Building a Culture of Bitumen Safety at Nynas
At Nynas, building a culture of safety isn’t about one role or one person. It’s a company-wide commitment shaped by decades of experience, extending from product experts to frontline teams, as well as customers.
Even though “safety” doesn’t appear in his job title, Ola Mossblad spends most of his days at Nynas thinking about it.
“Safety isn’t just a responsibility – it’s a mindset,” he explains.
The Norway-based Operations Manager has spent nearly two decades working to ensure that everyone who handles bitumen, from plant operators to truck drivers, goes home safe at the end of the day.
“When I started at Nynas in 2005, safety wasn’t part of my background,” Mossblad admits.
“But it quickly became a central part of my role.”
A Commitment to Safety
Nynas has long been a leader in promoting safety in the bitumen industry.
Karin Hennung has worked with product-related health, safety and environmental (HSE) issues at Nynas for more than 25 years. As Product HSE Manager, she emphasises how deeply embedded safety culture is at the company.
“Safety at Nynas doesn’t rest on one single person or team,” she says.
“It’s a cooperative effort that extends across the organisation. Everyone – from operations to product management – is involved.”
Many of the bitumen safety insights accumulated by Nynas over the years are gathered in the company’s Bitumen Safe Handling handbook, a valuable resource first published 40 years ago.
Hennung and Mossblad were part of a cross-functional team that recently carried out a major revision of the Handbook, which continues to serve as a hands-on resource for anyone involved with bitumen.
“We really made an effort to make the handbook more accessible so people can easily find practical safety tips and industry best practices,” she explains.
“It’s about ensuring everyone understands the risks involved with handling bitumen, and how to mitigate those risks so that everyone stays safe.”
Safety as a Strategic Focus
According to Hennung, safety at Nynas is more than a formality – it’s a strategic focus that’s woven into every aspect of the business – from operations to product development.
“From where I sit, safety at Nynas is everything,” she says.
Introducing a new product, for example, involves a comprehensive assessment where health, environment and safety specifications carry as much weight as technical specifications.
This holistic mindset has allowed Nynas to take a leading role in industry safety, contributing to the development of standards and taking an active role in key industry organisations.
Hennung herself served for many years as the chair of the Eurobitume Health, Safety and Environment Committee, while Mossblad currently chairs the Safe Handling Subcommittee.
“At Nynas, safety isn’t a box to be checked. It’s a strategic priority that’s taken seriously at every level of the company,” she explains.
“It’s been one of the reasons I’ve stayed at Nynas so long.”
Learning Through Experience
While Hennung has had an explicit HSE role since joining Nynas, Mossblad’s journey into safety began when he started visiting asphalt plants across Scandinavia nearly two decades ago.
“I realised that safety could be a way to build relationships with customers,” he says.
“By discussing best practices and offering support, we could improve outcomes for everyone.”
That idea has taken root throughout the company.
Nynas continues to maintain a robust local presence, with dedicated health, safety, and environment (HSE) teams in the Nordics and the UK performing site visits to help customers follow bitumen safety best practices.
“At Nynas, safety always comes first,” says Hennung.
“It’s not just about protecting our employees, but also about ensuring the safety of everyone who comes into contact with our products.”
