Trainify Offers Sorcolor Employees a Flexible Way to Complete Occupational Safety Cards
Painters at Sorcolor Oy, a nationwide painting company, complete their Occupational Safety Card training in Finnish and English through Työturvakortit.fi. This spring, around 200 new Sorcolor painters have completed the training using the Trainify mobile app. Participants first study half of the course content independently in the app, then complete the remaining half in a live online webinar.
Founded in 2013, Sorcolor Oy provides exterior, roof and interior painting services for private homeowners and housing companies. We meet Pyry Lahdenranta, Sorcolor’s Key Account Manager, at an active worksite. With a degree in materials and surface engineering, Pyry has worked at Sorcolor for three and a half years and in the painting industry for 20 years.
“I started working for a painting company when I was a young lad and stayed in the industry throughout my studies. After graduating, I stepped back from day-to-day site work and moved into B2B sales at Sorcolor. That’s what I’ve been doing for the past few years,” Pyry begins.
Over the course of Pyry’s career, the construction industry has become increasingly safety-conscious. Although much of his expertise comes from practical experience on worksites, formal education and theory have always proved valuable. This applies to both Occupational Safety Card training and his university studies. Beyond practical knowledge, sales and project management roles in construction require strong writing, documentation, sales and communication skills.
“Many technical aspects of construction are decided at the design stage. But when you’re dealing with customers or people on site, you need to agree on things clearly and work well with everyone. The job has to be completed safely and to a high standard,” Pyry continues.
Workplace safety at the heart of every project
Sorcolor has invested in workplace safety for years, taking it seriously at every level of the company. Its projects vary considerably: contracts for private customers differ from those for construction companies, and sites range from large commercial premises to private homes. Work takes place outdoors in the summer heat and indoors during winter.
The construction industry’s general safety requirements also apply to painting companies, particularly when working for construction contractors. As a Key Account Manager, Pyry has seen how requirements differ between sites. Industrial environments, for example, can involve conditions that differ from those on a typical construction site. These might include requirements for harnesses with two attachment points when using access platforms, or the practical challenges of working on a cramped residential plot.
“We do a lot of work on roofs and scaffolding, so fall protection and safety harnesses are essential for us. We also use access platforms, which require their own equipment-specific training,” Pyry explains.
The Occupational Safety Card is valid for five years. On site, employees wear high-visibility clothing, helmets, safety glasses, gloves and safety footwear. Painting is often one of the final stages of a project, and the final surface treatment sometimes requires special arrangements. By that stage, welfare facilities and various protective structures may already have been dismantled.
“We work on many different sites, and each client may have their own safety requirements for the project. These always meet or exceed the requirements of occupational safety legislation, while also taking the specific project into account. We’re equally committed to following those requirements,” Pyry says.
Working on roofs, scaffolding and access platforms
Much of Sorcolor’s painting work takes place at height. Every roof being painted or cleaned must have suitable, up-to-date roof safety equipment and anchor points so that the work can be carried out safely. A chimney, for example, is not a suitable anchor point for a safety harness. Access platforms also have their own harness arrangements, primarily intended to prevent workers from being thrown out if the platform suddenly sways.
“Different types of access platforms require the appropriate operating authorisation, and the site supervisor is responsible for making sure employees have received the necessary training. Scaffolding also has its own inspection tags to document that it has been assembled correctly. Ultimately, the supervisor is responsible for that too,” Pyry explains.
Guardrails and supporting structures help prevent falls from scaffolding. Objects must also be prevented from falling, which is why scaffolding platforms have toe boards along their edges. Edge protection is installed on steep, high roofs, although Sorcolor mainly carries out roof maintenance and painting using harnesses or access platforms.
“We also prepare our own occupational safety plans, taking into account the painting work and tasks involved in each project. The main contractor is responsible for providing our site induction, but we also compile our own safety plans and present them to the main contractor. Every painter arriving on site reviews our safety plans and receives an induction from the main contractor,” Pyry concludes.
Sorcolor’s experience with Trainify’s Occupational Safety Card training
Turo Rusava, Sorcolor’s Chief Financial and HR Officer, helped sign the partnership agreement between Sorcolor and Trainify. He oversees occupational safety at group level, with responsibilities carried through HR and operational management to each employee. If a new Sorcolor employee does not have a valid Occupational Safety Card, training is arranged immediately through Työturvakortit.fi.
“Sorcolor has a lot of small worksites and seasonal employees. In the painting industry, companies largely manage their own workplace safety, and teams work independently. It’s quite different from a traditional construction site where everything takes place within a fenced-off area,” Turo says.
Every spring, around 200–300 Sorcolor employees complete Occupational Safety Card training. Before the Trainify partnership, bringing employees together for group training was difficult, even within individual branches. Employees start on different dates throughout the spring, and painting projects get underway quickly as the season begins. Now, official Occupational Safety Card training approved by the Centre for Occupational Safety (TTK) is easy to arrange through Trainify’s blended learning model, which combines independent study with a live online webinar.
“In addition to Occupational Safety Card training, we provide thorough onboarding for new employees. Nobody is sent to a site alone when they’re new. There’s always a more experienced colleague alongside them and a supervisor available to help,” Turo concludes.
Written by: Valtteri Karjula