TR is a safety observation method for measuring occupational safety at construction sites. The abbreviation TR stands for the Finnish word for ‘residential construction’. A similar method known as MVR is used for civil engineering works.

TR covers

• scaffolds, bridges and ladders
• machinery and equipment
• fall protection
• procedures
• electricity and lighting
• order, and
• dust (since 2010).

Use of TR in connection with weekly maintenance checks

Many residential construction companies base their weekly maintenance checks on the TR® safety observation method. The method uses straightforward assessment criteria (TR 2010 template).

The construction site is divided into smaller areas (grid cells) for assessment purposes. A standardised template is used to record observations about issues that may affect safety on a simple pass/fail basis.

All persons performing checks on a site must use the same assessment criteria in order for the results to be reliable.

The workers can send their representative to accompany the assessors on their tour of the site.

Instead of the paper form, the assessors can record their findings using a mobile application or computer software.

Use of TR in the context of official inspections

The TR method can also be used to perform occupational safety and health inspections. The same assessment criteria are used for both official inspections and unofficial maintenance checks.

However, occupational safety and health inspectors can issue written advice if any shortcomings are found. Clear non-conformances are itemised and, depending on the severity of the violations, either written advice or an improvement notice may be issued.

An overall TR index is determined for each site on the basis of the inspector’s findings and communicated to the employer (project supervisor) in a separate document appended to the inspection report.

Use of TR as part of safety campaigns

The TR safety observation method also features in the residential construction sector’s safety competitions, which are held annually by occupational safety and health authorities, the Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries RT and its regional branches. The competitions are open to all members of the confederation. The competitions are regional, but the best construction sites on a national level also win prizes.

The best sites, contractors and subcontractors in both the residential construction sector and the civil engineering sector are chosen each year. The most important criterion is a site’s TR or MVR score.

TR 2010 template (PDF, in Finnish)