Nynas Veteran Ola Mossblad on Supporting Safety Collaboration at Eurobitume

On stage in Rome in front of a crowd, Nynas Operations Manager Ola Mossblad couldn’t help himself.

Staring out at around 50 representatives from member companies at the Eurobitume autumn meeting with the final slide of his first major presentation as his backdrop, he broke into song.

The stunned audience sat in silence as Mossblad belted out his own rendition of “You Never Walk Alone”, the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic made famous in the 1960s by Gerry and the Pacemakers and often sung by supporters of the Liverpool football club.

“I believe it’s important to combine humour when trying to send a serious message,” he says with a smile when asked about the impromptu concert.

“The lyrics also fit well with the message that we all have a role in promoting safety in the bitumen industry.”The performance made an impression on the audience and added some colour to an otherwise straightforward update his work as the new chair of the Eurobitume Safe Handling Sub-Committee (SHBSC).

Un Unusual path

Mossblad was out on sick leave in May 2024 he was elected to chair the key safety sub-committee. He describes the surreal feeling of returning to work several weeks later and learning his European peers had chosen him for the important leadership role.

“I was very humbled,” Mossblad recalls.

From his early days coordinating local logistics at Nynas to now facilitating industry-wide discussions on bitumen safety practices, Mossblad’s path has been anything but ordinary.

Unlike many of other members of the committee who have traditional health and safety backgrounds, his expertise was built through years of making safety part of conversations with customers. This combination of perspectives helps create well-rounded discussions within the committee.

“I hope my experience discussing safety in the field can be useful for my new role on the sub-committee,” he says.

Eurobitume: A unifying voice for safety

Mossblad first got involved with the Eurobitume SHBSC in 2022, ensuring Nynas maintained a voice on the committee following the retirement of a colleague.

He admits his passion for safety emerged over time as a natural part of managing local bitumen supply logistics at Nynas.

“It’s in everyone’s interest that bitumen is handled as safely as possible throughout the value chain,” he explains.

He played a key role in developing Nynas’s Bitumen Safe Handling Handbook and was eager to bring his insights and commitment to the wider industry by participating in the leading bitumen industry trade association in Europe.

As SHBSC chair, Mossblad is tasked with bringing the industry together to address the inherent risks associated with handling bitumen, a material stored and transported at temperatures exceeding 200C. Handled improperly, bitumen has the potential to cause serious burns or even catastrophic accidents.

“I believe that when you are part of a committee, you should try to do something to really make a difference,” he explains.

One of his top priorities for 2025 is updating and organising the extensive collection safety documentation accumulated by Eurobitume over the years to make critical bitumen safe handling information more accessible for everyone who encounters bitumen on a regular basis.

“The sheer volume of information can be overwhelming,” he explains.

“We want to merge and simplify these resources so they’re easier for members and their customers to use."

In addition to updating documents providing guidance on topics such as safe bitumen delivery and the importance of safety showers, the SHBSC is reviewing new guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE) and ground-based bitumen operations.

Strengthening industry cooperation

More broadly, Mossblad wants the committee to play a constructive role in improving cooperation and information sharing within the industry on bitumen safe handling.

“Safety isn’t a competitive issue,” he asserts.

“It’s about ensuring that everyone — from depot employees to drivers and plant personnel — goes home safely to their family at the end of the day.

”To that end, the committee aims to make reporting on safety incidents and “near misses” a permanent part of its work.

While acknowledging the challenge of getting people to admit when things go wrong, Mossblad remains steadfast in his belief in the importance of transparency for improving safety.

“We don’t want to scare people, but it’s through sharing this sort of information that we can all learn,” he says.

“We want to encourage more members in more regions to be proactive so we can together identify where we need to improve.

”These efforts aim to strengthen the flow of information across the industry, including disseminating best practices for preventing and mitigating risks associated with bitumen. 

A vision for eurobitume and safe handling

Plans are also in the works for a major communications project on safe ground-based operations in 2025.

“I’d like to see us test and implement more real-world solutions to the extent possible taking local regulations into account,” Mossblad says.

“It’s not enough to have policies on paper. We need to ensure they’re followed and effective.

”The SHBSC also plans to conduct a survey on how Eurobitume’s safety documents are being used and what members feel could be added in the future.

“We need to make sure that what we produce and recommend truly reflects the safest way of doing things,” he says.

“And we need to ensure that these practices are adopted across the industry.

”With a strong focus on collaboration and innovation, Mossblad is determined to leave a lasting impact.

“The bitumen industry is unique, and so are its challenges. By working together, we can ensure that safety remains a top priority for everyone involved,” he concludes.