– We have given notice that this was going to happen. On Monday, a man was seriously injured when a pallet fell on top of him while working in a warehouse at Asko in Trondheim. – Our employee who was seriously injured has now undergone back surgery and is on the road to recovery. This is according to director of Asko Midt-Norge, Jørn Arvid Endresen. Shortly after the accident happened, he told news that it was a sad day in the company. In addition, he said that they are focused on ensuring that there are no injuries in the company. But a colleague of the injured man thinks that is not true. – I get a little provoked when there is talk of zero vision for injuries and that it is the most important thing for them. I don’t think that’s right. That’s what a colleague wants the injured man to tell news. He wants to remain anonymous for fear of being outed in the workplace. Says there is a great danger of getting a pallet in the head About two years ago, the company changed parts of the shelving system and put grates in all the racks. They did this to avoid pallets of goods falling into the middle of the shelf. – Then there was so much management to get the goods out, says the employee. But then a new problem arose when the grates were inserted into the shelves. Instead of the pallets tipping over, there was a risk of the pallets being pushed so far onto the shelves that they pushed the pallets on the other side out so that they fell down. – The danger that someone could get a pallet in the head is huge. And I have been warned about that since they started laying the grates two years ago. The workers must have come up with proposals for changes. The colleague of the injured man wishes to remain anonymous because he feels that those who talk about things at work are punished for it. Photo: Kirsti Kringstad / news He says that several pallets have fallen over the past two years, but there has never been anyone on the other side – until now. – Do you feel that this was an unannounced accident? – Yes, this was a reported accident. I find this unpleasant. But we have not been heard because they say it costs so much, says the employee. Chief security officer Kristian Liaklev confirms that pallets have fallen from racks in the past. – Measures to ensure that pallets do not fall down have been taken after safety rounds. But it can have a consequence when the pallets are pushed in a different way and that is not optimal, he says. Culture of fear The employee describes a culture of fear in the company that affects the employees. Things should not be brought up or talked about. – If you go and are afraid to bring up things that happen, but feel fear of consequences, then you stop bringing things up. The consequences can, for example, be personal attacks from management, the employee explains. – At times there has been a lot of that in the company. But luckily it has gotten better, he adds. But director Endresen does not recognize himself in this. – We always want to have improvement potential, but we do not recognize ourselves in a culture where safety is not taken care of adequately. I take safety seriously, says Endresen. Liaklev adds that the company always works for openness and that people can speak up. – There must be safety and openness. But when it doesn’t feel that way for everyone, it’s very unfortunate, he points out. The director says they are working to clarify the areas for improvement in the company and put further focus on good communication between employees and management. – It is still sad to hear that someone feels that I have a negative culture in the workplace, adds Endresen. – More focus on budget than health The employee says that he feels that Asko’s main focus is on finances and on achieving good results. But that it goes beyond the employees. – We have what is called a piecework salary. And it means that, for example, you get paid more the more parcels or pallets you drive during a day. The employee believes that such a pay system does not belong in a warehouse. – Shortcuts and quick solutions are often taken. Therefore, I think that the performance system is not good – it helps to make it more unsafe. The chief protection officer says that the pay system is the same throughout Asko. – It has been said that security is more important, and that piecework wages should not go beyond security. And assessments are constantly being made about what is safe and what is not safe, Liaklev replies. In the aftermath of the accident, he feels that there is good follow-up by all employees, but the employee misses that the company does more to prevent such things from happening. – As a result of this accident, we want to intensify our preventive measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, assures the director. The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority confirms that an inspection case has been opened at the company following the accident. Section leader in the Norwegian Labor Inspectorate, Frid Mikkola, says there are no detailed regulations for securing shelving. – But we have regulations that regulate work at height and protection against employees being hit by falling objects. Published 19.07.2024, at 14.27
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– An emergency was not announced, says a colleague – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
