Safety in the Agricultural Sector: How to Overcome Stereotypes and Change the System

Safety in the Agricultural Sector: From Stereotypes to a Proactive Culture

Over the past decades, agriculture has evolved from outdated Soviet approaches to high-tech production. Modern equipment, process automation, and large-scale production cycles require a fundamentally different attitude towards safety. In his presentation, Vyacheslav Pachin, Head of the Health, Safety, Environment and Fire Safety Department at Agropromkomplektatsiya Group of Companies, analyzes a practical case of safety culture transformation in a large agricultural holding.

Using his company as an example, the speaker shows how to overcome the resistance of old-school managers, move away from hiding incidents, and build a system where employees themselves are interested in following the rules.

Leadership and Management Involvement

Transforming the safety culture is impossible without changing the mindset of top management. The speaker emphasizes: the level of employee culture will never exceed the culture level of their managers. If the enterprise director neglects the rules, demanding compliance from line personnel is pointless.

• Personal example: Managers at all levels, including owners and high-ranking guests, are required to wear workwear and PPE when visiting production sites. This demonstrates uniform standards for everyone.
• Education and training: Practical training sessions on the basics of safety culture, incident analysis, and injury prevention methods were conducted for top and middle management.
• Line walkdowns: Regular visits by managers to facilities and open dialogue with workers help identify hidden problems and solve them promptly.

Tools for Changing Employee Behavior

The presentation details the approach to training and informing personnel. Instead of formal briefings, the company introduced practical tools that are clear and accessible to every employee.

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Step-by-step visual instructions have been developed for each technological operation. This reduces the risk of errors, especially among new employees.
• Practical training: For high-risk professions (e.g., meat deboners), special classrooms were created where newcomers practice safe work skills before entering production. This reduced micro-injuries by 80% in the first months of work.
• Corporate television and video briefings: Complex information is presented in the format of short videos broadcast in recreation areas and workplaces.
• Professional skills competitions: Competitions among workers increase the prestige of professions and motivate them to perform tasks safely.

Digitalization and Open Dialogue

Digital solutions are actively implemented to manage safety in the company's distributed structure. The speaker analyzes the experience of using chatbots and distance learning platforms.

• HSE Chatbot: The tool allows employees to promptly report micro-injuries, hazardous conditions, and suggest improvements. This builds trust and helps identify problems at early stages.
• Learning portals: Automating the training and testing process reduces formalism and allows monitoring employees' knowledge levels in real time.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to change top management's attitude towards HSE issues and make them safety leaders?
• What tools help reduce micro-injuries in production during the first months of new employees' work?
• How to develop and implement effective Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)?
• How to use chatbots to collect feedback from workers and prevent incidents?
• How to organize professional skills competitions to engage personnel in safety issues?