The competition between construction sites in the building industry for last year's safest site has been resolved. In 2023, there was a nationwide competition, and the order of superiority of the construction sites in the Varsinais-Suomen region was decided in connection with the national competition.
SRV Rakennus Oy's Monitoimijatalo Wintter site in Uudessakaupunki came third in the national "Safety starts with me" competition. With this achievement, we also won first place in our regional Occupational safety is professional competition. Hartela Länsi-Suomi Oy's site As Oy Turun Hygge came second in the regional competition, and Peab Oy's Oskarinpuisto 1 in Turku came third.
The same themes are repeated in the comments of the top three: reliable subcontractors enable a safe work site, continuous work to promote safety and the right attitude.
"Creating a safe construction site consists of very basic things, we haven't done any special magic tricks on the construction site," notes SRV Rakennus Oy's occupational safety manager Tapio Luoma.
Common site
SRV's people noticed at the Monitoimijatalo Wintteri construction site that creating an occupational safety culture on a large construction site was more challenging in a small town, than for example in Turku. "The rules of the game for workplace safety were made clear to contractors both in contract negotiations, kick-off meetings and contractor meetings. A big thank you for the good end result goes to all the workers at the site," praises Luoma.
Hartela also emphasizes the cooperation of different parties: "In tenders for subcontractors, we valued well-known and skilled workers and contractors, which promoted safety. We have also carried out active monitoring and quickly intervened in security deviations. The management's positive attitude towards safety has been a significant asset since the planning phase of As Oy Turku Hygge", praises Hartela Länsi-Suomi Oy's production director Tuomas Jääskeläinen.
"Throughout the construction period, 1-5 of Peab's own employees have worked at the construction site of Oskarinpuisto 6 in Turku. In addition, a large number of proven subcontracting companies have worked on the site. About 400 people have received an orientation at the construction site. It is not only our own personnel, but also the attitude of subcontractors that is important at our sites. Experienced and proven subcontractors and partners are responsible for work safety in the same way as Peab's own employees. This guarantees a good and safe end result", confirms Peab Oy's responsible foreman Jari Mettälä.
Continuous work for safety
"Peab implements many preventive measures to maintain and improve occupational safety. Occupational safety is monitored with a weekly TR measurement and electronic software is used to make safety observations. During the annual occupational safety week and other safety-themed events, personnel and partners are challenged and trained to think about occupational safety," continues Mettälä.
According to Luoma, occupational safety observations were also actively carried out at Wintter's site and care was taken to correct the grievances. The results of the previous week's TR measurements were reviewed in the contractor meetings and confirmation of the observations was encouraged. Security guards were also held both at the construction site and in meetings.
"On the Hygge site, a strong investment was made in maintaining and promoting safety in all phases of our project. At the construction site, special attention has been paid to safe access roads and care has been taken to ensure that the work stations are clean and safe. The work order and schedule of the construction site were planned so that there were no duplicated work, which reduced the safety risk," says Jääskeläinen.
Occupational safety requires the right attitude
At SRV, we believe in the exemplary safety of construction site officials: "The construction site looks like its workers. Safety equipment is always on at the construction site and safety deviations are dealt with at a low threshold. When we get everyone to commit to working safely, the safety level of the construction site will also improve," commented Luoma.
"The management's active intervention in deviations has accelerated the correction of potential safety risks and improved the general safety situation at the construction site. The site has also received recognition especially for its cleanliness. A clean and safe construction site offers a pleasant working environment for all parties involved in the project," describes Jääskeläinen.
"The good ranking of Oskarinpuisto 1 is an indication of the good attitude of the entire construction site towards safe construction. At Peab, our absolute goal is that every employee goes home healthy after a day at work," concludes Mettälä.
Results of the actual Finland regional competition 2023
| She shines | Site | TR measurement result |
| 1 | Multi-purpose building Wintteri, Uusikaupunki, SRV Rakennus Oy Responsible foreman Pasi Sailomäki Occupational safety and health commissioner Jussi Laakeristo | 97,6 |
| 2 | As Oy Turun Hygge, Turku, Hartela Länsi-Suomi Oy Responsible foreman Olli Salonen Occupational safety and health commissioner Minna Hovi | 96,1 |
| 3 | Turku Oskarinpuisto 1, Turku, Peab Oy Responsible foreman Jari Mettälä Occupational Safety and Health Commissioner Jere Hyvönen | 88,0 |
More information
Esa Laine, area of responsibility for occupational health and safety at the Regional Administration Office, esa.laine@avi.fi
Terhi Mäkinen, Union Pro, terhi.makinen@proliitto.fi
Jouni Ruotsalainen, Rakennusliitto ry, jouni.ruotsalainen@rakennusliitto.fi
Katja Suovo, Building Construction Industry Association, katja.suovo@rt.fi