• Civil responsibility must be reviewed if the accident was caused by non-compliance with the instructions and safety regulations issued or if the accident was caused by negligence of the agreed responsibilities.
  • The liability to punishment of an act or negligence under criminal law is examined by interpreting the Criminal Code of Finland and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
  • However, the most important thing in the prevention of accidents is the individual’s own actions, i.e., moral responsibility. By following the safe working and operating methods learned, the zero accidents principle is also implemented in practice.

LINE ORGANISATION: RESPONSIBILITIES AND OBLIGATIONS

Through the line organisation, the employer is responsible for ensuring that the university is a safe and healthy place to work and study for all of us.

Employer’s responsibilities

  • The university's management group, the deans of the schools and the department heads represent the top management, and they are responsible for ensuring that the university is a place of safe work. The top management defines occupational safety objectives and provides adequate resources for their implementation. The top management monitors the state of the work environment and the work community.
  • The infra board for the School of Arts, Design and Architecture and the course leaders (professors) represent the middle management. They are responsible for the development of the working environment and cooperation. The middle management ensures that the work instructions and training documents are up to date and that exercises are organised so that everyone can do their work safely and are aware of the school’s safety policies. The middle management monitors the state of the work environment and the work community.
  • Team leaders are close supervisors of workshop masters and represent the work management. Team leaders monitor compliance with instructions and safe working practices. The work management is responsible for organising training and work guidance. Team leaders monitor the status of the work environment and the work community on a daily basis.
  • The workshop masters are responsible for running the daily life of the student workshop. They are responsible for training the students and providing work guidance. The task of the workshop masters is to continuously monitor the state of the work environment and the work community. They ensure that instructions and safe working methods are followed during practical assignments.

Student’s obligations

  • When working in the workshops, follow the given instructions and regulations and use the necessary protective equipment.
  • It is everyone’s duty to remove an identified hazard without delay. If the hazard cannot be eliminated, warn others, and inform the staff immediately.
  • Students may not remove or deactivate protective equipment without permission from the workshop master.
  • Do not remove instructions or warning labels for equipment and facilities.
  • Students have the right to observe their work environment and refrain from doing dangerous work. Notify the staff immediately if you detect hazardous work or working conditions.

Hazards at work and in the working environment

Mechanical: Moving machine parts, falling objects, tripping and falling.

Physical: Noise, vibration, heat conditions, radiation sources and lighting.

Chemical: Mineral dust, metals and their compounds, organic dust, gases, organic compounds, heavy metals and solvents.

Health: Physical coping, mental coping, ergonomics and stress, and job/ study satisfaction.

Biological: Spores from mould fungi, bacteria and viruses.

Organisational: Conflicts, bullying, lack of communication, competence and risk-taking.


Practical observations on hazards present at the workshop

  • Bad organisation.
  • Goods are kept in corridors and on passageways.
  • Leftover material in the workstation.
  • Rush.
  • Lack of competence.
  • Using incorrect working methods.
  • Using machine tools against the given instructions.
  • Clothing and jewellery unsuitable for work. Long hair kept loose, baggy clothing, torn sleeves and trousers, scarves, ties, jewellery, wrist watches and similar pose a risk of entanglement and burns.
  • Insulation on an electrical cable is damaged, or an electrical cable has been pulled over a passage way.
  • Machine tools and their surroundings are not cleaned before or after work is started.
  • The machine tool is not stopped when temporarily leaving it.
Last modified: Friday, 19 February 2021, 10:39 AM