It's time to talk about safety again.

I'll introduce the Rail Baltic Estonia approach to occupational safety at our construction sites.

Safety and its management are central in railway companies – typically through a Safety Management System, which is mandatory for all railway operators. One important focus is identifying and managing risks and minimizing the realization of hazards. This is our Rail Baltic Estonia future challenge, and we consistently monitor changes in Estonian railway safety levels, including regulations that shape our management systems and operating processes. This helps us transform from a project company to a railway infrastructure company.

Here at Rail Baltic Estonia , we are currently in full swing in the construction phase and not yet engaged in actual railway operation, but still, it's our role as the client to ensure that safety and environmental protection are respected at our construction sites. In our occupational safety policy, we implement "a zero-vision", meaning that during the construction of Rail Baltic, we, as the client, do everything to ensure that there are no injuries or fatalities at our construction sites. Our contractors play a crucial role here! Merko GRK KMG Infra Verston Eesti @tariston @TREF Nord @TREV2-grupp

Why do we, as the client, consider this so important?

It's our moral obligation – as humans, we feel obliged to care for each other's safety. Everyone working or present at the Rail Baltic construction site has the right to return home safely in the evening. This is a project of the century and the largest construction project the Baltic States have ever seen. With it come risks, and it is our duty to mitigate and manage those risks.

We have a legal obligation – under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, both employers and employees have obligations. We adhere to domestic law and the best practices adopted on similar large-scale projects. We have prepared guidelines for our contractors.

Economic impact – Incidents such as accidents or health issues incur significant direct and indirect costs. We operate with a very tight schedule, and the volume of activities on construction sites grows significantly over the years; every halt directly affects the completion of the railway.

But why? Usually, this responsibility lies with the contractor, and the client doesn't have much of a role in managing occupational safety.

Real-life and statistics show that things are not quite right with occupational safety in construction. Construction sites and activities entail higher levels of risk, and risk assessment must happen 24/7. We understand the impact of our project on the construction sector and wish to simultaneously improve occupational safety standards and culture in Estonia alongside project development!

An excerpt from the Labor Inspectorate's summary: "Last year, the Labor Inspectorate conducted 3848 supervision proceedings, which is 12% more than the previous year. The main areas where supervision was carried out were construction, manufacturing, and trade. In construction, the focus this year was on preventing falls from heights, which is the main cause of serious accidents. Labor inspector-investigator Ants Jauram explains that safety is not only the employer's responsibility; employees must also take responsibility. Unfortunately, he often sees cases where necessary personal protective equipment is available on the construction site, but workers do not use it for various reasons. There are also cases where broken ladders have not been replaced or guardrails have not been installed to save costs. Unfortunately, it is not understood that such expenses are a small price compared to the serious accidents that such situations can lead to."

All of this confirms that we are on the right track and change is needed, and it's pleasing to note that our partners in construction companies aim to ensure the best working environment and safety at Rail Baltic construction sites and work with us daily to achieve this.

What have we noticed on our construction sites?

Not everything changes overnight; it's difficult to change habits and beliefs, but we at Rail Baltic Estonia are optimists and believe that together with contractors, we can improve the construction industry's reputation in terms of occupational safety. We have prepared guidelines for contractors to better convey client-side expectations.

It all starts with observation and open discussion and a desire to improve. But what are the main issues we have noticed and where we need improvement:

• Excavation work and fall hazards – excavations are not adequately fenced or marked; properly supported or inclined; lacking access ladder or not meeting requirements.
• Not following safe work practices and processes (disregarding the described work method).
• Keeping risk analysis up to date.
• Training and guidance must be provided before starting work - instructional material needs updating and must be current.
• Quality and standard-compliant personal protective equipment or its absence.
• Ignoring requirements related to work equipment (machines, equipment, tools, etc.) – equipment must be in good condition, regularly checked according to requirements, and marked (load capacity, last or next inspection, etc.)
• Storage of chemicals and safety data sheets.
• Machine beacons and warning lights, speeding on construction sites.
• Smoking in the wrong places.

What do we expect from our contractors?

All of this is outlined in our Health and Safety Guideline. The guideline is developed to establish norms that ensure high-level safety management and performance in the Rail Baltica overall project. The manual is one of the tools for implementing the "0 accidents at the workplace" policy, which is also the final goal of the Rail Baltica overall project.

Here are the key points:

1. We define precise roles for the contractor, the client, and the owner supervision regarding occupational safety, who should do what regarding occupational safety and who is responsible for what.
2. We define more precisely what we mean by risk assessment and analysis.
3. Actions and reporting requirements in case of accidents and incidents.
4. Actions in emergencies.
5. Occupational safety skills, competencies, and attitudes.
6. Sharing and testing knowledge.
7. Ensuring safety at the construction site.
8. Permit-to-work system for hazardous work.
9. Occupational safety management system and its auditing.
10. Safety inspections and conducting them.
11. Reporting and reporting requirements.

We believe that clear guidelines and expectations are crucial for progress and help our contractors to improving occupational safety on construction sites.