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Name of the Community:
Hyvinkää
Country: Finland
Number of inhabitants: 43,000
Programme started year: 1998
Infernational Safe Communities Network Membership: Designation year : 2003
Info address on www for the Programme: www.hyvinkaa.fi/turvallisuus Info
address for the community: www.hyvinkaa.fi
The programme covers the following safety promotion activities:
Public event on the annual accident prevention day in
Hyvinkää
Children 0-14 years:
In 2002-2004, four schools in Hyvinkää participate in a nation-wide project for
preventing school accidents co-ordinated by the National Research and Development Centre
for Welfare and Health (STAKES). A special project group has been appointed for the
project. The objectives are as follows:
1. To develop collection of
accident-related information. A system will be built so as to enable the participating
schools to collect information about actual accidents and close calls.
2. To develop practices for
threatening situations. Schools shall have clear rules about how to act in case of an
accident. First aid and preliminary fire extinguishing abilities shall be assessed and
problems connected with communications considered.
3. To improve safety awareness in
the school community. The aim is to integrate safety promotion in the curriculum so as to
make it a learning event and a part of the learning environment. While participating in
the safety promotion work in their school community the students learn civics – they
learn to promote safety in the community in a wider sense by interfering and finding out
factors that threaten safety.
The need for national
recommendations in issues like first aid abilities in schools will be assessed in
connection with the preparation of the final report
In 2002, an extensive child
political programme was approved by the town council, the objectives of which are based on
the values featured in the municipal strategy. The first and foremost of these is
spiritual, physical and social welfare. One of the top projects in the frame of the
programme is the introduction of a check list for traffic safety to be incorporated in the
town planning process. An advisory board for issues concerning children and youngsters has
been appointed to monitor and develop the programme.
On the national accident prevention
day, 13th June 2003, an event will be arranged around the theme traffic safety and traffic
education for children.
Youth 15-24 years:
Hyvinkää Vocational Institute is one of the schools participating in the national
project for preventing school accidents. Collaborating with the Finnish Institute of
Occupational Health (Työterveyslaitos) they are developing practices for accident
prevention suited for vocational institutes. The development project comprises both
studies in the institute and the practical training connected with vocational education.
Adults 25-64 years:
To change the attitudes of the townspeople, educational material on accident prevention
will be provided in various public events, the most important of which is the annual
accident prevention day. The themes of the day vary according to season. In the summer,
focus is perhaps on drowning accidents, bicycle safety, summer house security etc. In the
autumn and winter, appropriate themes are, for instance, illumination, fire safety,
slippery streets and weather circumstances. Around the 2002 accident prevention day in
December, 4,000 reflectors were handed out to the employees and co-partners of the town.
One form of activity is
participation in local exhibitions – often together with the police, the emergency
services and the Central Organisation for Traffic Safety in Finland. Computer-based
surveys about subjects relating to accident prevention are made in connection with
exhibitions. According to the latest results, almost 90 per cent of the respondents
thought that intensified municipal accident prevention is necessary.
The local newspaper has
representation in the organisation of the project "Safe in Hyvinkää 24 hours a
day" and runs, almost weekly, articles on safety issues.
Traffic safety campaigns for both
motorists and cyclists/pedestrians are organised on an annual basis. There is also an
award for the promotion of traffic safety.
In 2002, a survey of the
availability of services for various groups with physical handicaps was made in
co-operation with the local polytechnic. Mainly concerning public services and commercial
targets in the town centre, the survey will be published both in printed form and on the
web site of the town.
A particular characteristic of the
programme in Hyvinkää is the aspiration to incorporate accident prevention into normal
municipal activities. To emphasise this goal, the town executive board has obliged all
municipal committees to pay attention to accident prevention in their respective branches
and record their intentions in their annual plans of action.
The elderly 65+ years:
In 2001--2002, nine fitness courses for elderly drivers were organised by the traffic
safety project group. There were 17--30 participants, all over 64 years of age, on each
course. The subjects taken up are traffic hazards and appropriate behaviour in traffic
from the point of view of the aged population. These courses have been very popular and
will be arranged in the future as well.
In 1999–2000 a regional
analysis of accident risks in the Kehrääjänkatu residential area, which belongs to the
Foundation for Housing for the Aged, was made by the project group for the elderly and the
disabled in co-operation with the local polytechnic. Matters requiring improvement were
brought up, and a few improvements have already been made.
A campaign for clearing snow and
sanding ice on streets, walkways and yards is organised by the project group for the
elderly and the disabled every year, and the best housing associations and employees are
rewarded.
On the initiative of the project
group for the elderly and the disabled, useful aids for senior citizens have been shown in
connection with exhibitions, and special showings have been arranged for those living in
service flats.
At the following environments:
Home:
Traffic:
The project group for traffic safety participates in a joint project among four
municipalities – the preparation of a regional traffic safety plan. The plan will be
completed in 2003.
Occupational:
The three largest industrial plants based in Hyvinkää have their representatives in the
organisation of the project "Safe in Hyvinkää 24 hours a day". Campaigns on
various themes, for instance the Healthy Back campaign and the Well-Being at Work
campaign, have been organised in co-operation with national partners. Furthermore,
pedestrian and bicycle road safety has been improved in the vicinity of the works of Kone
Oy and elsewhere in accordance with suggestions received from townspeople.
School: See School accident
prevention project above.
Sports:
Leisure:
Violence prevention:
A joint project of the town of Hyvinkää, the police department of Hyvinkää and the
Police College of Finland, a survey of welfare and safety in the living environment was
undertaken in 2001. A safety plan for the town of Hyvinkää, completed on the basis of
this survey, was approved by the town council in January 2003. The implementation of the
plan has been initiated
Suicide prevention:
An extensive suicide prevention programme for the town of Hyvinkää was finished in
1996, and a group was set up by the Mayor to monitor its implementation. The establishment
of Mobile, a crisis centre formed by combining a former support centre and a crisis group
maintained by the municipality, is the most significant achievement so far. An
all-day/all-evening service open on weekends and a few weekdays, Mobile strives to help by
phone and personal contact, as well as through referrals to further treatment and
"mobile" field work.
Programmes aiming at "High
risk-groups":
A campaign for the safe use of fireworks was organised at the turn of the millennium.
The campaign targeted schoolchildren and their families as well as buyers of fireworks,
who were approached through vendors. No serious accidents connected with fireworks were
reported. Since then, a similar campaign has been organised before each New Year.
Surveillance of injuries:
Hyvinkää health centre, Hyvinkää district general hospital
Numbers per year: about 500
Population base: 43,000
Started year:
Publications: (Scientific)
Produced information material,
pamphlets:
The following publications have been given out in English:
– A description of accident
prevention work in Hyvinkää in the light of the criteria made out for the network of
Safe Communities
– Abstract of the publication
Accident prevention experiment in Hyvinkää 1998–2000
– Evaluation of the accident
prevention experiment "Safe in Hyvinkää 24 hours a day" by Project Manager
Anne Lounamaa, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES),
Planner Marita Koivukoski, Central Organisation for Traffic Safety in Finland (Liikenneturva), and Research Engineer Juha Merjama, Finnish Institute of
Occupational Health (Työterveyslaitos)
– Abstract of the report on the
fireworks campaign
– Abstract of the report of
injury prevention project in Kehrääjänkatu residential area
– Abstract of the survey of
welfare and safety in the living environment in Hyvinkää
In addition, there is Finnish
material
Staff
The
leaders: chairman of the task force Ismo Laatta, secretary of the advisory committee and
the task force Martti Valta, chairman of the advisory committee, chairman of the town
executive board Tuula Vanhatalo and member of advisory committee, mayor Tauno Kirves
Number: 2
Professions:part-time: Labour protection delegate, chairman of the task force
part-time: Deputy town clerk, secretary of the advisory committee and the task force
Permanent: Yes
Organization: The town of Hyvinkää
Specific intersectoral leadership group: Yes
General public health/health promotion group: Yes
International commitments:
Study visits: Motala 2000, Nacka 2000
Participation in Safe Community conferences: Vejle, Denmark 2001
Hosting Safe Community Conferences: Not yet.
Hosting "Travelling Seminars": Not yet
Other: The town of Hyvinkää has invited representatives of its twin cities
Hersfeld-Rotenburg (Germany) and Kecskemét (Hungary) to participate, as observers, in the
5th Nordic Safe Community Conference, which will be held 26-29 August 2003 in Helsinki,
and to acquaint themselves with the project "Safe in Hyvinkää 24 hours a day"
in Hyvinkää.
For further information contact:
Martti Valta
The town of Hyvinkää
Kutomokatu 1
FI- 05800 Hyvinkää
Finland
Phone : +358 19 45911
Fax: +358 19 2003
 Martti.Valta@hyvinkaa.fi
Updated by Moa
Sundström, 2003-05-06 14:29.
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