GSV’s culture journey: Challenging the status quo

From accidents to openness and accountability

With the Vision Zero mindset as a guiding principle and support from Human House, GSV has set new standards for how the construction and civil engineering sector can work with safety culture. The journey towards impressive figures and a visible shift in culture began with a clear signal from the leadership: safety must be prioritised at every level.

“We led from the top and brought everyone along. When senior management never lets safety slide, that commitment influences the entire organisation,” Kenny explains.

From 2019, following the merger of several companies, it was clear: cultures needed to integrate, and a common language around safety had to be established from scratch. Today, openness and transparency are keywords at GSV – forming a crucial part of their approach.

“We didn’t hide our accidents. We spoke openly about where we failed and where we succeeded. This encouraged everyone to have honest discussions, which meant improvements were made collectively. We shifted from reacting after incidents occurred to working proactively and using data as a tool,” says Kenny Bjerre Petersen.

Data-driven safety in practice

At GSV, safety is no longer a standalone agenda. It is embedded into everyday practice. The company has implemented several initiatives, including an app that consolidates everything from risk observations to incident reporting, and a ‘safety licence’ – an obligatory, digital onboarding process.

From the very first day, every employee must complete safety onboarding, ensuring they not only know the rules but understand the culture.

“Before you pick up a tool, you’ll already have been introduced to how we approach safety at GSV,” Kenny explains.

Today, the app sees widespread use, particularly for reporting risk observations.

“Each time someone uses the app, we gain an indication of what safety actually looks like across the company. It provides us with the data to act quickly,” he notes.

Vision Zero in action through ownership and dialogue

GSV’s approach builds on the Vision Zero mindset:

“See it, own it – that’s what we call it. If you spot an issue, you have the responsibility to do something about it – even if it doesn’t directly affect you. We are building a ‘no harm’ culture,” explains Kenny Bjerre Petersen.

This is not just about setting targets – such as keeping LTIF (lost time injury frequency) below 5 and always striving for zero accidents – but also about maintaining lasting awareness. That’s why GSV has developed dialogue cards for daily team meetings, encouraging all teams to regularly discuss safety using conversation starters like, “Have you encountered any potential hazards this week?” Lessons are documented and shared, and to further motivate engagement, safety campaigns are tied to friendly competitions: Nominate a Safety Hero – a colleague who goes above and beyond or demonstrates safe behaviour – and win a hot dog stand visit for the whole site.

Turning strategy into everyday reality

With dialogue cards, stickers, campaigns, and incentives, safety takes on a tangible, everyday form.

Currently, GSV is running its largest ever health and safety campaign: “I was just going to…” – an initiative that raises awareness about small but risky everyday situations via personal stories and collective reflection.

“We see that most accidents happen because someone thinks, ‘I’m just going to grab something’ or quickly fix an issue. That’s why we want people to stop and think before they act,” Kenny explains.

This transformation didn’t happen overnight. GSV’s health and safety team regularly revisits branches across the country, maintains focus, and follows up on what the data shows and what dialogue brings up.

“You cannot rest on your laurels. You must constantly challenge the status quo and ensure that everyone – regardless of job title – is working towards the same goal,” concludes Kenny Bjerre Petersen.

Be inspired by GSV’s journey at the Vision Zero Conference

At the Danish Vision Zero Conference on 11 June, Kenny Bjerre Petersen will elaborate on GSV’s experience in his talk, People Before Machines: GSV’s Data-Driven Cultural Transformation. Here, you’ll get an insider’s perspective on how the company works with everything from ISO certification to digital systems, and how strategy becomes ingrained in culture.

Read more about the Danish Vision Zero Conference and book your seat here.