Engagement Methods: Russian Railways Professional Championship

One of the effective tools for engaging employees in production safety issues was their participation in the Russian Railways Professional Championship, the final of which was held from July 17 to 21, 2023, in Yekaterinburg.

Over 2,000 railway workers of 65 specialties from 279 Russian cities participated in the Championship. For them, 40 competitions in 8 tracks, 2,870 units of equipment, and 77 simulators were prepared. In the "HSE" competency, there were 65 participants (32 contestants and 33 experts).

The competition was held over 4 competitive days across the following modules:

• preparation of a list of documents;
• HSE training;
• occupational risk assessment and mitigation measures;
• first aid and accident investigation;
• implementation of safety culture and others.

In the "HSE Training" module, using source data (staffing table and organizational data), participants had to fill out an employee training matrix in accordance with the requirements of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 2464 dated December 24, 2021, "On the procedure for training in occupational safety and testing knowledge of occupational safety requirements."

In the "Occupational Risk Assessment and Mitigation Measures" module, participants assessed risks and determined occupational risk management measures, taking into account the results of the special assessment of working conditions.

During the "Safety Culture Implementation" module, participants prepared and presented reports on the topic of "Safety Culture."

During the first aid competitions, a modern simulator with blood loss simulation was used; employee clearance for work at height was conducted, along with an assessment of their actions during work at height and taking appropriate measures.

Evaluation criteria were developed for each module, including judgement (judges' opinion), binary (yes/no), and discrete aspects (measurable). The minimum number of evaluation criteria in each module was 11, the maximum was 53. Contestants were evaluated by experts using a mobile application in real-time.

An expert group led by a chief expert was involved in the evaluation procedures, formed from highly qualified HSE specialists from Russian Railways branches. To ensure objectivity, the contestant's interests were represented by compatriot experts who ensured that the contestant's rights were not violated.

Based on the championship results, we identified the contestants' strengths and growth areas. It can certainly be said that the championship platform allowed specialists to unite, upgrade their skills, and support communication within the HSE community.