Lindström’s Health & Safety management now certified with ISO 45001

The safety of our employees is deeply embedded in our We Care culture; the well-being of our employees and our work community is a matter of honour for us. We believe in treating all people equally and guaranteeing them safe working conditions, and we work to ensure this every day. Therefore, in 2022, we took steps to enhance our Health & Safety management, and have now certified the Lindström Management System with ISO 45001, the internationally recognised standard for occupational health and safety management.  

We have a long history of developing occupational safety practices throughout the company. This work is guided by our harmonised Management System, and in addition, there are laws, regulations, and other guidelines in place for a safe workplace. So far, we have been relatively successful; in 2022, we avoided all fatal accidents at work. Our injury rate in the same year was 6.7, and the sick leave was at 5% (4.3) indicating a slight but concerning increase. We aim for zero accidents, and we are taking active steps to promote a Zero Accidents mindset in our everyday work and actions, while also aiming for zero occupational diseases.

We are serious about improving employee safety   

Lindström operates in 22 countries in Europe and in Asia. Even though the countries we operate in are quite different from one another, our operating methods are largely uniform amongst all of them. Our Management System ensures that the same guidelines are followed everywhere, ensuring that our customers receive the same high-quality experience from one location to another. Harmonised processes also ensure that our employees can work in the most efficient and safest way. In occupational safety and its development, we utilise continuous improvement models, as well as clear and comprehensive guidelines.  

ISO 45001, the International Standard for occupational health and safety, provides a framework for us to help increase safety, reduce workplace risks even further and enhance the work-life balance of our employees. It will be our tool to ensure that good practices for health and safety are adopted in all our locations, and that we work to reduce risks and accidents as well as create a healthy workplace throughout the countries where Lindström operates.  

Encouraging every Lindströmer to adopt a safety-first mindset

We set annual focus areas for our health & safety work based on accident reports, safety observations and audit findings and by following up the working environment. In 2022, we focused on preventing slips, trips and falls, promoting traffic and commuting safety and ensuring the well-being of white-collar workers in the hybrid working mode. These topics continue to be in focus in 2023 as well, and our work covers all Lindström employees and outsourced partners in our maintenance or delivery service. When necessary, we cooperate with insurance companies and other external partners to build a safe and healthy working environment.

Our employees and other stakeholders are invited to take part in the continuous improvement of health and safety at work. In 2022, we introduced a mobile tool for reporting safety observations in addition to reporting them to the management system via line managers – this way, everyone working at Lindström premises is invited to take action on ensuring a safe workplace for all. But the work to switch the mindset from reactive, accident-driven safety thinking to preventing and ensuring safe practices from the start continues, and here, the safety observations and active reporting and collection of them will be of help.

“I am calling out to every Lindströmer to take action and help make safety a priority for the whole company. Please make safety observations, at least one, this year! Only by voicing your improvement ideas, we can make Lindström an even safer workplace for all!”

“I am calling out to every Lindströmer to take action and help make safety a priority for the whole company. Please make safety observations, at least one, this year! Only by voicing your improvement ideas, we can make Lindström an even safer workplace for all!”

Harri Puputti, Director of Quality & Compliance, who leads Lindström’s Health & Safety work

In 2022, the number of reported safety observations was 3,893 (3,152). For 2023, the aim is bold, to encourage Lindströmers each to report a safety observation. We hope that each Lindströmer adopts the “safety first” attitude, preventing and minimising all accidents before they happen. My hope is that this will become a reality sooner rather than later because every cut, bruise or accident is one too many. We Care for our people in every way.

A safety observation is an event that does not cause personal injury or property damage but involves a risk of an accident at work. E.g., small wounds and bruises are a safety observation if they do not require intervention by a healthcare professional or sick leave.