Harju Elekter has been using VITS for approximately a year, primarily for reporting dangerous situations. The group includes factories in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania, with a total of about 900 employees.
The following brief overview describes why Harju Elekter decided to actively collect dangerous situations, how the employees received the new solution, and why VITS was chosen.
Why collect dangerous situations from employees?
The goals were clear:
- to raise employees’ awareness of occupational safety;
- to change safety behavior — so that it would be in employees’ minds both when performing work operations and moving around in production;
- to get direct input from those doing the work, and thereby improve the level of occupational safety.
How did the employees receive the new technology?
In the beginning, it had to be explained to people why reporting dangerous situations was set as a goal in the first place. Harju Elekter emphasized that an increase in the number of dangerous situations is not negative — it shows that employees are engaged and actively contributing to improving safety.
Therefore:
- clear and positive communication helps break down resistance;
- it must be emphasized that reporting dangerous situations is not for blaming, but for prevention;
- examples of improvement activities that originated from reporting dangerous situations must be shared.
Why was VITS chosen?
The alternative was to develop an app ourselves, but VITS offered a solution that was already very close to our needs. With minor adjustments, this tool was suitable, and we were able to implement it immediately, and there are several other modules in VITS that we are looking at as a potential next step.
Recommendations for other companies
- start purposefully: explain why reporting dangerous situations is important;
- communication must be positive and engaging;
- choose a solution that fits the work processes — a ready-made platform can save time and resources;
- start smaller (one module, one factory) and expand when the process works.
In conclusion, active reporting of dangerous situations is an effective way to engage employees and improve occupational safety. Harju Elekter’s experience shows that with the right tool and the right messages, it can become a part of the daily work routine — the company gets valuable information, and employees feel that their contribution matters.
