AROUND 100 workers delivering SSEN Transmission‘s Orkney Link project took part in an immersive safety training programme at Finstown Substation.
The two-day event was designed to reinforce the importance of safety as construction activity continues to increase across SSEN Transmission’s major projects – including the substation at Finstown.
Delegates included representatives from SSEN Transmission, principal contractors BAM, RJ MacLeod, and Siemens, along with members of the wider supply chain including Edward Mackay Contractor Ltd, BDS, and Orkney Builders.
Delivered by Active Training Team (ATT), the mobile programme combines filmed drama, live actors and facilitated discussion to place participants at the heart of a realistic scenario, that includes safety risks prevalent across the construction industry. Participants witness the build-up to a serious incident before examining the decisions, behaviours and workplace pressures that contributed to it.
The training is a mobile version of similar programmes delivered at SSE’s Faskally Safety Leadership Training Centre in Perth and ATT centres in London and Immingham, where more than 16,000 SSE colleagues and contract partners have taken part to date.
The Orkney event marked the first time the training experience had been taken directly to teams on a live construction site.
Participants also took part in a practical safety leadership workshop designed to help them understand how their own attitudes, behaviours and actions can influence safety outcomes, while providing the confidence to challenge unsafe behaviours and intervene when concerns arise.
Euan Sutherland, SSEN Transmission’s Orkney Link safety manager, said, “As we continue to invest in the electricity network needed to deliver a cleaner energy future, nothing is more important than ensuring everyone involved in that work goes home safe at the end of every day. Projects such as the ongoing work at Finstown Substation involve significant construction activity and complex working environments, which is why it is so important that we continually reinforce our safety culture and never become complacent.
“Bringing this immersive training directly to site allowed those involved in the project to step away from their day-to-day activities, reflect on the real-life consequences of unsafe behaviours, and think differently about the role each of us plays in keeping one another safe. The training was powerful, thought-provoking and highly relevant to the challenges faced on major infrastructure developments such as the Orkney Link Project. It reinforced that safety is not just about procedures and processes; it is about behaviours, conversations and having the confidence to intervene when something doesn’t look right.”
Gerard Egan, project manager at BAM, added, “This training was a powerful reminder that safety is about people as much as processes. By bringing the programme directly to Finstown, everyone involved in the project had the opportunity to reflect on the role they play in creating a safe working environment and the importance of speaking up when something doesn’t look right. Working closely with SSEN Transmission and our supply chain partners, we’re committed to fostering a culture where safety remains at the heart of everything we do.”
