Employee Engagement in the Observation System

From Paper Cards to a Digital Ecosystem: The Evolution of Safety Observations

Engaging a workforce of thousands in HSE issues is one of the most difficult tasks for large industrial enterprises. When dealing with a staff of tens of thousands, traditional top-down control methods are no longer effective. Yana Legacheva, HSE Project Manager at International Paper, shares the experience of transforming the observation system at the Svetogorsk mill — from local developments to the implementation of a global digital platform.

In her presentation, the speaker details how the enterprise managed to move away from the "punishment for violations" paradigm to a culture of open dialogue, where every employee becomes an active participant in the safety process.

The "No Names, No Blame" Principle as the Foundation of Trust

A key barrier when implementing any control systems is employees' fear of potential sanctions. At International Paper, this problem was solved radically: the observation system is completely anonymous regarding the subjects of observation.

• What was done: The principle of recording facts, not personalities, was introduced. Observation cards lack fields for violators' names and do not use photographs that could identify a person.
• Why it matters: This removes the psychological barrier. Employees stop perceiving the system as a whistleblowing tool and begin to see it as a way to improve working conditions.
• How it works: The focus shifts from finding the guilty to analyzing systemic problems. If unsafe behavior is identified, the root cause is addressed (lack of knowledge, inconvenient tools, rushing), rather than punishing the specific worker.

Separating Streams: Unsafe Conditions vs. Unsafe Behavior

The speaker demonstrates by example how the data collection structure has evolved. While in early versions of the system all observations were dumped into a single pile, they are now clearly divided into two categories.

• "Unsafe Conditions" Card: Records technical and organizational deficiencies (broken fencing, spills, faulty lighting). This allows for a prompt response to material risk factors.
• "Behavior Observations" Card: Aimed at analyzing the actions of personnel (including contractors and visitors). It is this category that is currently the main focus, as it directly affects the formation of a safety culture.

This separation allows for accurate analytics and the application of different approaches to corrective actions: repairing equipment in the first case, and conducting training or changing work processes in the second.

Real-Time Analytics and Daily Control

Data collection is meaningless without its prompt utilization. The implemented platform (Certainty) automates the process of analyzing and delivering information to managers.

• Daily mailings: Every morning, department heads receive a summary for the past 24 hours, including new observations and engagement statistics.
• Integration into routine: Data from reports become a mandatory part of daily morning meetings. Critical observations are analyzed publicly to broadcast the experience to other workshops.
• Targets: A KPI has been set — at least 80% of employees must be involved in the behavior observation system monthly. This encourages local managers to work more actively with personnel.

Handling Resistance and Feedback

Even with a well-established system, motivation problems arise. The speaker notes that the lack of visible changes is the main demotivator for employees.

To solve this problem, a special commission was created at the mill, which analyzes statistics monthly. If engagement drops in any workshop, HSE specialists go directly to the workers. Live communication helps identify hidden barriers: from misunderstanding the program interface to frustration over previously unresolved issues. In addition, the observation system is now used to record audit results, which standardizes the inspection process.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to overcome personnel resistance when implementing electronic violation recording systems?
• Why does the anonymity of violators increase the effectiveness of the observation system?
• How to set up daily HSE analytics so that it becomes a working tool for workshop managers?
• What to do if employees lose motivation to write observations due to slow problem resolution?
• How to use unsafe behavior data to systematically improve safety culture rather than for punishment?