Matilda Stjärnström – QHES Manager, NYAB Sverige
03.04.23Matilda Stjärnström has been working at NYAB since 2020, with a focus on quality, the environment and the working environment. In autumn 2022, she took on the role of QHSE manager for NYAB Sweden, Infrastructure and Mälardalen.
“I’m passionate about finding those details that make day-to-day work easier”
Hi Matilda, can you tell us a bit about your job as QHSE manager?
I’m responsible for our business management system, which helps us ensure we meet the needs of society, the purchaser and our employees when it comes to quality, the environment and the working environment. This can involve things like keeping an eye out for new legislation or updating templates and instructions for our site managers and supervisors. I also support our QHSE coordinators and the projects’ site management in their day-to-day QHSE work on individual projects. I try to be as involved as I can in the different projects, in order to foster good relations with our site managers and supervisors. It is important to show that QHSE personnel are not just focused on overseeing operations, and that we are also here to support our colleagues and help out whenever they encounter obstacles or have questions.
What’s your greatest motivation?
Getting to simplify, develop and improve our working practices every day. Each day can bring a new challenge, such as a new legislative requirement, which means we need to consider the best way to deal with the issue in practice, without making things unnecessarily complicated for supervisors and site managers, who will be responsible for the actual implementation. We have plenty of freedom but also plenty of responsibility when it comes to tackling these challenges. And that’s something I like.
What issues mean the most to you?
Naturally, working environment issues are very, very important and a major focus area, as these are the kinds of things that have a direct impact on our employees and their health. And I’m also passionate about finding those details that make everyday life easier when it comes to our projects. It is gratifying that NYAB has such good foundations upon which to build, which has meant that we have not had to start from scratch. Our work has consisted largely of minor adjustments to the existing business management system, making day-to-day work easier for everyone involved.
What would you say are the greatest challenges your work involves?
I think that one major challenge the entire sector is facing is reducing our emissions. The building and civil engineering sector is dependant on large-scale transportation and transportation of goods, so working together to find a sensible, financially viable approach to these issues is key. This is somewhere where we need to take joint action and push ahead with the work at hand. This will make the sector more sustainable faster, as well as reducing our climate impact.
