During the course of nearly a year and a half, LBP Engineering managed the coordination of health and safety issues at the large greenfield project Diabetes Research House, constructed by Novo Nordisk. The project site totaled 16.500 sqm of offices, labs, canteen and atrium areas, and a large auditorium, all laid out in the shape of a horseshoe.

With the responsibility of managing health and safety came daily safety instructions, weekly safety review of the site, workplace and risk assessments. All of this in close cooperation with the building management team, Novo Nordisk’s health and safety counterparts, as well as on-site contractors. This was an absolute necessity, since roughly 250 contractors and 35 other employees frequented the site on a daily basis.

The combination of strict safety measures and many different professional competencies requires delicate managing, says Poul Erik Thomsen. Everyone needs to fit on the same construction site without putting each other at risk or being a nuisance to others because of noisy or smelly work routines like welding or epoxy treatment of floors.

“There are many ways in which to regard safety. In LBP, we have a pragmatic approach which builds on respecting different professions. As HSE managers, we are tasked with upholding a certain level of safety, without rules hindering progress unnecessarily. It is important to understand where compromise can be made, and where it certainly cannot. At its root, it’s about respecting other. If someone has forgotten his helmet, you can confront him in one way, or in another. I think it matters that many of us in LBP come from a practical background, and that we are a mixed crowd. It means, that we know what we need to be attentive of,” says Poul Erik Thomsen.