A Year of Maintaining Occupational Safety
The occupational safety representatives at Ouneva Group have experienced a relatively calm year. We discussed the past year and future development projects with the occupational safety representatives.
There’s Always Something in Progress
In recent years, significant strides have been made in occupational safety activities, and in 2024 the representatives have had a somewhat more relaxed pace, with a focus on maintaining the good level. However, there’s been no resting on laurels. Matti, the safety representative at Alsiva, mentions that his projects have included noise reduction efforts. Together with the production staff, they’ve explored ways to reduce noise, such as in vibratory grinding processes. Individual improvements have also been made at grinding workstations, for instance.
At Ouneva, Tiina has also been addressing noise reduction. Production layout changes have been made in the automated cable lug processing area, and new, quieter machines have been procured. Meanwhile, at Valukumpu, Leo has worked with the automation department to enhance the safety levels of automation cells for new injection molding machines. Additionally, a new washer for metal parts has been introduced in mould maintenance, reducing exposure to cleaning chemicals.
At Jotwire, Marko explains that the safety team has carried out noise measurements in production and addressed any small deviations identified.
Looking Ahead
Continuous improvement has always been at the core of Ouneva Group’s operations. While the use of personal protective equipment is already at a good level, the occupational safety representatives particularly emphasize the importance of hearing protection. Some production areas are noisier than others and remembering to wear hearing protection when transitioning from quieter to noisier environments can sometimes be challenging. The safety representatives are considering how to make hearing protection a fully natural part of everyone’s daily routine.
We also discussed what the future of occupational safety activities at Ouneva Group might look like. Through a shared strategy, we aim to establish unified practices across all occupational safety activities. The safety team is already excited about setting up regular meetings and factory visits with a focus on occupational safety.
In September, we held a shared occupational safety day, during which the entire Group engaged in discussions on safety-related themes. The representatives consider this shared day important and were pleased to have meaningful conversations with staff on the topic.
Everybody deserves a safe working environment, and together we are working towards safer and smoother work days!