Enersense PN has actively promoted occupational safety by means such as videos related to Fingrid’s Think Before You Act campaign. Joni Parkkinen, Vice President, and Tomi Salonen, Site Manager, discuss how they keep this important subject at the forefront in their everyday work.
1. How does Enersense PN inspire people to work in the interests of occupational safety?
“The first thing we need to do on the worksite is create a good team spirit. Employees feel more committed to the jointly agreed rules when we act openly and fairly. If ever there are occupational safety shortcomings of any size, we always intervene effectively,” Salonen summarises.
“A proactive culture of safety, everyone’s responsibility, identifying hazards, and assessing risks are a good place to start. We give feedback whenever we observe safe or unsafe activity,” Parkkinen adds.
2. What has been the hot topic in occupational safety recently?
“Fingrid’s Think Before You Act campaign has inspired us to be active. These four words carry a lot of weight. On the worksite, we have communicated this message onwards by being less hurried, thinking more deeply about what we are doing, and considering how our work can affect others. We also assess whether we have the right tools, resources and other requisites for the work,” Salonen says.
“One good example is our Out of Hand campaign, which began last year. Hand injuries often account for a significant proportion of all accidents and near misses. That is why we focused on that specific area,” Parkkinen says.
3. What is your practical occupational safety tip?
“It is important to respond immediately and effectively to comments and initiatives that improve safety. This ensures we continue to receive suggestions and comments from the field and working groups in the future. We have also rewarded the people who take the most initiative on worksites. A good team spirit is built up with small weekly competitions that are not directly related to occupational safety but promote the idea of wellbeing and enjoying being together. When we share moments together, we also talk about safety, and sometimes we come up with good new practical tips for improving our everyday work,” Salonen says.
“Pre-planned safety toolbox talks are held according to an annual schedule, covering important and relevant themes. They are a great way of inspiring new ideas and adding to our proactive culture of occupational safety,” Parkkinen says.
