When working internationally, it is important to always know how to act professionally and within the rules of a particular workplace ethic. This is surely applicable to the upholding of health and safety regulations on large construction sites. One example of this comes from LBP Engineering’s work at Novo Nordisk’s grounds in Kalundborg, Denmark. The leading global healthcare company were building a new factory in the range of 2 billion Danish kroner, and Austrian industrial services provider Bilfinger were on site in numbers with around 100 workers from seven nations.

“It is always nice to be able to help an inter- national company do well in Denmark. We had people on the construction site from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, many countries. They typically come here with a different perspective, a different professional background, and therefore we need to explain precisely how Danish working environment rules are constructed,” explains LBP project manager, Poul Erik Thomsen.

“We always begin with an introductory safety instruction involving every new person on the construction site. Here, we explain that in Denmark we do things this or that way, and do you have any questions? We usually apply a very pragmatic approach, because in our experience that will always get you the furthest,” says Poul Erik Thomsen.

LBP’s core task at the Novo Nordisk site was workplace safety coordination between Bilfinger employees and other contractors on site. Additionally, LBP were in charge of assembling risk management and workplace assessments in both German and English as well as partaking in construction and workplace safety meetings and also procurement on behalf of Bilfinger. However, LBP’s scope was originally quite different, as Poul Erik Thomsen explains.

“This project highlights how we in LBP Engineering are able to cover many professional areas and are agile enough to take on most challenges. We were originally hired for construction management, workplace and safety management and facility supervision. At the same time, Bilfinger were selected to deliver all clean utility elements of the new factory building. On one of our many coordinating meetings, Bilfinger then asks if anyone is familiar with Danish health and safety regulations, since they are on the lookout for a health and safety manager for their part of the project. I then raised my hand. I think that this story underlines the width of our services and how we are never afraid to take on a task if we think that we can solve is efficiently,” says Poul Erik Thomsen.