Bengt Uppvall, Security
Bengt Uppvall is something of a celebrity at Vallvik Mill, he’s well-known to everyone who comes in and goes out. In addition to directing drivers to the right locations, checking SSG authorisations and issuing access passes, he is one of the four internal auditors at the mill.
Tell us about the work you do at the gatehouse – the booth by the mill gates.
– I take care of incoming and outgoing deliveries, direct the drivers to the right place or put them in touch with the right person who will then receive them. It usually has to do with chemical deliveries of goods that have to go to the warehouse. Timber deliveries don’t come in this way, they arrive at the wood plant or through our harbour. I’m also an administrator for our security app (SSG) and pass on alerts, news, etc.
What does it mean to be an internal quality system auditor?
– I’m one of four internal auditors here, and we check that the mill meets all requirements for the applicable certificates. We also make sure that we’re following all the requirements we’ve documented ourselves. You could say that we prepare the ground for the external auditors and that we help the Board of Directors and the management to feel confident that our procedures and processes are functioning as they should. If we notice that some rules are not being followed, or that something could be done better, we write a non-conformance report or an improvement suggestion.
Tell us a bit about your background
– I joined Vallvik Mill in 2016, before which I worked for Securitas as an HR planner. And before that ... I worked a number of different jobs: security guard, armoured car driver and toolmaker at ASEA, as well as internal auditor in the Ericson quality department.
What’s the biggest challenge in your job?
– During the annual maintenance shutdown, we close down our ordinary business for about two weeks, and then we bring in several hundred contractors during a short period. It’s my job to register the SSG control numbers and issue access passes to each and every person. Even though we bring in extra staff from a security company, it can still get a bit hectic. Particularly last year, when there were special rules and special assembly points on account of the coronavirus.
What part of the job do you find the most fun?
– I love dealing with different types of challenges, working independently and meeting people. The capacity to deal with people in all kinds of situations is probably my most useful skill in my job.