“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
Leo Tolstoy
The famous quote from the novel “Anna Karenina” tells us how important it is to be able to communicate, understand each other, and reach agreements. This catchphrase applies not only to families but also to enterprises — except that disputes and contradictions move from the level of “him and her” to the opposition of “us and them.”
The standoff between production and the HSE department can take various forms.
“We work. They inspect.”
The words “inspector,” “auditor,” or “controller” instill fear and put a person in a state of expecting punishment. Production workers know their weak spots and try to hide them from the HSE department during inspections. In turn, HSE specialists try to find them. It resembles a children's game; both sides waste energy without a constructive result. The outcome is mutual dislike, often escalating into rudeness toward one another. As a consequence, HSE specialists try to visit the production site less frequently and focus on paperwork.
“An eye for an eye”
Competitive relationships can breed confrontation, for example: “You failed my worker during the HSE certification? You’ll be chasing me with your reports until spring.”
“And the legend of the Grand Inquisitor was born”
Minor mistakes by one side can turn into a myth with the opponent's help. It is very difficult to debunk a legend. At one enterprise, colossal efforts had to be made to dispel a rumor that the bonuses of HSE department employees depended on the number of fines issued.
“I am free. I belong to no one.”
But there is also a positive aspect to the division into “us” and “them.” This is the independence of the HSE specialists' assessments and actions. It is very difficult to “reach an agreement” or “grease palms” in such relationships.
If management succeeds in establishing joint work and turning internal wars into partnership and cooperation, then production and HSE complement each other.
“No, you are not my enemy”
Legislative rules and regulations are complex and often contradictory. HSE employees put a lot of effort and time into understanding them. Their knowledge is needed not only for preparing and processing documentation but also for implementing these requirements in the best possible way, considering all the nuances, tricks, and pitfalls.
“Don’t carry this burden alone”
Joint activities between production workers and HSE specialists form a common approach to performing a particular operation and a unified understanding of regulatory requirements. A manager during briefings and an HSE specialist during monitoring and supervisory activities tell workers and demand the same things from them. The likelihood of unfair punishments decreases significantly.
“We are doing one thing together”
It is more pleasant to go to work if the result of the activity is rewarding and communication with colleagues is energizing. When work is organized this way, both the organization and its employees develop, the team is stable, and there is no staff turnover.
Leo Tolstoy did not give advice in his novel on how to make a happy family out of an unhappy one. I am not a writer, and I will not describe the difficulties and problems of my enterprise in vivid detail. I am a manager, so I will share the most notable projects for establishing cross-functional interaction between the HSE department and production units.
“Partner Influence,” or “Start with Yourself”
A series of training sessions for managers and HSE specialists, encouraging a shift from seeing their role as supervisory to partner interaction with production workers. Working with the views and beliefs of colleagues, moving from “You must” to “We are a team!”
“Safety Leadership”
An example of teamwork between the HSE department and the company's directors. The task is to strengthen the practice of DRA (Dynamic Risk Assessment) and the leadership position among heads of structural units and their direct subordinates. Managers at this level have no right to consider safety issues “someone else's problem” or “the concern of the HSE department.” Regardless of where they see unsafe conditions — in their own unit or elsewhere — they must make every effort to strengthen safety.
We are already seeing real results of the production units and the HSE department moving toward each other: improved communication, joint projects, incident investigations, etc. There is still much work ahead. We believe in our strength! We are on the right course.