The Faculty of Art and Design at the University of Lapland is developing its occupational safety culture and shared service pathways in collaboration with Palvelumuotoilu Palo. Building on identified challenges and implemented improvements, the project will co-develop an operational model, clear roles, and everyday practices for occupational safety. A key innovation is a gamified and community-oriented solution for developing and maintaining safety.

The aim of the project is to establish a clear, collaboration-based occupational safety model for the faculty—one that becomes embedded in everyday practice and can be collectively maintained. In the project, we refer to this as an occupational safety culture.

The development work builds on phenomena identified in earlier risk assessments, such as unclear parts of processes. At the same time, a shared understanding is created of what occupational safety culture means specifically in the Faculty of Art and Design, where workspaces, materials, and risks differ from those in the university’s more typical office and educational environments.

The project focuses on the workshop facilities of the Faculty of Art and Design, which are used by teaching and research staff, students, and laboratory masters. Palo works in close collaboration with the Työturvallisuuden työrukkanen (“Safety Mitt”) working group, which includes representatives from HR, facility services, a safety specialist, an occupational safety representative, and the faculty. The working group brings together the collaborative perspectives essential for implementing and rooting a sustainable safety culture.

Expected Results

A comprehensive understanding of the occupational safety culture:
During the project, the meaning of occupational safety culture in the faculty’s multi-actor and creative environment will be articulated and visualised. Identified challenges, opportunities, and roles will be documented and shared. Safety will be improved through a developing safety culture and an enhanced attitude climate.

Operational safety practices:
Through workshops and rapid prototyping, practical operating models will be developed for staff to use in improving everyday safety. These models focus on facilitating collaboration, preventing risks, utilising documentation, and providing clear operational guidelines. As a result, the cooperation between service organisations, workspace managers, and users will become smoother and more purposeful.

Guidelines for safety culture and a co-created handbook:
The developed practices and shared understandings of safety will be compiled into a document that can be used in orientation, guidance, and as an everyday reminder of common ground rules. The project will produce communication materials that support safety awareness and the development of a safety culture.

Occupational Safety Culture Game:
Palvelumuotoilu Palo Oy will develop a gamified tool that enables discussion, learning, and the making visible of safety-related issues across roles and among members of the work community. The project will pilot the game’s targeted theme and elements. Around the game, Palo will develop a service product that can be utilised more broadly in Finnish working life to support the development of occupational safety culture.