Work safely or not at all: Safety culture at Södra

We’ll talk about our work with Södra and how we’ve strengthened the safety culture by highlighting and encouraging safe behaviors in the workplace.

SUMMARY OF EFFORTS TO BUILD A STRONG SAFETY CULTURE

At Södra’s nursery in Flåboda, the decision was made to focus on traffic safety. They implemented measures such as speed limits, speed cameras, and new procedures for forklift and wheel loader operation. Through these changes, they aimed to create a safer work environment and make it easier for employees to follow safe work practices.

At the facility in Mönsterås, they focused on the handling of hazardous substances. Through workshops, they worked with employees to develop new work practices, such as carefully reviewing flow charts and implementing physical handoffs instead of digital ones. These changes helped reduce the risks associated with working with chemicals.

Södra’s leadership program aims to train managers to identify and reinforce safe behaviors, with the goal of always putting safety first and fostering a strong safety culture.

THE RESULTS

The results of these efforts have been very positive. Employees are discussing safety more frequently, identifying risks at an earlier stage, and collaboration between different professional groups has improved. The safety culture has been strengthened, and more employees feel involved in workplace safety efforts. At the same time, the number of accidents and near misses has decreased.

The webinar was broadcast on October 25, 2023, and is part of a project led byPreventin collaboration with the Industry’s Joint Working Environment Group, which includes the Swedish Association of Engineering Industries, Unionen, the GS Union, and the Swedish Association of Industrial Employers. The moderator was Erik Matton from the Behaviour Design Group.