ITA COSUF Workshop Scheduled for Helsinki in October

By TBM News July 1, 2016

Airport Metro Station, part of the new Link of the Ring Rail Line in Helsinki, Finland. (Source: Max Lakkonen)

The ITA Committee on Operational Safety of Underground Facilities (COSUF) meetings are well-known for their high-professional information and the chance of networking with tunnel safety specialists from all over the world. The latest successful meeting was the Tunnel Safety Officers Forum held in March 2016 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The next event is a private workshop scheduled for Oct. 25-26, 2016, in Helsinki, Finland, with Activity Group meetings, General Assembly and the ceremony of the ITA COSUF Award Winner 2016. As this workshop is for members only, it is recommended to join ITA COSUF. The workshop will be hosted by the Finnish Transport Agency.

“We are very proud to organize our next event in partnership with the Finnish Transport Agency,” said Dr. Roland Leucker, chairman of ITA COSUF.

The theme of the workshop is “Operating Road and Rail Tunnels in Helsinki.”

“We look forward to interesting events and expect discussions on tunnel safety in the activity groups, as well as attending the ITA COSUF Award Ceremony,” Dr. Leuker said. “We also look forward to the opportunity to visit the new Helsinki Metro Line.”

The first day in Helsinki, Oct. 25, 2016, will be filled with the Steering Board meeting and the meetings of the four Activity Groups. Every Member of ITA COSUF is welcome to join one of the Activity Groups to bring in its experience and knowledge. The topics of the Activity Groups are Interaction with European and International Activities (AG 1), Regulations and Best Practice (AG 2), Research and New Findings (AG 3) and Road Tunnel Safety Officers (AG 4).

The second day, Oct. 26, 2016, will start with the General Assembly and its highlight, the presentation of the prestigious ITA COSUF Award. After the ceremony, the winner has the opportunity to present the work that was awarded. Following this special moment, the technical presentations start and the Finnish Road Administration will give an overview over its role and some underground facilities as well as large projects, the ongoing underground construction works in Helsinki and the Traffic Control Center. Finally, the Länsimetro will be introduced with its 13 new metro stations and 21 km of new tunnels under construction. After all that information, the participants will have the chance to visit the Traffic Control Center and the new Helsinki Metro Line with one or two stations.

Founded in 2005, ITA COSUF is the first of four committees of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA) and the biggest network of tunneling specialists worldwide. It consists of approximately 80 organizations from 25 countries all over the world. COSUF is a platform for communication on operational safety and security in underground facilities.