SafeWork Center opened

"This center will bring pleasure to everyone who now avoids injuries", said Harald Eik when the center officially opened. 

The construction of a building that will house all safety-related training for employees and contractors has now been completed at our Nikkelverk refinery. The SafeWork Centre will further reinforce and symbolize the critical importance of safety for the more than 530 full-time employees and the more than 1,000 contractors who work at the site over the course of a full year.

Tom Michael Øksendal, Manager SafeWork Centre, tasked with leading the initiative, summarizes the driving force behind the SafeWork Centre: “We have had a sustained and strong focus on safe work at Nikkelverk for a long time, and we’ve made measurable strides. But we must continuously improve. So, Nikkelverk is investing in their people and constructing the SafeWork Centre – a location where all employees and contractors will build and shape their safety competencies and attitudes. It’s very motivating.”

The SafeWork Centre will aim to replicate the work environment of employees and contractors to re-create situations they will encounter around the site. Given the unique working environment of the Nikkelverk, the facility will be equipped with an industrial rig comprised of pipes and raised platforms to bring Glencore’s Fatal Hazard Protocols (FHPs) and Life-Saving Behaviours to life. For instance, the inside of the centre will reach a peak height of 13 metres, so that employees and contractors can apply the processes and procedures as outlined in Glencore’s FHP of Working from height – one of several FHPs applicable at the site. In fact, stations dedicated to each Life-Saving Behaviour will reinforce the hazards they need to focus on and the “critical behaviours” they should adopt.

“While the SafeWork Centre will capitalize on ‘learning-by-doing,’ we will take advantage of theoretical learning too. The entire safety training experience will be a blended experience all taking place under one roof,” says Tom Michael.

The team has collaborated with the University of Agder to develop the educational content, including defining the educational strategies, methods, and tools to be used. To make the experience as interactive as possible, the team will take advantage of new and advanced technology while training delivery will be assisted using film and animation.