The construction site of the Fehmarn Belt tunnel is not only the largest in Denmark – it is also one of the safest.
A summary of the number of occupational accidents made by the tunnel consortium FBC, which in January reached three million consecutive working hours, shows no serious accidents, states Femern A/S.
The construction of the Fehmarn Belt tunnel is off to a good start. Also when taking into account the aim to create a safe workplace for the many employees on the project.
This is shown by the latest calculation of the number of occupational accidents resulting in absenteeism at the tunnel consortium FBC, which is excavating the submerged tunnel trench and carries out most of the marine work in connection with the large tunnel construction.
FBC has continuously had between 200 and 500 employees working on the construction of the Fehmarn Belt tunnel.
Three million working hours without accidents
In January 2023, FBC completed three million consecutive working hours on the project without any accidents resulting in serious injury.
The calculation, which follows the construction industry's formular, measures the total number of working hours against the number of incidents resulting in more than one day's absence.
According to the Danish Employers’ Association’s statistics for "Building and Construction", the average is more than 78 occupational accidents for the corresponding workload on construction sites in Denmark.
Aim to be Denmark's safest construction site
"We are satisfied that we generally have an extremely low accident rate on our project. FBC has approached the task with the same aim as ourselves, namely to be Denmark's safest construction site. Together, we maintain a constant focus on prevention and a strong safety culture, which is part of our DNA on the Fehmarn project," says Gintaras Vagelas, Heath & Safety manager at Femern A/S.
Good safety culture
On the other side of the desk at FBC, Safety Manager Michiel Klaui also notes the positive results.
"We have extensive experience with large construction projects at sea and have built up a good safety culture. We are happy that our efforts are paying off, and we will of course continue the collaboration with both our subcontractors and Femern A/S to ensure continued and improved conditions," says Michiel Klaui.