Training to Build Trust

When starting out in production, many new employees are afraid of doing something wrong or making a fatal mistake. And for good reason. No one wants to injure themselves or, worse, their colleagues due to inexperience. That is why, in the beginning, a mentor must accompany the newcomer — someone who will help overcome fear, teach safe work practices, and share invaluable experience. Mentorship is the continuous improvement of one's own skills. We gathered as a large team to brainstorm this complex but vital issue. Among us were both experienced mentors and those just starting their journey after completing training at the center. However, everyone shared a single goal: to gain new knowledge and level up their skills in working with mentees.

The Mentors' Rally is a highly valuable and important event for the company. Through their example and actions, participants demonstrate and prove that any type of work can be performed safely and efficiently. Personally, I place a high priority on mentorship. A mentor should stand like a wall between a new employee and the possibility of injury. But the day will inevitably come when the employee is left alone with the production process. At that point, their life and health will largely depend on how well they have been trained to work safely.

Last year, 96 minor injuries occurred in one of the divisions. When analyzing these incidents, the first things we look at are the name, education, and, of course, length of service. In many cases, those injured are new employees. Each of us has the power to influence injury statistics. As a result of our session, we developed a special checklist. By following its points, it is possible to adjust actions and rethink the approach to training newcomers. Among all the points, participants particularly highlighted paying attention to the mentee's initiative and creating a developmental environment around them.

Best Ideas from the Best Mentors

We also launched the "Safety First" tournament. Its main participants are our mentors. Each of them solved HSE puzzles and crosswords, identified risks in photos, and proposed ideas for improving safety during the mentorship process. The initiatives in the final stage were evaluated by an expert group consisting of HSE department heads from EVRAZ. Participants submitted over 60 proposals. Choosing just a few of the best was not easy, as they were all good in their own way. Once again, we were convinced that mentors on the ground see more and possess valuable ideas that help make the work of new employees safer.