It is a fundamental right of each of us to return home from work healthy every day. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Despite the increasing attention paid to occupational safety, accidents still happen. And unfortunately, several fatal accidents occur in the construction industry every year.
In the development of occupational safety, much focus has been placed on supervision and sanctioning deficiencies. However, this has given occupational safety issues a negative echo and has undermined the effectiveness of education and guidance. The main implementers ask those performing the work to make occupational safety observations. However, those performing the work feel that making observations is pointless because they are not taken into account, and occupational safety is experienced only as remarks directed at them. For example, not wearing a helmet when you are crammed into a sink cabinet to turn on the tap or that a small piece of plastic waste has been left on the floor, while at the same time the route to the storage container in the yard can resemble a speed skating rink and a request to sand the yard is answered with an invitation to buy studded shoes. It is quite understandable that the person who is making the observations is not very enthusiastic about making observations because they feel that they are not useful or are not treated appropriately.
The examples mentioned above are hopefully extreme phenomena, but unfortunately they are real events. Instead of sanctioning and blaming, we should understand that occupational safety is a common issue for all of us and can only be improved by changing attitudes. When everyone commits to common rules and procedures, we can guarantee that everyone goes home healthy. This requires attitude training and change throughout the construction chain. Sometimes it seems that the main contractor does not need to care about the safety of subcontractors, as long as the subcontractor's representatives have the right personal equipment. It is time to transfer the fine speeches of management to the construction sites and find ways to make occupational safety a common issue for all of us, one that is treated with the same seriousness. This way, everyone will understand that it is all about our equal right to go home healthy and not just about rules made to annoy the contractor.
As I write this, we are still waiting for summer weather, but the holidays are approaching inexorably. It is also worth remembering safety issues during your free time, because accidents can happen at home or at the cottage just as easily as at work, if not more easily. Many accidents are often preceded by the thought: I'll quickly put that little thing away, nothing can happen.
You are just as likely to cut your finger during one sawing as you are during the tenth. I have personal experience of this from last summer working at the cottage. Luckily, we managed to get by with stitches, but it was a matter of luck that it didn't get more serious. Nowadays, I don't cut branches without logger's gloves. A good rule of thumb for all of us is: Think first, then act.
Happy summer everyone, remember to relax and be careful out there!
Mika Nikula
Chair
LVI-Technical Contractors LVI-TU ry
Write a comment