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Well planned is half done - safety on site

By Peikko’s blog team

September, 26, 2017

The Tripla urban development project in the Pasila district in Helsinki is one of the biggest and most challenging construction projects currently ongoing in Finland. It is an area of three blocks that will include a hotel, residential and office buildings, and a shopping mall. One part of the work is the demolition and reconstruction of the Pasila railway station. The Safety Manager of the project, Erno Martin who works for the main contractor YIT Rakennus Oy, points out what safety on site actually requires.

What does your work as the Safety Manager in Tripla include?

I work with a safety team of 18 members. We are responsible for safety on site, as well as fire safety and offering basic safety training for new workers. The work of the team includes planning, monitoring, guidance and reporting. Training plays a vital role as all the workers need to be aware of the rules on the site. All the site protection and guide signs are designed by my team. I am also responsible for safety communication, reporting to different stakeholders, and all safety related information issues.

What is a safety site like?

The most important thing in the site safety is a thorough planning prior to work. Well planned is half done. Everything in the site needs to be clear, functional and easy to understand for all parties. Guidance and continuous monitoring of the site is important, and whenever there are deviations from the rules, corrections must be made immediately.

What makes Tripla exceptional site from a safety point of view?

All the sites are challenging in their own ways. However, the railway station area in Pasila continues to be open for the public even when the demolition work is ongoing. Therefore, it is vital to plan carefully beforehand with all the participating units and parties. As there are third parties involved continuously, the instructions and signs on the site play a very important role. Most of the work is done during the night when there is less traffic and the high-voltage is turned off.

Continuous communication is also needed. For improving communication there are several information meetings: weekly safety quarters, reporting and measuring. The workers on the site have a crucial role in reporting any safety concerns and giving improvement suggestions.

What kind of previous experience you have of collaborating with Peikko?

Previously I worked in the safety team of YIT Group, and my work included frequent visits to construction sites, for example the Matkakeskus Travel Centre in Lahti. During those visits I became familiar with many of Peikko’s solutions, and I find them well-designed and developed. Even if the price might first appear high, Peikko is able to create long-term cost savings for the project. Using COLIFT Mounting System in the demolition work of the Pasila station was new to me, but our team received very good instructions and hands-on guidance from Peikko.

How, in your opinion, do Peikko’s solutions enhance safety on the Tripla site?

Peikko’s solutions enable doing a big part of the work off-site. This means saving time and increasing security on site. For instance, additional propping is not needed which reduces safety risks. As the schedule of the project is very tight, timing is crucial. Well-designed solutions that are thoroughly planned prior to work reduce risks when the work needs to be completed quickly and there is no room for errors. Thus, the work can be done safely and the end product is of high-quality.

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