Safety is built through communication: How HAMK uses Secapp from laboratories to campus safety

Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) operates in a wide range of learning and working environments, from laboratories and forests to farms and international events. With activities spread across several campuses and other settings, effective safety communication is essential. HAMK has used Secapp since 2022 to support lone workers, campus safety and international events. One lesson stands out from its experience: safety is built through communication.

HAMK takes a systematic approach to developing safety, with communication at the heart of that work. According to Reima Kallinen, Safety Specialist at HAMK, building a safer organization means ensuring that information reaches the right people at the right time, both in daily operations and during emergencies.

“These days, you cannot manage safety without communication. Whether you communicate about safety before, during or after an incident, communication has to work. Effective information flow is vital to safety work,” says Kallinen.

HAMK began using Secapp in 2022 to address two needs that arose at the same time. Its safety organization had recognized the importance of communication during disruptions and emergencies. Meanwhile, HAMK’s biological research unit was looking for a way to improve the safety of lone workers in its laboratories.

Laboratory work sometimes takes place in the evenings and at weekends, when an employee may be working alone.

“The laboratory team wanted a solution to protect people working alone. Secapp’s lone worker safety feature and man-down alert met that need well,” Kallinen explains.

After the initial rollout, HAMK expanded its use of Secapp to its natural resources operations, where employees and trainees often work alone in forests, fields and agricultural settings.

Today, HAMK uses Secapp for several purposes. In addition to lone worker safety, the system helps trainees stay in touch and supports campus safety. At HAMK’s Evo campus, for example, staff use Secapp to communicate about sheltering indoors, assembly and evacuation. HAMK is currently extending its use to other campuses.

“Our operating environments and needs vary considerably. That is why it has been important that Secapp has adapted to the way we work, rather than the other way around,” says Kallinen.

HAMK continues to discover new ways to use the system.

“So far, we have found more new use cases than situations where we have run up against the limits of its features. It is also important that we can work together to develop solutions for new needs.”

According to Kallinen, one of Secapp’s most significant benefits is the sense of safety it provides and the way it helps turn safety procedures into concrete action.

“Risk management often involves a great deal of discussion about risks, while practical measures can receive less attention. Secapp has helped us turn safety into concrete ways of working.”

Introducing the lone worker safety feature, for example, required HAMK to define procedures, responsibilities and alert chains. This has also helped improve the organization’s wider safety practices.

HAMK also uses Secapp in safety exercises. The exercises have helped identify both strengths and areas for improvement in communication.

“Exercises quickly show that the world does not always follow a prepared script. Sometimes you need to adjust the content of a message to fit the situation. There could be a fire on campus, or even a bear roaming nearby. In situations like these, the system’s flexibility matters.”

One of HAMK’s most interesting experiences with Secapp came during Staff Week Savotta, an international staff exchange week. The event focused on developing safety and resilience in European higher education communities and brought together around 50 participants from universities and universities of applied sciences across Europe. Alongside lectures and workshops, the program included activities around the city and excursions into Finnish forests.

Knowing that participants would be moving through forested areas and different parts of Hämeenlinna, the organizers identified a need for a reliable way to stay in touch.

“At events, the connection between organizers and participants is often quite limited. In unfamiliar surroundings, someone might get lost, arrive late or need help quickly. We wanted to be sure we could reach everyone if necessary.”

Secapp was used as a communication channel between participants and organizers. They shared messages, images and practical information through the system during the event. Although no emergencies occurred that week, the organizers considered the solution a success.

“The most important thing was knowing that we could reach participants when needed. That gave us confidence in organizing the whole event and showed participants that safety had been considered throughout. Based on their feedback, Secapp also helped participants feel safer in an unfamiliar environment.”

Savotta Week also provided an opportunity to demonstrate Finnish safety expertise to international participants.

“Secapp attracted a lot of interest. We had many conversations about it after the event, and several participants asked for more information. It shows that there is international interest in a solution like this.”

At HAMK, developing safety in educational environments is seen as an ongoing process. HAMK also wants to expand its use of Secapp to new purposes in a controlled way.

In the future, HAMK plans to use the system more widely for campus safety and to support the safety of staff who work directly with customers and visitors.

Potential user groups include study secretaries, international services staff, and reception and campus services personnel. HAMK is also exploring how the desktop application could fit into its safety solutions.

“We want to keep exploring new possibilities and trying different ways of using the system. It is important to us to find solutions that genuinely support our work and our safety efforts.”

According to Kallinen, Secapp’s value extends beyond emergencies. Introducing the system has also helped HAMK identify areas for improvement, agree on procedures and make safety part of concrete everyday practices.

“Secapp increases people’s sense of safety and their confidence that safety has truly been taken into account. That is extremely important to us,” Kallinen concludes.

Secapp’s benefits for HAMK at a glance:

• Improving lone worker safety in laboratories, agricultural settings and fieldwork.
• Helping trainees and mobile staff stay in touch.
• Supporting campus safety during shelter-in-place, assembly and evacuation situations.
• Running safety exercises and developing procedures.
• Adapting flexibly to different operating environments.
• Providing a reliable communication channel at international events and in mobile work environments.
• Strengthening people’s sense of safety and the organization’s safety culture.