Better quality starts with getting the job done right – the first time

At Protan, quality isn’t just about our products – it’s about the people, the methods, and the mindset behind them. It’s about how we work systematically to ensure high quality across the entire organisation – from our factories to every construction site.

Hans Ragnar Braathen joined Protan in March as Head of Global HSEQ. With a background as a pilot, safety engineer, and former HSEQ Manager at Veidekke, he brings broad experience and a strong focus on practical tools and routines. He highlights the importance of using the systems we already have – such as risk assessments, Safe Job Analyses (SJA), deviation reporting, and TQM procedures.

“A strong safety culture is characterised by being flexible, learning-oriented, informative, transparent, and just,” he says, referring to the principles of psychology professor James Reason.

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Experience, learning and improvement

To ensure high quality, it is essential that everyone reports deviations and near misses using the TQM app. This allows us to follow up and work systematically on improvements.
Hans Ragnar believes that learning from experience and sharing knowledge across the organisation is key to continuous improvement.

We also share Safety Alerts that highlight important findings and incidents. In the long term, we aim to introduce Quality Alerts as well – to strengthen learning in the area of quality.

Leadership and culture

Visible and clear leadership on site is vital for demonstrating that safety and quality are top priorities. Hans Ragnar also stresses the importance of having a culture where people feel confident speaking up – about both their own mistakes and others'.

“It’s not always easy to give feedback, but it’s essential if we want to improve together. We want an open and learning culture, where quality is everyone’s responsibility,” he says.

Practical measures and focus areas

To ensure the highest standards of safety and quality, follow these guidelines:

Pause, assess and observe your surroundings. Collective fall protection must always be prioritised over personal equipment. If safety measures are lacking – we say no to the job.

Everyone has a responsibility to care and speak up if they see deviations, potential hazards, or mistakes that could lead to injuries, accidents, or quality issues.

Visible and proactive leadership – quality and safety must be shown in practice, not just planned.

All openings and recesses must be covered – without exception. If not, we say no to the job.

OBS! Observe – Care – Speak up.

All roofers must have valid training and certification for hot works (valid for 5 years) to perform the job safely and correctly.

The road ahead

Hans Ragnar is spending time getting to know Protan’s organisation and culture, visiting departments, factories, and project sites around the world. His goal is to develop a strong, shared global safety culture – one that also strengthens our overall quality.

He also shares how his past experience has shaped his mindset:

“I always carry a gas mask in my car – it could be crucial if I encounter a tunnel fire or another emergency situation. I want to be able to help.”

At the same time, we are preparing for new ISO certification, with a focus on continuous improvement and quality at every level of the organisation.
Ultimately, it all comes down to doing the job right the first time – saving time and money, and ensuring safety for everyone working with us.