Patera Oy’s supervisors and instructors have been supervising scaffolding safety and providing training in the field for more than seven years.
– We aim to be the best scaffolding safety experts in the country. Our supervisors are well trained and highly experienced: some of our personnel have been engaged in scaffolding work in industry, construction sites and large projects for over 25 years. We currently have three supervisors and, if necessary, we can get a fourth supervisor to join the team”, says Janne Parantainen, scaffolding safety instructor.
The scaffolding client is responsible for safety
A lot of attention today is paid to occupational safety in industry and on construction sites. It is no longer allowed to do installation work from a ladder, for example, but scaffolding is required. On the other hand, the vast increase in the use of scaffolding has led to accidents when scaffolding safety has not been completely in order. Scaffolding is usually trusted even if it had not been inspected.
The training and competence supervision of scaffolders is not subject to a licence or certification in Finland, unlike in Sweden, for example, where scaffolders must complete scaffolding work training. When adding this to the client’s statutory responsibility (Government Decree on the Safety of Construction Work 205/2009) for the safety of work performed on scaffolding and in its vicinity, we can see that the client’s position has become very challenging.
– The client has a huge burden. Of course, scaffolders are required to perform their work well, but according to the Regional State Administrative Agency’s statute interpretation, the ultimate responsibility lies with the client, as the party exercising primary control on the site is also responsible for the safety of scaffolding and maintaining its safety throughout its use. “Scaffolding clients should be aware of this in their risk management”, emphasises Janne.
– It is essential to verify the competence of the operators when ordering scaffolding for a shutdown or construction site. Scaffolding is often installed by the actual supplier’s subcontractor or several subcontractors, which makes it particularly difficult to manage the whole and verify professional skills.
Patera Oy offers help in this by training the client’s personnel to inspect scaffolding, and anticipate and detect risks.
– Once customers and persons responsible for occupational safety have been trained in how scaffolding must be constructed in accordance with the manufacturer’s operating instructions and legislation, they will be able to detect faults.
With a guiding approach
The high-quality expert service for scaffolding work includes the analysis of tenders in the scaffolding supplier selection phase, orientation of the employees of the company building the scaffolding, work management, and the supervision and inspection of working methods and occupational safety issues. According to Janne Parantainen, Patera Oy’s approach is based on guidance and advice.
– We are not going to snoop around, but we work in cooperation with the client and the scaffolding company to train the personnel on how to take into account matters affecting scaffolding safety. Companies in the scaffolding industry have also realised that it is beneficial to be able to prove that you are a reliable and safe partner in the industry.
For the scaffolding supplier, Patera Oy’s HSE supervisor can take care of internal control in scaffolding and insulation work and, at the same time, develop operating methods with regard to both the quality level and occupational safety. If the scaffolding supplier has more than 50 employees on the site, a procedure is often used in maintenance shutdowns in which the scaffolding supplier arranges internal HSE supervision for work and occupational safety and their development.
Needed services
Patera Oy’s customers include Finland’s largest forest industry companies.
– We arrange our customers’ orientation and develop the verification of scaffolding expertise. For Metsä Fibre Oy, for example, we supervise all of their annual maintenance shutdowns and train their personnel to become competent scaffolding service clients”, says Janne Parantainen.
– Over the years, our customers have purchased even more extensive service packages from us, so they consider our services necessary and reliable.
In addition to the supervision of extensive maintenance shutdowns, Patera Oy offers scaffolding safety services for the maintenance of individual sites, such as heating boilers.
– The customer can send us pictures of the scaffolding to be installed on the boiler in advance. Based on the pictures, we first comment on whether the scaffolding can be built as it is or whether it needs to be modified. Once the scaffolding has been installed on the boiler, we will visit the site to check it before anyone uses it.
Scaffolding work requires knowledge and skills
Patera Oy’s training is always tailored to the customer’s needs. All persons participating in the training receive information on responsibilities and principles in accordance with Government Decree 205/2009.
– In Finland, the installation of scaffolding has been considered an auxiliary task that can be done with little or no orientation. Fortunately, the situation has improved, and it has been noticed that this is an industry that requires special skills”, says Janne Parantainen.
– We train new employees entering the industry and update the competence of those already working there. We maintain contact with the Regional State Administrative Agency and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, so we have access to up-to-date information.
– Decree 205/2009 is currently being reformed, and as an expert organisation, we have been able to comment on the reform to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the National Board of Health and Welfare”, Parantainen says.
Services are developed in a customer-oriented manner
Janne Parantainen says that Patera Oy is currently developing scaffolding safety training to go even further.
– Further training is intended for people who already have one or two years of experience. There is also training in fall protection and rescuing someone who has fallen while wearing a harness.
One practical solution to reduce HSE notifications and accidents is attention sign bags for scaffolding parts, which Patera Oy has conceived and patented. Grey scaffolding parts are difficult to detect, so dents and scratches often occur, but high-visibility protective bags provide an inexpensive solution to make the parts easily visible to people moving around the area. The bag also protects against cuts and scratches caused by metal parts. The scaffolding supplier can order protective bags with their own logo from Patera Oy.
– This idea stemmed from our desire to solve our customers’ problems”, says Parantainen.
The article was published in Teollisuusuutiset 1/2021.
