Safety successes can and should be shared - and learned from. Consolis Parma's CEO Hannu Tuukkala's blog post is the sixth in a series where company management representatives reflect on what makes a safe and prosperous construction industry.
We live in a new kind of world, where the security operating environment changes quickly and sometimes unpredictably. In particular, the unstable world situation has awakened organizations to think about preparing for risks, managing continuous improvement and preparing for exceptional situations.
Taking care of people's health and safety plays a prominent role in the day-to-day life of the precast concrete manufacturer, and safety management is actively developed both at the international group level and at the local land company level.
The foundations of safety management have been cast in a safety-supporting management system with clear goals. Health and safety is also anchored as a strong foundation of the company's strategy.
We think that people are only on loan from their loved ones, friends and pets. It is our duty to ensure that each of our employees can be "returned" healthy and strong to their most important employees at the end of the working day.
Let's talk about safety
Timely, open and transparent communication is a key part of safety management. Health and safety matters are presented at every meeting held in the company. That is, in every meeting and as the first topic on the agenda.
The monitoring of the implementation of safety measures, close-up situations and safety observations are actively and regularly communicated. Every employee of the company must have up-to-date information on the security situation. However, it is also important to tell about various achievements and actions that increase safety, and to celebrate successes.
When I visit our locations, I always reserve time for a walking tour of the office and the factory. I want to show each of our professionals how important it is to talk about safety and that it is a truly important matter for company management.
Very often, these conversations with employees are the absolute best part of the day. These "Mats and Maijas" tell their stories very openly and it seems that sometimes it is even difficult to get a turn when the topic is common and important to everyone. Good leadership in these situations is also knowing how to listen.
Let's stop and intervene
For a couple of years now, our safety theme has been summed up in the phrase "Don't walk by". Don't walk past, stop and intervene. Such a low intervention threshold principle is a clear message to the entire staff that we want to prevent accidents by creating a common zero-accident culture, where everyone can take care of not only themselves but also their coworkers.
The lowering of the absence threshold can be seen both in offices and on the floor level of factories. The number of safety discussions initiated by employees reached a new record in the summer, and the direction is really good.
How are you? Really?
People's resilience has been put to the test in the industry recently, when the economy is difficult and flexibility is needed in rapidly changing situations of change. We emphasize the early intervention of a low threshold when work load factors appear in the person's performance as various weak signals.
It is easy for anyone to intervene in dangerous work practices or, for example, the use of protective equipment according to the rules of the game. Genuine caring for a co-worker is also to intervene in various observations about coping, if something in the employee's activities deviates from the norm.
Not being able to cope at work is strong safety work, because working with heavy machines, equipment and concrete elements requires constant vigilance and a high state of alertness.
Safety first
None of us wants to share information about a serious injury to loved ones, let alone send a condolence message to the employee's home. I have personally seen how serious work accidents affect close colleagues, supervisors and the work community.
A serious accident always stops the entire work community, and during the investigation of the accident, people feel guilty about what happened. What could I have done differently? Why did this happen? A serious accident is the hardest possible reminder of how important safety work is. Safety comes first
RT's safety group ended up challenging people working in management positions in the construction industry to share their own vision and experience about why safety must be managed, by what means, and what good it brings. Through the challenge, we want to send a message to the entire construction industry that good management plays a decisive role in promoting occupational safety and well-being.
Hannu Tuukkala, CEO of Consolis Parma, took up the challenge sixth.
Previous blog posts:
- The first challenge: Riku Patokoski, CEO of Bonava Suomi Oy
- Another challenge: Hartela's director of land acquisition and housing development, Johanna Palosaari
- The third challenge: Risto Kivi, Const's branch manager
- Fourth challenge: YIT's Infra segment manager Aleksi Laine
- Fifth challenge: Lujatalo CEO Mikko Hollmén
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