The internships have concluded. The managers have begun their work. How can we evaluate the success of an on-the-job internship for the head of an HSE department?
Let me share my experience: once, after working in production for over 10 years, I accepted an offer to move to the HSE department. Immersed in the volume of required knowledge and requirements, and faced with specific expressions and phrases regarding safety issues, I fell silent for six months. I didn't know how to express my thoughts; I lacked the words. I seemed to understand everything, but I couldn't speak the professional language. I made sketches of equipment, studied the glossary, and repeatedly pored over the technology of machines, pumps, and manufacturer instructions. But this helped little. Then I decided to "attach" myself to the head of the mechanical repair shop. It was thanks to his patient mentorship that I realized there are no trifles in production; if you don't know, ask — there are no stupid questions either. As a result, after about six months, I was able to "speak" the language of professionals. Equipment changes, systems are modernized — and safety approaches change as well. The bar for requirements is being raised higher and higher. Therefore, young technical specialists appointed to management positions need support in safety matters.
A young manager needs to adjust their production schedule to account for the functions and tasks of the HSE Management System (HSEMS), and to see a unified safety system behind a multitude of processes, based on constant control, assessment, implementation of corrective actions, and continuous improvement. These tasks are structured most clearly for the head of an HSE department; therefore, going through all stages of organizing supervisory procedures, responding informally to observation results, and the ability to establish a conversation with personnel, contractors, and employees of other departments — these seem like simple things, but they are the very tools for analyzing and assessing the state of HSE at workplaces.
The first lessons were about communication. During the walk-through, the task was to create an atmosphere of openness and trust. Before the walk-through, I emphasized that our goal was not to conduct an inspection (which causes wariness among staff), but to learn to see strengths, discuss them with personnel, identify precursors to incorrect actions (if any), and understand what could be improved in the unit and what could be applied in one's own.
Good practices are a shortcut to improvements. To achieve this, before the walk-through, we studied the results of previous ones: what strengths were identified and what shortcomings were noted. During the walk-through, we began the conversation with employees by explaining our tasks, inquiring about the details of good practices, improvements, and changes, as well as possible problems and difficulties, gradually predisposing the staff to openness. The "iceberg of ignorance" melted, and the employees' suggestions became increasingly specific and significant.
The second difficulty for the interns was the moment of voicing their observations. The initial desire for almost everyone was to say nothing. Therefore, the pre-walk-through was conducted slowly: inspectors commented on identified shortcomings and precursors (near-miss events), explaining what consequences they could lead to if not eliminated. Gradually, moving from one piece of equipment to another, the practice of noticing and analyzing everything was refined. The approach somewhat resembled the "Frame" method — an experience presented at one of the webinars (Severstal).
The skill of working with precursors became a very useful experience — it is, in essence, the key to prevention rather than "reacting to facts." The inspectors' comments on identified shortcomings became useful for developing risk assessment skills.
A crucial moment was the joint discussion of observations. At first, there were attempts at criticism from both sides, but I stopped them immediately. During the internship, practicing effective communication skills and moving away from the administrative model of behavior and criticism contributed to establishing open partnerships between the walk-through participants. In the future, this had a positive impact on collaborative work.
The head of one of the largest production units spoke about the internship as follows (which came as a surprise to me):
"...I completed the on-the-job internship for the Head of the HSE Department as part of an individual training program in December 2024. I did not have a full understanding of HSE procedures and HSE process management skills. After the internship, my understanding of my role, goals, tasks, and the mechanisms for achieving them has definitely changed. My work schedule has changed: more walk-throughs, especially during scheduled preventive maintenance, and more frequent communication with maintenance personnel and contractors...
Furthermore, the internship proved useful in terms of observing HSE personnel interacting with contractors during walk-throughs and identifying HSE deficiencies. Addressing issues and solving tasks in the field of HSE has become easier thanks to the possibility of open discussion with HSE employees..."
And indeed, the relationships between HSE specialists and production staff are not always constructive, which does not help in the work.
One of the positive results of the internship, which cannot be measured by specific indicators, was the practice of building effective communications. Over time, during monitoring, an improvement in qualitative indicators and Safety Culture (SC) criteria was noted, including:
a) Establishing effective communications and partnerships with HSE specialists, related departments, and contractors. Creating an atmosphere of openness, trust, and respect in work collectives.
b) Exchange of "good practices" between departments. The managers who underwent the internship suggested: "...conducting pre-walk-throughs and walk-throughs in other main technological shops, as each has its own specifics..."
c) Increasing the competence and involvement of managers and employees. Growth in the participation of unit personnel in HSE activities (competitions, training, seminars, mutual inspections) and meetings ("open mic" practice).
So: "It is better to see once than to hear a hundred times."
Other results and their evaluation will be discussed in the next publication.