The companies Tikkurila Oy, Tikkurila Paints Oy and Tikkurila Coatings Oy in Vantaa, Finland, were officially granted certification complying with the standard OHSAS 18001 (Occupational Health And Safety Assessment Series) on 19 November 2007. After the merger of the companies from the beginning of 2008, the certification will be transferred to Tikkurila Oy’s (Kemira Coatings) name.
The actual audit of operations was conducted in June, and explanations of actions how to respond to deviations were presented to DNV Certification Oy/Ab in September. The procedures complying with the standard – contained in Tikkurila’s Operational System – form the basis for the development of the safety culture and practices at the Vantaa site.
Certification in accordance with the OHSAS 18001 standard has already been granted to 200 companies in Finland, but Tikkurila’s is the first granted to the Finnish paint industry. Within the whole Tikkurila Group, the certification is the second of its kind, as Tikkurila Polska S.A. (formerly known as TBD S.A.) was certified for its occupational health and safety activities in the autumn of 2006.
The Tikkurila Group aims at achieving certified quality, environmental and safety management systems for all of its companies by the year 2011 at the latest. For the majority of sites, work aiming at certification is well underway.