SRV places Destia under procurement ban following injuries from blasting incident at Laakso Joint Hospital in Helsinki

Construction company SRV has placed the infrastructure services provider Destia under a procurement ban for surface blasting operations in populated areas. This decision follows four different blasting-related incidents over the past year at the construction site of the Laakso Joint Hospital in Helsinki. Most notably, a blasting accident on Friday injured two workers, with debris scattering hundreds of meters away in Töölö, Helsinki.

This incident is not the first blast-related complication at the Laakso site. SRV’s CEO, Saku Sipola, stated, “There have been numerous similar situations in the blasting operations, and we must respond accordingly.” Despite previous incidents involving no injuries, Friday’s event was deemed the most serious due to its potential consequences.

Initially, SRV Rakennus, the main contractor, issued both verbal and written warnings to Destia after the recent incidents, but the issues persisted. In December 2023, following previous hazardous situations, SRV proposed that the contractor operator be changed to the leadership team of the construction alliance.

While past incidents involved smaller rocks escaping from protective barriers during blasting, nothing as serious as the recent accident had occurred. Destia was allowed to continue work on the project, although the alliance replaced responsible personnel on site after December’s incident. It is important to note that in alliance construction, the main contractor cannot unilaterally decide on subcontractors; major decisions are made within the alliance’s leadership.

The Laakso Joint Hospital is co-owned by the city of Helsinki and HUS, who established the real estate company that serves as the client for the construction project. Sipola expressed concern over the persistent issues at a single site and emphasized the need for a heightened focus on safety culture, project management, and careful execution in construction operations.