Checklists: Simple, Prompt, Informative

Safety Control via Checklists: From Theory to Practice

Safety management at large industrial facilities requires clear and understandable control tools. This is especially true when working with contractors, whose standards may differ from the client's internal requirements. In his presentation, Timur Romanyuk, Head of the HSE Department at Uralkali-Remont, shares his experience in implementing checklists as the main tool for operational control over safe work execution.

The speaker analyzes the prerequisites for creating the system: the need to unify inspections for multiple workplaces and move away from vague wording in regulatory documents to specific, understandable requirements. The developed checklists cover the main types of work (fire-hazardous, gas-hazardous, work at height) and serve as a clear guideline for both in-house employees and contractors.

Structure and Application of Checklists

Currently, the company has developed 12 checklists for key types of work. Each of them includes only those requirements that are critically important for ensuring safety at a specific facility, taking into account internal incident statistics and identified risks. This avoids overloading the document and focuses the inspector's attention on what matters most.

• Tool adaptability: Checklists are regularly reviewed and adjusted based on the analysis of identified violations over the past period.
• Personnel involvement: Not only HSE specialists but also line managers and top management are involved in inspections. This increases overall engagement in safety issues.
• Inspection promptness: If there are no violations, the inspection takes no more than 10 minutes. In case of critical non-conformities, work is immediately suspended until they are eliminated.

Implementation Results and Working with Contractors

Although the tool has been used for less than a year, the speaker notes a positive trend. The number of inspections without violations has increased, and the proportion and severity of identified deviations have decreased. Contractors, understanding the strictness of control and possible consequences (up to work suspension and fines), have become more responsible in complying with requirements.

The presentation details the feedback mechanism: each checklist has a space to record the causes of violations, which allows for mini-reviews on the spot and identifying the root causes of non-conformities. At the end of the quarter, meetings are held with teams and contractors who committed the highest number of violations.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to adapt federal safety rules to the enterprise's specifics and reflect them in checklists?
• How to organize the inspection process involving line managers and top management?
• What to do when critical violations are identified and how to deal with recurring non-conformities?
• How to use checklist inspection results to evaluate the performance of contractors?