety will be transferred downwards into practice all the way to the construction sites."
Safety must cover the entire life cycle of the building
When looking at a building as a product, architects and other designers play a key role in safety, because already in the design phase, many determinations that affect safety later are made. For example, those who work in procurement and accounting must also think about how their work affects the safety of others.
"How safe are the plans to implement? Does the frame need temporary support and is there enough space for it? How is dust control implemented and how safe is house maintenance? And we shouldn't forget the aspects of dismantling and the recyclability of materials either."
The big picture also includes reliable partners, whose task it is to take care of the competence of their own personnel.
Has the site material been given to the partner in good time and has it been inspected in advance? The language skills of employees is one of the biggest challenges, but fortunately it can be tackled nowadays with the help of various online training courses in language versions.
Safety is therefore concrete actions, each of which has its own responsibility and contribution to make.
"There is still room for improvement. It would also be great if the industry learned more about successes and good practices than is currently the case. There is a lot of data for that too," encourages Litmanen.
Text: Anna Kuronen
The article has been published on the rakennamme.fi website.