Arjan van Kammen
Employee portrait
Arjan van Kammen
‘A busy construction site demands extra alertness’
According to health, safety and environmental adviser Arjan van Kammen, how people work together plays a large part in maintaining safety on project sites. The dynamics of these locations and challenging new projects ensure that this experienced consultant remains alert.
Building safely
‘I’ve been working at Witteveen+Bos for 32 years. After studying environmental chemistry, I started working as an adviser on soil contamination. Safety issues played an important role in that too. I have an affinity for health and safety, so I undertook an advanced safety course. Now, I’m the specialist you need for everything related to working safely in contaminated soil. My final thesis was on safe underground construction, and in 2008 I became involved as a safety adviser in the construction of Amsterdam’s North-South Line. Since 2016, I’ve also worked on the construction of the Oosterweel Link in Antwerp. These are both impressive tunnel projects on which my knowledge of soil compositions and chemistry has also come in handy.’
Comings and goings
‘On construction projects, circumstances are constantly changing. That’s a risk factor. Human behaviour is too. If you’re working at height and there are no safety rails, you have to wear a harness. But, of course, you also have to connect it for it to be effective. People are inventive and quick to improvise. If there’s no scaffolding, they’ll just stand on a pile of pallets to drill some holes. Or walk across a beam to fix something quickly. But accidents happen in a flash.
That’s why people need to be constantly aware of risks. Concrete actions are what increase safety awareness: instructions, supervision, coaching, and frequent safety rounds at which management is also present. But developing collective safety awareness is difficult when there are constant personnel changes. People are constantly coming and going on construction sites, which demands extra effort and alertness.’
Safe together
‘The safety of a tunnel or any other structure relates to all its phases. Not just construction, but also use, management and maintenance. By being involved in works execution as well as design, you can see whether measures are working or adjustments need to be made. Through my collaboration with clients, contractors and other stakeholders, risks become more apparent. So do the most appropriate measures to prevent them. It’s this collaboration with lots of different people and organisations – and the challenges that arise from it – that makes my work interesting. Together, we keep people safe.’
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