Expert Blog
The "Digital Oracle" Illusion: Why AI in Safety Remains a Calculator, Not an Expert
The implementation of artificial intelligence in occupational health and safety creates a dangerous illusion of automatic elimination of workplace risks, although technically AI remains a probability calculator that does not understand real context. The author relies on practical experience working with neural networks since 2024 and details the pitfalls of digitalization: from hidden financial costs and "metric blindness" to the risks of algorithmic hallucinations. The material shows why AI should enhance, not replace, an expert, and proposes four key principles for responsible technology implementation to build an effective human-machine symbiosis.
Corporate Requirements for Workwear
The article examines the experience of implementing a corporate workwear brandbook to systematize procurement and provide workers with high-quality personal protective equipment. Using the example of their organization, the author shows how detailed requirements for design, color, and material allow for the quick preparation of technical specifications, identification of employees by department, and reduction of costs by minimizing slow-moving warehouse inventory. The material also describes the issues faced during initial deliveries and explains why the lengthy process of developing such a document pays off through its benefits.
PPE Field Testing: Is It Really That Important?
The selection of personal protective equipment requires considering specific working conditions and the opinions of the workers themselves, making workplace trials an important stage in the occupational health and safety system. The article examines the methodology for conducting PPE trials at an enterprise, allowing the identification of the most comfortable and risk-protecting solutions. The author shares practical experience on how trial results help draft technical specifications more accurately and eliminate working with dishonest suppliers.
Professional Skills Competition – Best HSE Specialist
For the first time, the Gazprom Energoholding Group of Companies held a competition for the best occupational health and safety specialist, aimed at motivating employees, enhancing their competencies, and sharing best practices. Participants competed in testing knowledge of regulatory and technical documentation, investigating workplace accidents, providing first aid, and selecting personal protective equipment. The competition helped identify the best employees and provided an opportunity for contestants and members of the organizing committee to improve their competence regarding the stages of the competition.
HSE Promotion: Why It's Needed and How It Works
Occupational health and safety promotion is systematic work aimed at informing employees about safety rules, fostering a conscious attitude toward risks, and motivating compliance with requirements. The article details the tasks, forms, and methods of informing personnel—from visual publicity to digital channels—as well as the key principles of effective promotion. The publication explains how to make safety a natural part of the production culture, reduce injuries, and preserve company resources.
History of Personal Protective Equipment
The article traces the historical path of the development of personal protective equipment from primitive ancient prototypes to modern high-tech systems. The material examines key stages in the evolution of PPE, including the Industrial Revolution, breakthroughs of the First World War period, the systematization of standards, and the introduction of composite materials. The review shows how protective equipment consistently adapted to new industrial risks, turning into ergonomic multifunctional complexes.
The Swiss Cheese Model in Occupational Safety
The "Swiss cheese" concept, proposed by psychologist James Reason, explains how the overlap of vulnerabilities in different protection systems leads to industrial accidents. The article analyzes the functioning of the main levels of industrial safety — from design solutions to personal protective equipment — and the potential weaknesses of each of them. From the material, you will learn which practical methods, including barrier audits, redundancy of measures, and digitalization, help build a reliable occupational health and safety system.
Technical Safety Barriers
The article is devoted to technical safety barriers — engineering and technological solutions that physically prevent hazardous situations and operate independently of the human factor. The material examines the types and operating principles of such barriers, as well as clear examples from the practice of their application. The author shows how the design and operation of these systems turn abstract safety requirements into specific and reliable mechanisms for protecting people and equipment.
Ambassadors: From Participation to Action
The article discusses the "Safety Ambassadors" project at JSC Kola MMC, aimed at developing a production culture and increasing the level of safety at the enterprise. Having completed training with experienced specialists, project participants identify workplace risks both in their own and in other departments, as well as detect threats to employees of third-party organizations. Their active work helps prevent accidents, build effective communication on occupational health and safety, and create a safe working environment.
A Modern Approach to Safety: Prompt Emergency Reporting
The article describes the implementation of an automated emergency notification system based on 1C, replacing verbal notification schemes. Depending on the severity of the incident, the system automatically sends mailings via corporate email or SMS messages to managers. Such a solution eliminates the human factor, reduces response time, and improves the quality of decision-making at critical moments.
Lockout/Tagout Systems: A Practical Tool to Prevent Severe Accidents
Equipment repair and maintenance involve high risks due to the possible sudden release of hazardous energies. The Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) system allows isolating energy sources and physically preventing accidental startup of machinery during work. The article examines key operating principles of the LOTO system, the role of personal responsibility of personnel, and conditions for its successful implementation in manufacturing.
"Time to Breathe": A Guide to Smoking Prevention
The article is devoted to corporate smoking prevention and explains how employees' habit causes damage to business due to lower efficiency, loss of working time, and frequent sick leaves. The author shares a step-by-step approach to supporting workers: from identifying the causes of smoking and evaluating the degree of addiction using the Fagerström test to conducting healthy lifestyle contacts. The material shows how to use corporate assistance platforms, motivation, and the personal example of managers to effectively help employees give up the bad habit.