At the beginning of June, Pekka Tallqvist joined Jaakkoo-Taara as the company’s EHS manager (environmental health & safety). In this role, he is responsible for matters related to environmental management as well as the health and safety of employees. Before to joining Jaakkoo-Taara, Tallqvist built a long career in EHS roles at a major pharmaceutical manufacturing company and is excited about his new position.
– One of the biggest advantages of working at Jaakkoo-Taara is that, in a smaller company, everything is under one roof. It is much easier to manage the bigger picture, whereas in a large corporation, your work can easily get lost in the machinery of the organization. The EHS manager role is a new position at Jaakkoo-Taara, so I have the opportunity to take on more responsibility while still working closely with the production team, Tallqvist says.
Joining a smaller company has been an entirely positive experience for Tallqvist. Having previously worked at a smaller manufacturing site, he already had some expectations of what the work environment would be like. Even so, the accessibility within a small organization stood out as a major difference compared to his previous workplace.
– We operate within a much smaller physical area than I was used to before, so instead of sending a Teams message, I can simply walk over to a colleague’s desk and ask my question. Everything is close. In fact, I didn’t receive a single Teams message during my first four weeks, Tallqvist laughs.
Tallqvist is enthusiastic about his work in EHS.
– At its best, my job helps others perform their work more safely and in a more environmentally responsible way. For example, I conduct risk assessments, review and prepare work instructions, and investigate workplace accidents and serious near-miss incidents to identify their root causes and determine how we can implement effective corrective actions, Tallqvist explains.
In addition to investigations, communicating safety-related matters both within the organization and to customers is an important part of Tallqvist’s role.
– All of this is done in close cooperation with the rest of the Jaakkoo-Taara team. You can’t accomplish much on your own, he says.
In his free time, Tallqvist enjoys spending time with his dogs, photography, and exercising.
– Cycling is my favorite form of exercise, and when the weather is nice, my partner and I enjoy going on long bike rides together, Tallqvist concludes.