Innovative Developments and Digital Transformation of the HSE System

Digital Transformation and Innovations in HSE: RZD Experience

The development of a safety culture and the implementation of digital tools are a natural stage in the evolution of large manufacturing companies. When an enterprise has thousands of employees spread across a vast territory, traditional control methods give way to automation and innovation. During the webinar, Andrey Filimonov, Chief Engineer of the Nizhny Novgorod Communications Directorate of Russian Railways (RZD), shares practical experience in engaging employees to create solutions for reducing injury rates and digitalizing HSE processes.

From Idea to Implementation: How the Innovation System Works

The speaker analyzes in detail the comprehensive innovative development system implemented in the directorate. The main goal is to minimize the path from the birth of an idea to its scaling. The process is built on the initiative of the employees themselves, who know the specifics of their work better than anyone else and can propose effective solutions.

• Idea generation: The source is the employees of the directorate and related enterprises. A system of financial incentives for innovators is in place for motivation.
• Selection and testing: At the directorate level, the significance and effectiveness of proposals are evaluated, and prototypes or schemes are created.
• Manufacturing and implementation: Third-party manufacturers are involved in the process, which allows adapting the developments to the strict technological requirements of the railway and establishing mass production.

Practical Developments for Injury Reduction

The presentation details specific innovative products created on the initiative of employees that have already proven their effectiveness in practice.

• Radio station with an electric field sensor: Warns the worker about dangerous proximity to high-voltage sources (from 220 V to 27 kV), which is critical for reducing electrical injuries.
• Track warning system: A complex using machine vision and artificial intelligence that recognizes a person at an unauthorized crossing and warns the train driver. A version for unregulated crossings is being developed to detect stuck vehicles.
• Automatic notification at stations: The system informs workers about train arrivals via SMS, audio messages to phones, or radio communication, which is especially relevant for stations without on-duty personnel.
• Mobile app for preventing child injuries: Warns the user (child) via SMS when entering a danger zone near railway tracks.

Automation of the HSE Management System

The speaker demonstrates by example how to digitalize the HSE management system without additional costs for programming and servers by using the free resources of existing corporate systems. This solution is especially relevant for enterprises with a large number of mobile employees.

• Remote control of work permits: Documents are filled out on-site, photographed, and uploaded to the system, allowing managers to quickly check the correctness of their completion and the availability of necessary PPE for workers (via photo).
• Monitoring of vehicles and personnel: The use of GLONASS trackers allows controlling the speed limit of vehicles (which reduces the risk of accidents) and the movement routes of employees. In the future, tracking workers entering danger zones is planned.
• Unified knowledge base: Regulatory documents, orders, and photos of reference workplaces are posted in the system, allowing employees to adopt best practices.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to motivate employees to propose innovative HSE ideas?
• How to build the process from idea generation to mass production?
• What technical solutions help reduce electrical injuries and rolling stock collision risks?
• How to automate the control of mobile teams across a vast territory?
• How to digitalize the HSE management system using the company's existing IT resources?