How to Effectively Implement Internal Standards for Safe Execution of Hazardous Work?

From Legislation to Real Safety: Why Internal Standards are Needed

Implementing internal standards for the safe execution of hazardous work is a natural and necessary step for any manufacturing enterprise striving to reduce injury rates. As expert Yuri Kharmansky notes, even at financially successful enterprises, the HSE management system often requires significant improvement. Legislation sets only general frameworks and does not always account for the specific risks of a particular production facility. Internal standards allow translating these requirements into practice, detailing the procedure for performing work in areas of unacceptable risks.

Where to Start: Setting Priorities and Risk Assessment

The speaker analyzes the approach to selecting standards for priority implementation. You shouldn't try to cover everything at once. For medium-sized enterprises, it is optimal to start with 7-10 key areas, such as working at heights, internal transport safety, hot work, confined space entry, and the LOTO (Lockout/Tagout) system. The choice of the first standard should be based on a risk-oriented approach: assessing the probability and severity of consequences, as well as the complexity of implementation. For example, a standard for working at heights is easier to implement since the danger is obvious to workers, whereas the LOTO system requires a deeper understanding of potential risks.

Implementation Team: Roles and Responsibilities

The success of the project directly depends on the correct distribution of roles. The presentation details the process of team formation. The author of the standard should be a highly qualified technical manager (chief engineer, chief mechanic) capable of considering all the nuances of business processes. The key figure on site is the standard owner. This is a competent specialist (often a foreman or line manager) who becomes a center of competence, coordinates work, advises employees, and tracks plan execution. It is important that standard owners undergo training in leadership basics, as without this skill, driving changes will be extremely difficult.

Step-by-Step Plan and Execution Control

Implementing a standard is a project that requires clear planning. The plan usually consists of 30-40 items divided into logical blocks (technical measures, organizational measures, proactive actions). The speaker demonstrates by example how important it is to track progress weekly for each item (0%, 50%, 100%). After completing all activities, a mandatory audit of the standard's implementation is conducted. The audit team (site director, standard author, HSE specialist) checks the completeness of the risk assessment and the actual execution of requirements at workplaces. If the compliance level is below 90%, the audit is repeated after addressing the findings.

Training and Visualization: How to Convey Requirements to Performers

Special attention is paid to the training process. For top managers, a brief presentation of goals and expected results is sufficient. For performers, training should be as simple, visual, and practical as possible. Using the LOTO standard as an example, it shows how to use visualization: equipment photos, lockout diagrams, examples of completed work permits, and LOTO cards. Complex instructions are replaced by clear step-by-step algorithms, which eliminates ambiguity and simplifies control.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to choose the first internal standard for implementation based on risk assessment?
• Who should write the standard text and how to avoid endless approvals?
• What is the role of the standard owner and why do they need leadership training?
• How to create an effective implementation plan and monitor its execution?
• How to properly organize an audit for putting the standard into operation?
• How to train personnel on new requirements using visualization and simple algorithms?