The online training for scaffolders developed by Patera was in use during our customer’s annual maintenance shutdown in the spring. The customer wanted to ensure that scaffolders coming to work in the shutdown were familiar with the Finnish requirements for scaffolding installations.
The orientation also ensures that foreign scaffolders know how to install scaffolding correctly in Finland – eight different language versions make this possible. As site safety improved, the customer also wanted to respond to the legal requirement of taking into account factors related to the employees’ personal abilities to work (Occupational Safety and Health Act 738/2002) and who is allowed to install scaffolding in Finland (Government Decree 205/2009).
Feedback on the orientation
The training data collected from the annual maintenance shutdown in question is interesting to read, considering that everyone who completed training and was about to perform scaffolding work in the industrial annual maintenance shutdown had probably done scaffolding work before:
- 134 workers, of whom
- 117 passed the practical final test
- 17 failed (nearly 13%)
There are three attempts to pass the test, after which the course will guide the person to acquire additional training. For those who did not pass the orientation, the customer decided on a case-by-case basis whether to reopen the course. The feedback we received after the shutdown was great to hear: “Scaffolding has never been in such good condition before.”
Made for customer needs
To the best of our knowledge, there is no similar training product that verifies scaffolders’ practical familiarity with the Finnish requirements for scaffolding work also in practice, not only in theory. The product was developed on the basis of the customer’s wish when a procedure was needed in the field to ensure the actual familiarity and competence of scaffolders coming to the site. How can you, as a client, actually know what kinds of skills the scaffolding company’s scaffolders have when they arrive at your site? However, as a client, you should know this.
Minimise risks and be a responsible operator
The scaffolding manufacturers’ installation and operating instructions note that “local legislation must always be observed”. In other words, scaffolding cannot be made in Finland solely in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions, but Finnish legislation imposes separate regulations for installations, which have been taken into account in the orientation. The client will have an orientation document that can be used to verify that the persons have completed the training. With online training, you can easily verify the competence of your scaffolders so that you do not unknowingly allow incompetent people to work on your site, which in the event of a potential unfortunate accident allows you to avoid, or at least minimise, your personal risk of becoming accused of a possible occupational safety violation.
👆 Ask more or request a demo of the product.
Author:
Janne Parantainen
Scaffolding safety expert
+358 40 554 5889
janne.parantainen@patera.fi
