How to Organize Systemic Work with HSE Violations by Contractors?

Managing contractor safety remains one of the most difficult tasks for industrial enterprises. Statistics show that every eighteenth violation leads to an incident, and the systemic causes of injuries often lie in errors during the selection, admission, and control stages of contractors. The transition from reactive punishments to systemic risk management is a natural stage in the industry's development. During his presentation, Georgy Adzhienko analyzes in detail the methodology for handling violations implemented in NLMK's investment projects, which has significantly reduced the level of occupational injuries.

The Nature of Violations and Systemic Vulnerabilities

The speaker emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between unintentional errors and conscious violations (routine, optimizing, or situational). Often, a contractor works the way the client allows them to. Systemic failures occur when HSE requirements are not explained at the tender stage, personnel qualifications are not verified during mobilization, and on-site control is merely formal.

Four Stages of Working with Deviations

An effective system is built on a continuous cycle consisting of four key steps:

• Risk-based identification. The intensity of supervision should depend on the hazard level of the facility. Practice shows the effectiveness of the ratio: one field HSE specialist per 50 workers. At the same time, control should be exercised not only by the client but also by the contractor themselves in their assigned areas.
• Detailed registration and classification. Recording violations in a single electronic database requires deep detailing. Instead of broad categories, specific subgroups must be identified (for example, "incorrect installation of anchor lines"). Each violation is assigned a risk level, allowing problems to be ranked.
• Proactive elimination. Corrective actions are developed based on the hierarchy of controls. They should be aimed at physically reducing the risk, rather than being reduced to reactive bans after an incident. Elimination deadlines are strictly monitored, and delays lead to penalties.
• In-depth analysis. The most critical stage, which is often overlooked. The data array is analyzed to find root causes in the management systems of both parties. The results of this analysis become the basis for a substantive dialogue with the contractors' management.

Cardinal Rules and Consequence Matrix

Cardinal rules serve as the foundation of safety. The presentation notes that such rules should be as specific as possible, reflect real operational risks, and imply the inevitability of punishment. If they are ignored, strict measures are applied: from confiscating a pass and temporarily removing a worker to indefinitely suspending the activities of the entire contracting organization through a conciliation commission.

Management Involvement and Practical Tools

Systemic changes are impossible without the participation of the top executives of contracting companies. To achieve this, regular HSE forums, joint line walkarounds of sites, and special training for directors are held. To facilitate compliance with requirements on-site, the client provides contractors with practical tools: illustrated guides to safe work practices, notebooks for line walkarounds with checklists, and a catalog of best practices.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to calculate the required number of supervisors depending on the project's risk level?
• Why does standard violation classification hinder analytics, and how to detail it correctly?
• How to formulate corrective actions so that they eliminate the cause rather than punish for the consequence?
• What enforcement measures to apply to violating contractors without disrupting production deadlines?
• How to build a constructive dialogue with the top management of contracting organizations to solve systemic problems?