Every-Shift Briefings: A Safety Moment for Leaders

Types of HSE briefings are a standard question in most safety knowledge assessments at many enterprises, but in the case of JSC "Apatit," the answer is no longer quite ordinary. In addition to the briefings conducted in accordance with regulatory requirements, so-called every-shift briefings, also known as EZHI, have been implemented at all sites.

Who conducts them?

Line managers who have employees directly reporting to them: shift supervisors, section heads, and department heads. In some cases, EZHI are held in an "open mic" format, where the right to lead the briefing can be passed to any employee.

When are they conducted?

Immediately before the start of the shift, before assigning production tasks.

What is discussed?

The briefing topic can be determined as follows (in order of priority):

• availability of information about incidents (safety flashes, lessons learned from incidents);
• high-risk work planned for the shift;
• seasonal features and weather conditions, or the epidemiological situation;
• use of a topic matrix — a specific schedule and set of topics relevant to a particular unit: electrical safety, working at heights, or the Golden Rules.

How are they conducted?

Conducting any type of briefing requires certain public speaking and audience engagement skills. In this regard, relevant masterclasses have been organized for managers, and audits are conducted periodically to assess the quality of the briefing. For us, a high-quality briefing must meet the following criteria:

• relevance and completeness of the topic;
• use of handouts (if necessary);
• demonstration of practical skills (use of specific PPE, tools);
• building a dialogue with employees rather than a dry reading of information;
• mandatory request for feedback from the audience.

What is the unique feature?

In addition to the usual involvement of employees in safety issues, which is more characteristic of a safety moment, EZHI is a good tool for developing safety leadership qualities in line managers, with the honing of oratory skills remaining a pleasant bonus for them.

How do we motivate?

We hold a contest for the best every-shift briefing, where winners receive letters of appreciation, commemorative gifts, and a cash prize.