Karolina Strömberg is the HSE site specialist at Linxon in Sweden. In this role, she acts as the link between the construction sites where Linxon carries out activities and the regulations stipulated within the health, safety and environmental (HSE) sphere. “I see my role as being the ‘right hand’ to staff and suppliers on these sites,” Karolina underlines.
She has previously worked as an environmental inspector for two municipalities in Sweden. This involved monitoring whether companies were following environmental regulations, with the task often requiring a combination of supervising and acting as an advisor. Her position at Linxon represents a clear shift towards offering support and guidance, with collaboration and openness as the cornerstones.
Safety as a basic principle
“Linxon in Sweden has been growing and we are already engaged in a number of very large projects, and more are in the pipeline. The most important task for me, is to focus and continue building on our foundation, enhancing even more our processes and working models,” she says after the first half-year in Linxon.
“We continuously are developing our ways of working, our processes and our cooperation, so that both our employees and our suppliers can use these models for the benefit of all stakeholders,” she adds.
From Karolina’s perspective, it’s clear that safety is a top priority. “One of our basic principles is that everyone is safe while at work and will return home safely at the end of every day. Preventive actions are key and will help us build a safer environment – and that goes both for internal health and safety as well as external environmentally-focused actions.”
Environmental accountability for all
To that end, Karolina considers it important to put as much focus as possible on the “E” in her job title and acknowledge the role that Linxon, as a constructor, plays in improving our environment. “We need to combine short-term actions, such as identifying all chemicals and materials being used on site, with long-term objectives aimed at combatting climate change.”
Numerous activities already take place on Linxon’s construction sites; these include reducing emissions and landfill, waste sorting and prohibiting engine idling – alongside performing site tours and building relationships to achieve alignment around future steps.
At Linxon, ownership for environmental and performance improvements does not lie solely with the HSE and project team. All functions are accountable and make their own contribution. One example is our Supply Chain Management team, who assess environmental credentials and impact throughout our supplier network.
In terms of the changes that are happening within our business area, Karolina says: “I believe that, as part of the energy transition, our electricity grids will focus on renewable generation to an even higher degree in the future, moving away from the use of fossil fuels. With continued hard and systematic work as a team, Linxon can and will be an important player in that transition.”
