Development of the HSE Representatives Institution

Evolution of the HSE Representatives' Role

The institution of HSE representatives exists at many large enterprises, but its work is often formal. The speaker analyzes the experience of rebooting this process at a chemical plant, where the nominal role of trade union representatives was transformed into a real tool for improving the safety culture.

The presentation details the path from misunderstanding the functions of representatives to creating an effective system for their motivation and training. The key problem was the lack of clear evaluation criteria: what exactly should the best representatives be rewarded for at the end of the year? This led to the need for a deep analysis and revision of the entire interaction process.

Analysis of the Current State and Problem Identification

To understand the situation, a cross-functional working group was created, and a survey of all 76 representatives was conducted. The analysis showed that most of them are experienced technologists (74% have been working for more than 5 years) who know the production well but lack sufficient knowledge in the field of HSE.

Five main problems were identified:

• Lack of support from management and the HSE Directorate: managers often perceived representatives as "spies," and the HSE Directorate did not have an established interaction process with them.
• Weak motivation: many became representatives by request, not understanding their role and lacking incentives for active work.
• Lack of knowledge and experience: representatives did not know how to assess risks and improve working conditions in practice.
• Lack of information: the absence of an operational communication channel for receiving and transmitting up-to-date HSE information.
• Opaque suggestion system: the process of issuing suggestions to managers was chaotic and uncontrolled.

Comprehensive Reboot Program

The speaker shows by example how each identified problem was solved through specific countermeasures:

• Regular meetings and joint inspections: quarterly meetings with the HSE Directorate were introduced for calibration and information exchange. Representatives began to participate in targeted inspections together with HSE specialists.
• Multi-level motivation: in addition to annual bonuses (in the amount of the minimum wage for the TOP-20), a quarterly competition with awards for the top three was introduced. Quarter winners do not participate in the next one, giving others a chance. Representatives can also nominate their manager for the title of the best in interaction.
• Standardization and training: checklists for walkarounds and a standard list of activities for the year were developed. A mandatory gamified e-learning course, created based on real photos of violations from the enterprise, was implemented.
• Information leadership: a general chat was created through which representatives are the first to receive news (e.g., about new PPE) and promptly resolve employee issues (about 500 questions per year).

Practical Results and New Initiatives

The implementation of a point-based evaluation system (for eliminating violations, participating in inspections, chat activity, and implementing measures to improve working conditions) made the work transparent. Representatives began to show initiative: they developed their own safety posters, organized quizzes, and initiated the replacement of uncomfortable raincoats with waterproof suits.

A mentoring practice emerged, where experienced representatives help those lagging behind. At the same time, the concealment of accidents is strictly suppressed — this leads to the disqualification of the representative.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to turn nominal HSE representatives into active participants in the safety management system?
• What criteria to use for the objective evaluation and rewarding of representatives?
• How to build effective training for representatives based on real enterprise cases?
• How to establish constructive interaction between representatives, shop management, and the HSE department?
• How to use representatives to promptly inform employees and solve their problems?