HSE Entrance Testing Methodology for Foreign Citizens

Context: Challenges in Hiring Foreign Workers in Construction

The construction industry is traditionally characterized by a high injury rate, consistently holding leading positions in the number of accidents. The situation is complicated by a personnel shortage, where companies are forced to massively attract foreign citizens, particularly from neighboring countries. Often, such workers have a low level of competence in occupational safety and a specific attitude towards risks. In his presentation, Artur Voznarovich, HSE Director at Rudstroy (Metalloinvest Group), shares the experience of developing and implementing a unique HSE entrance testing methodology for citizens of Uzbekistan, aimed at reducing injuries and developing a safety culture.

Structure of the Entrance Testing Methodology

Faced with the lack of ready-made solutions on the market, the Rudstroy team developed its own 90-minute methodology consisting of five key blocks. The speaker analyzes each of them in detail, emphasizing their practical focus and adaptation to the target audience.

Block 1: Diagnostics of Risk Readiness

To assess candidates' propensity for risky behavior, the Schubert test is used. 25 questions help identify workers whose behavior may pose a threat on the construction site, allowing for informed decisions about hiring or the need for enhanced control.

Block 2: Test on Knowledge of Basic HSE Terms

Ten questions focus on the specifics of construction production. They test the understanding of elementary concepts related to the hazards workers will face daily.

Block 3: "Where is the Logic?" Format

Using the mechanics of a popular TV show, candidates are asked to match visual images (pictures) to find a common similarity related to occupational safety. This non-standard approach facilitates the perception of information in the presence of a language barrier.

Block 4: Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment by Photo

Candidates are shown real photos from the company's construction sites. The task is to identify hazards and assess risks. This allows testing practical skills in visual control of the work environment.

Block 5: "Freeze Frame" — Analysis of Violations in Movies

The speaker shows, using an excerpt from the Soviet film "The Height" as an example, how workers can be involved in the process of finding safety violations. Candidates must notice the dangerous actions of the characters, which trains their attentiveness.

Individual Development Plans and Work with Leaders

Based on the test results, candidates are divided into categories (electrical safety, work at height, etc.), and individual development plans (IDPs) are formed for them. IDPs include visual materials and videos that are easy to understand. An important insight was the identification of informal leaders among the workers. Interacting with the rest of the personnel through these "change agents" proved to be the most effective way to improve the safety culture.

Advantages, Difficulties, and Prospects

The implementation of the methodology allowed systematizing the selection process and providing an individual approach to adaptation. A high level of candidate engagement was noted. However, the speaker also notes a number of difficulties: the language barrier, requiring the involvement of specialists with language knowledge (for example, supervisors), high time costs for testing and support, as well as the need for constant updating of tasks to prevent cheating.

In the future, the company plans to digitize the tool (transfer to an electronic format for smartphones), expand the methodology to assess professional competencies, and scale the approach to all hired workers, including conducting preliminary selection in the candidates' country of residence.

What You Will Learn from This Webinar:

• How to assess the propensity for risky behavior in candidates with a low level of education?
• What non-standard formats (e.g., gamification) are effective when testing foreign workers?
• How to build an individual HSE development plan based on entrance testing results?
• How to overcome the language barrier and cultural characteristics when training foreign citizens?
• How to use informal leaders to manage safety in teams?