An exceptional achievement at AGCO Power
A significant milestone was reached on April 10 at AGCO Power’s generator manufacturing unit in Tampere, Finland: 5,000 Days Without Lost-Time Incidents. This equals approximately 13 years and 8 months.
– It is an outstanding achievement! I don’t know if any other AGCO unit has managed the same performance, says Production Director Harri Ruponen.
Around 35 people work at the generator unit site in both production and office roles. The unit manufactures generators and diesel pumps, with additional assembly taking place in AGCO Power Changzhou, China.
Safety at the core of AGCO’s sustainability strategy
Safety is a fundamental priority at AGCO and a key pillar of the company’s global sustainability strategy. AGCO is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace, where risks are proactively identified and managed.
The achievement of 5,000 accident-free days at the Tampere generator unit is a concrete example of how AGCO’s sustainability principles are put into practice. Strong safety leadership, continuous improvement and an open reporting culture support both employee wellbeing and long-term business performance.
Experienced employees and consideration for others are key factors
Production Manager Jarkko Kukkola emphasizes the importance of the work community behind the long accident-free period.
– One reason why we have managed to come this far without serious accidents is that employee turnover in our generator unit is very low. We have an experienced team and we also try to take care of each other in our daily work.
Safe onboarding of students is also an important part of operations.
– When we have students, they are never left alone. Students work at all times alongside a more experienced employee.
Ergonomics and lifting under control through tools and observations
At the generator unit, risks related to production work are well recognized, particularly lifting and ergonomics. Test user Tommi Tanskanen describes everyday practices:
– Lifting aids are used. We have large components to be lifted, and sometimes working positions can be challenging.
Safety observations have played a key role.
– I believe there have been no ergonomic accidents because when employees have noticed something that could be improved, they have made safety observations. These have always led to concrete corrective actions.
Trust and safety moments strengthen the safety culture
Kukkola highlights trust and shared practices.
– In most cases, the person making a safety observation has taken and received trust that the issue will be corrected. It would always be best if the person making the observation could fix the issue themselves, as they are often the best expert on the matter.
At AGCO Power, safety communication includes so-called safety moments or “15min for safety”, which highlight current topics.
– We review safety moments together once a week in joint meetings. It is a good way to maintain and strengthen the safety culture.
Long experience brings perspective – but caution must not be forgotten
Genset assebler Janne Kalliolepo has worked at AGCO Power since 1988 and at the generator unit for 15 years.
– The safety culture has remained at a fairly similar good level over this period. Lifting equipment has improved, and today much more attention is paid to safety and it is discussed more openly.
He also reminds everyone of the importance of staying alert.
– Safety moments strengthen the safety culture: they remind us and we can learn from them. However, it must be remembered that if the feeling of safety has been very good for a long time, that is exactly when something can happen. No matter how experienced you are, before every work phase you must stop and think about what you are doing.
Generators and pumps are manufactured at AGCO Power’s Tampere facility.