PRAGMATIC APPROACH IN FOUL WEATHER

WHERE?

Nørre Alslev, Denmark

WHEN?

April 2014 – December 2016

CLIENT

Kriminalforsorgen, the Danish Prison and Probation Service

LBP FEE

App. 3,900,000 DKK

LBP SERVICES

HSE management
Construction site coordination

TAGS

Testing & qualification HSE

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For LBP Engineering coordinating work environment and safety issues on a construction site is very much a question of pragmatism – even more so when the weather is foul.

The Storstrøm Prison opened its gates in 2017 on 29 hectares close to the town of Nørre Alslev in Southern Denmark. The prison is the most secure facility of the Danish Prison and Probation Service. During its construction, safety and worker security was also a keystone. LBP Engineering contributed to this as HSE managers and thus the building owner’s representative on-site, with both feet firmly on the ground. Those feet needed to be covered by wellies, mind you.

The construction process took place during several wet seasons, including quite a lot of snow during the Winter. This meant that the construction site, placed in the middle of an old plow field, was frequently transformed into a mudhole.

“The weather played a very tangible role in our work there. Whenever we laid out gravel to create proper construction roads, it would wash away in minutes. This meant that site workers would have to wade through thick mud. It necessitated a closer cooperation with the building owner as well as the Danish Working Environment Authority. Roads were rebuilt, certain areas were fenced off, and trackway plates were distributed in places where heavy machinery made it necessary,” explains LBP HSE manager Anja Wissum.
The weather, the very large site area, no less than 17 contractors, and many different professional competencies on-site required much work from LBP in terms of coordination.

“It is unusual to have so many contractors spread out over such a large area. If many different professions are represented on the same construction site, it is legally defined as a common area, which makes health and safety issues the responsibility of the building owner, which in turn means me as HSE manager. But then, who does what? Who is responsible for fencing areas off, guaranteeing safe passage, or the removal of scaffolding? Thankfully, we were able to clearly define all areas of responsibility by interacting well with the building owner, authorities, and contractors,” says Anja Wissum.

“When communicating with contractors, our general approach has been inquisitive rather than instructive. We try to be accessible at all times, and we try to explain and motivate why and how different rules should be applied. The trick is to understand the working processes of each contractor. Some regulation is unnecessarily complicated, and if it doesn’t make sense in a particular case, then it shouldn’t be applied. If, for instance, it is straining on the neck to wear a helmet while laying a new floor, there is no point in decreeing that helmets must be worn everywhere in that building. You have to make exemptions from the rules, although obviously not if they present an actual safety hazard. That is the pragmatic approach we choose. Certainly, it requires a lot more coordination and supervision, and that is only possible if you are present and visible on-site,” says Anja Wissum.

For LBP Engineering coordinating work environment and safety issues on a construction site is very much a question of pragmatism – even more so when the weather is foul.