A full year without accidents today for Posiva

A full year without accidents is quite an accomplishment – and considering the scale of Posiva’s project, certainly not a given. Particularly so, as last year was a very hectic period in this project which can be considered a true large-scale endeavour even in the scale of the Finnish industrial history. This is due to the significant number of ongoing installation and testing activities during the finishing stage of the facilities. In other words, entities which, as a rule, are quite critical in terms of occupational safety.

Zero with no exceptions

Indeed, the zero level can only be achieved provided even the most minor slip and falls in the car park can be eliminated. These tend to be also in Olkiluoto the most common cause of injuries and the Finnish weather conditions create a bit too favourable conditions for such accidents. Poikolainen admits that efforts have been invested in safety – and in a very comprehensive manner.

– We have focused a lot of efforts on preventative activities and safety communication. Also, we have discussed safety significantly more than before in our organisation, Poikolainen elaborates.

He adds that this year, for example, the possibility of each Posiva employee to make an impact on safety on their own level as well as on the level of their department and the company was brought up in every development discussion.

– This generated a whole bunch of good suggestions for action for us, Poikolainen continues.

Prevention leads the way

Listening to Poikolainen, it becomes clear that several small streams have made quite a big river already.

– In the spring, we arranged a specific safety seminar together with the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland, and we have also prepared quite a few new procedures to develop safety, Poikolainen goes on listing actions.

And Poikolainen can provide also numerical facts to substantiate what he is saying:

– We have conducted about 2,000 assessments of work-related risks. Furthermore, more than 1,500 safety observations have been recorded at Posiva annually, which shows clearly how preventative work is prioritised. And of course, prevention is the very key to building safety.

The significance of a zero-accident year is by no means diminished by the fact that in addition to Posiva’s own personnel of about one hundred, the final disposal company has employed about the same number of subcontractors during the year. The accident counter would have been reset by any accident sustained by anybody involved in Posiva’s activities in any of the company’s business locations.

– Safety has been highlighted just as strongly also with our subcontractors and thanks for this must go to all our partners, he gives praise.

Thank you, but…

A year without any accidents is certainly a good accomplishment, and something everybody can be proud of, but Poikolainen wishes to emphasise that as far as safety is concerned, we are never ready – and we must not feel complacent about the current situation.

– Safety needs to be earned again, every day. Personally, I believe that every accident can be prevented, but it requires that also going forward, we must all take an active role and observe the spirit of continuous improvement, he points out.

And the fact that there were none of the slip and falls referred to above – which top the list of all injuries – among Posiva’s people is no coincidence either. Because the company bought non-slip shoes to all the employees.