Around 100 workers on SSEN Transmission's Orkney Link Project have completed SSE's immersive safety leadership programme at Finstown Substation, marking the first time the training has been delivered on an SSE construction site and the first time it has been hosted in Orkney.

The two-day course was staged this week to strengthen safety culture as construction activity intensifies across SSEN Transmission's major projects, including the substation at Finstown, ensuring everyone remains focused on protecting themselves and colleagues.

Attendees included representatives from SSEN Transmission and principal contractors BAM, RJ MacLeod and Siemens, alongside supply chain partners supporting the Finstown works, such as Edward Mackay Contractor Ltd, BDS and Orkney Builders.

Delivered by Active Training Team (ATT), the mobile programme blends filmed drama, live actors and guided discussion to immerse participants in a realistic scenario featuring risks commonly found on construction sites. Delegates observe the lead-up to a serious incident before exploring the decisions, behaviours and workplace pressures that contributed to it.

This is a mobile adaptation of programmes run at SSE's Faskally Safety Leadership Training Centre in Perth and at ATT centres in London and Immingham. More than 16,000 SSE colleagues and contract partners have taken part to date, including almost 5,000 people working with SSEN Transmission – SSE's electricity transmission business.

Taking the experience directly to teams on a live site is a first for the programme, bringing the training closer to those delivering major energy infrastructure on the ground.

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Participants also joined a practical safety leadership workshop focused on how personal attitudes, behaviours and actions shape safety outcomes, building confidence to challenge unsafe practices and intervene when concerns arise.

The initiative supports SSEN Transmission's wider commitment to equip everyone building critical electricity infrastructure for a clean energy future with industry-leading tools, training and support. With a planned £29 billion programme of transmission projects across the north of Scotland between now and 2030, involving thousands of employees and contractors, safety remains paramount.

As construction ramps up, SSEN Transmission and its delivery partners have introduced standardised requirements for site supervisors through the Pathway to 2030 Safety, Health and Wellbeing Strategy. Central to this is a requirement for all site supervisors, regardless of employer, to complete immersive safety training. More than 400 supervisors across SSEN Transmission's projects had completed the training by last month.

Euan Sutherland, SSEN Transmission's Orkney Link Safety Manager, said: "As we continue to invest in the electricity network needed to deliver a cleaner energy future, nothing is more important than ensuring everyone involved in that work goes home safe at the end of every day.

"Projects such as the ongoing work at Finstown Substation involve significant construction activity and complex working environments, which is why it is so important that we continually reinforce our safety culture and never become complacent.

"Bringing this immersive training directly to site allowed those involved in the project to step away from their day-to-day activities, reflect on the real-life consequences of unsafe behaviours, and think differently about the role each of us plays in keeping one another safe.

"The training was powerful, thought-provoking and highly relevant to the challenges faced on major infrastructure developments such as the Orkney Link Project. It reinforced that safety is not just about procedures and processes; it is about behaviours, conversations and having the confidence to intervene when something doesn't look right."

Gerard Egan, Project Manager at BAM, said: "This training was a powerful reminder that safety is about people as much as processes. By bringing the programme directly to Finstown, everyone involved in the project had the opportunity to reflect on the role they play in creating a safe working environment and the importance of speaking up when something doesn't look right. Working closely with SSEN Transmission and our supply chain partners, we're committed to fostering a culture where safety remains at the heart of everything we do."

The training forms part of SSEN Transmission's ongoing effort to maintain the highest safety standards across its clean energy investment programme, ensuring employees and contractors have access to the support they need to work safely every day.