Construction site of Laakso Joint Hospital in Helsinki declared safe after inspection

The construction site of the Laakso Joint Hospital in Helsinki has been inspected and deemed safe, according to construction company SRV. An accident occurred on August 9 during surface blasting, injuring two workers. The likely cause of the incident was an unexploded charge from prior blasting that detonated when rocks were dislodged by an excavator.

Following the incident, explosive detection dogs found remnants of two partially unexploded cartridges at the construction site, which have since been removed by a specialized team in accordance with their work plan. Last week, the accident area was re-evaluated by excavating the debris, and the rocks and the underlying bedrock were cleaned with compressed air. The site has since undergone another inspection.

During the previous and current weeks, bomb detection dogs have thoroughly examined the impacted area. “The accident site has been carefully investigated and declared safe. Measures have ensured that the construction site poses no risk to the public or the personnel working in Töölö,” said Ossi Inkilä, project manager of the alliance, in a statement from SRV.

Other sections of the construction site have also been inspected, while the investigation into the accident continues in cooperation with authorities. Construction work at the site will proceed, with surface blasting expected to restart in phases.

A video capturing the explosion, which sent debris flying hundreds of meters, was recorded on August 9 and is available for viewing.