Rising in the centre of Turku, the Music Hall Fuuga is an exceptionally large project and one of the biggest construction projects in Finland in 2025. Commissioned by the City of Turku, the project is delivered using an alliance model, involving a broad network of experts and external contractors. Dozens of subcontractors from different backgrounds are working on-site, bringing diverse expertise and international collaboration to the project.
We interviewed Hartela’s Head of Occupational Safety, Sirpa Ek, and Development Engineer Sarianna Alhonmäki, who is responsible for site safety at the Fuuga project, about the digitalisation and development of site inductions.
“Safety management plays a particularly critical role in Hartela’s projects, so it was clear that the induction process must be controlled, documented, and easily repeatable—especially with the large number of workers arriving on-site,” says Sarianna Alhonmäki.
Before the introduction of online inductions, training was conducted on-site by site personnel, taking time away from safety management.
“We used to organise inductions centrally in the mornings, which could easily take up to two hours at the start of the workday just to collect employee information and enter it into the system,” Alhonmäki explains.
There were also challenges in ensuring consistent quality, as materials could not be produced in the same format across multiple languages. Previously, induction content was delivered in Finnish via video, while other materials were presented in traditional formats.
Proactive data management and online inductions standardised practices
Online induction was introduced at the Fuuga site in spring 2024. Hartela developed the process together with Zeroni and Qreform, a provider of online training solutions, to create a system tailored to the needs of the construction industry.
“We now have a ready-made digital induction template that sites can adapt to their specific needs. Since moving to online inductions, translating materials has become much easier with the help of AI, and site management no longer needs to spend time on translations or handling materials,” Alhonmäki says.
Online training requires that employee data is entered into Zeroni well in advance of starting work, which required a shift in working practices on-site. Contractors can now upload their employees’ information in advance, eliminating the need to send data via email or for site management to collect and enter it under time pressure when work should already be starting.
“Data security is also critical for us—we cannot take risks with GDPR when handling personal data. When contractors are responsible for their own employees’ data as part of the online induction process, data security risks are reduced,” emphasises Sirpa Ek.
Saving time and strengthening safety culture
So far, more than 700 workers have completed online induction at the Fuuga site, and the peak number of workers on-site has not yet been reached.
As a result of online induction, daily operations on Hartela’s construction projects have changed significantly:
Time savings: Inductions can be completed without taking up site personnel’s time, and workers can be authorised to start work quickly. Managing tailored materials for each site has also become more efficient.
Quality of induction: Workers can access training materials in their own working language, improving understanding of site practices and supporting a strong safety culture regardless of nationality.
Proactive workforce management: Employee data and inductions can be verified well in advance, allowing work to begin immediately.
Contractors have also responded positively to the new approach.
“Initially, some resisted the change, but once the benefits became clear, we’ve received a lot of positive feedback. Some contractors have even asked whether they could use Zeroni to manage employee data on other sites as well,” Alhonmäki adds.
Digital safety training to be implemented across all new sites
The experience of delivering safety training online in advance has been so positive that online induction will be implemented across all new Hartela sites going forward. The goal is to continue standardising practices, simplify project start-up, and improve safety.
“We’ve seen first-hand how the construction industry needs to work together to drive digital transformation across sites. Zeroni’s online induction project has been an excellent way to achieve this. Site induction is a continuously evolving process, and digital solutions make it manageable—ensuring everything is in place from the start,” Ek concludes.
