Road safety training
The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA), as the maintainer of public roads, ensures that the people working on the road are familiar with the hazards posed by traffic at work sites. FTIA requires certain qualifications from individuals engaged in work on public roads or in the management of such work, and these qualifications can be obtained by completing a Road Safety course.
FTIA's Road Safety 2 course is provided by trainers who have successfully completed the FTIA Road Safety Trainer course.
Road Safety 1 course
This course is intended for everyone working on public roads, streets or other traffic areas. Its aim is to increase understanding of work safety and traffic safety among workers and managers and to harmonise traffic control for work carried out on roads. The course familiarises the participants with the dangers of working on the roads and how these risks can be identified and managed.
Road Safety 1 qualification
FTIA requires the following people to complete the Road Safety 1 course:
- Those involved in road maintenance work.
- Drivers of vehicles transporting road and surfacing materials.
- Work machine operators, unless engaged in a one-time job.
- Others working on public roads.
- Participants in the Road Safety 2 training.
FTIA does not require that the following people complete the Road Safety 1 course:
- Installers working in a protected cable trench which is overseen by managers who have completed the Road Safety course.
- Those carrying out one-off goods deliveries to roadworks sites (timber, etc.); from a vehicle crane, a concrete pump and car driver, etc., for short-term special tasks.
- Those carrying out other one-time tasks.
- Other persons carrying out short-term work who are under the supervision of someone who has completed the Road Safety course.
FTIA requires that all those working on public roads have the Road Safety 1 qualification. It is also a prerequisite for taking part in the advanced Road Safety 2 course.
More than 300,000 Road Safety 1 cards have already been issued (September 2020).
The qualification is valid for 5 years.
After five years, the course must be repeated in order to retain the qualification.
The Road Safety 1 course has been revised
The new digital learning platform for Road Safety 1 is now operational, and since 2 January 2020, the Road Safety 1 course is provided entirely online. As a result of this change, the Road Safety 1 course trainer qualifications expired on 31 December 2019, and Road Safety 1 contact teaching has been removed from the training on offer.
The Road Safety 1 online training is free of charge for course participants and the qualification is valid for five years from the month in which the online training was completed. The certificate of course completion can be printed out or stored on a computer. If desired, those who have completed the course can separately purchase from SPEK a plastic Road Safety 1 card (until November 2020).
Road safety course portal (e-tieturva)
Road Safety 2 course
The Road Safety 2 course is intended for persons taking care of traffic and road safety in road, street or other traffic areas as well as persons responsible for such matters. The aim of the course is to provide participants with the following skills:
- Knowing and preparing for the dangers of working on the road.
- Taking safety issues into account in both planning and implementation.
- Understanding statutory plans and how to create them.
- Understanding statutory inspections.
- Consistent behaviour when working on the road.
- Knowledge of induction and guidance obligations.
- Knowledge of the responsibilities of the different parties on a construction site.
FTIA requires the Road Safety 2 qualification from the following people:
- Those employed by the primary contractor who are responsible for the work and traffic safety of work carried out on the road.
- Those carrying out work related to road maintenance who are involved in managerial or supervisory tasks or the planning of traffic arrangements.
- Regional coordinators for ELY centres.
- Those drafting contract documents as well as procurement consultants advising on such matters.
- Real estate development consultants and inspectors and supervisors that represent the orderer.
Completing the two-day course and the final examination entitles you to receive a personal Road Safety 2 card. A prerequisite for participating in the Road Safety 2 course is a valid Road Safety 1 or Road Safety 2 qualification.