On 5 October, a ’stand-down’ was implemented at over 60 workplaces across Sweden in a demonstration for safety and working environment. Well over 3000 people gathered at construction sites and offices to draw attention to safety."
"Everyone should come home from a day at work at our workplaces”, said Lena Erixon, Director General of the Swedish Transport Administration, at the Mälarbanan stand-down in Kallhäll.
There were strong feelings when all work stopped at precisely 13:00 at over 60 of the Administration’s workplaces across Sweden. Construction vehicles went quiet, tools were put aside and computers put into standby mode. The assembly was opened with a story about an accident. In many locations, the participants heard about Magnus, who caught sight of a 100-ton locomotive rushing towards him as he was clearing snow from the tracks at a station in central Sweden in February. At several places, stories were told that were linked to people’s own workplaces.
"The stories were told to get everyone to stop in their daily lives, sharpen their senses, and think carefully. ’What risks are there in my work, and how can I influence safety for myself and my colleagues?’”, asked Karin Palmblad, head of safety at Major Projects and project manager for the stand-down.
The stand-down then continued with topical information on the working environment, and a minute of silence in which participants honoured those who experienced accidents, or even lost their lives, at their workplace. Over the last few years, six people were killed in accidents in the construction industry in Sweden. Every week, approximately three serious accidents occur. The last half of the 15-minute assembly was then used by many workplaces for discussion and dialogue concerning measures for improved working environments.
Towards zero accidents
For the third year in a row, the stand-down was organised by the Swedish Transport Administration. The event has grown every year, and has been carried out since 2014 as one of 16 activities in an industry-wide programme of action to reduce the number of accidents. “Tillsammans mot 0 olyckor i anläggningsbranschen” (Together towards zero accidents in the construction industry) is an arrangement the Administration has with the Swedish Construction Federation (with 3,100 member companies) and the Swedish Federation of Consulting Engineers and Architects (with 715 member companies). The heads of all three organisations took part in the Mälarbanan stand-down project.
But safety and the working environment are not just an issue for construction projects. The stand-down is a good way to stop and pay attention to safety and the working environment regardless of operation, and the event can be adapted to every workplace. New this year, for example, is that several traffic centres stopped work for a while for a stand-down.
(Source: Trafikverket)
