How Mondi Dynäs has embedded safety in its DNA

At our Dynäs mill (Sweden), the safety team launched an innovative programme to make safety a more personal matter for everyone working on-site. The goal was to embed safety deeply into employee behaviour, ensuring personal relevance and connection – going beyond traditional safety training. 

The principles of ‘DNA - Dynäs No Accidents’ 

The innovative ‘Dynäs No Accidents (DNA)' programme was developed by employees, for employees and contractors. It focuses on behavioural change, modern safety techniques, and connects safety to personal feelings and values. By fostering care, accountability, and collaboration, DNA empowers everyone to actively contribute to a safer workplace — one where we all strive to return home safely at the end of each day.  

The DNA programme builds on the thinking that when safety feels personal and meaningful to people, they are more likely to take it seriously and priorities it in their actions and decisions. The Dynäs team wanted to change the way of everyday working, and that people should not only care about their own safety, but also keep in mind the safety of their fellow coworkers. In a nutshell: A major shift in the understanding of safety from being someone else’s job to a truly personal topic relevant for me and my colleagues was needed.  

Key pillars of the innovative DNA programme include: 

• Creating a culture of openness; 
• Involving everyone in decision making; 
• Customising training and education; 
• Telling personal stories and thereby connecting safety to personal feelings and values; 
• Developing an attitude where we choose to follow rules and regulations; 
• Caring about each other and showing our care every day; 
• Empowering people to make safety a priority; 
• Embracing risk awareness and responsibility; and 
• Acknowledging everyone’s right to a safe workplace. 

Our DNA programme transformed safety into a personal, relevant, and important aspect of our employees' daily lives, influencing choices and actions. The initiative created a culture of awareness, caring, engagement and ownership. This initiative stands out due to its holistic approach in addressing safety challenges. It was key to involve our employees in creating it, thereby resulting in their strong commitment and great ownership.

- Jessica Kärrlander, Safety, Health and Environment Manager, Mondi Dynäs 

Eight steps taken to embed safety in Dynäs mill’s DNA 

Step 1: They started an investigation of the local safety mindset and perceptions, including interviews with employees and contractors as well as an anonymous survey. The results showed that safety wasn’t considered as a topic of personal responsibility.  

Step 2: They ran a workshop with the local management, safety representatives and union representatives. During the workshop the ‘DNA’ theme was developed. 

Step 3: They organised another workshop with around 100 people, including employees and local safety experts with the goal of delivering a solid vision and building up a strong commitment to improve the safety culture together and create a safe future for all.  

Step 4: They trained multiple employees to lead safety focused seminars.  

Step 5: Several seminars for employees and contractors were organised to reflect and discuss theoretical models, personal stories and experiences with the goal of sparking an emotional connection to personal safe behaviour.  

Step 6: The programme's legacy continued through recurring seminars for new hires. Safety cards were introduced to facilitate the learning journey for managers and support continuous work towards DNA.  

Step 7: They continued the learning journey through seminars focusing on diversity and inclusion, as well as workshops around safety and reasons to work safely. 

Step 8: They held training sessions on safety and inclusion for leaders on how to foster a culture of openness, caring and ownership.   

Empowering engagement and ownership 

The local Dynäs team has considered a broad range of activities to embed the principles of the innovative DNA programme in the mill’s safety culture and to ensure a comprehensive impact, including workshops, seminars and video content. They have fostered a workplace that empowers authentic engagement, enabling people to speak, share, and take ownership of the things that matter to them. They take pride not only in reducing safety incidents but also in fundamentally transforming the mindset and behaviour of individuals, creating a workplace where safety is not just a policy but a shared commitment, and where safety is in their DNA.