Models for Integrating Safety Issues into Production Personnel Training and Development Programs

From Isolated Training to Built-in Safety

The traditional approach to industrial training often separates professional training and HSE. Employees learn how to repair equipment separately from how to follow safety rules. Mikhail Omelchuk, responsible for technical training in the fertilizer division of EuroChem, explains why this approach is outdated and how to turn every technical training program into a tool for improving safety.

The presentation details the transition to a skill-based training model, where HSE issues are organically woven into the study of mechanics, power engineering, metrology, and production technology. Using the creation of new training centers and practice grounds as an example, the speaker shows how these areas can be practically combined so that safe work execution becomes the only possible algorithm for employees.

10 Models for Integrating Safety Issues

The speaker emphasizes that there is no ideal universal model. Different approaches are applied depending on the specifics of the program and the target audience. The report highlights 10 integration models, ranging from the simplest to the most complex:

• Fragmented model: The traditional approach where HSE and technical discipline programs exist in isolation. This is the easiest to develop but the least effective path.
• Connected and layered models: Refining the structure within a single course by highlighting specific modules (e.g., risk assessment within an HSE course), but there is still no deep connection with other disciplines.
• Sequential model: Programs follow one another and have points of contact. For example, after obtaining a basic rigger certificate at an external center, an employee undergoes an internal practical program to practice skills taking into account corporate requirements and risk assessment.
• Combined program: One discipline smoothly transitions into another. The speaker gives the example of implementing the LOTO (Lockout-Tagout) system. After learning energy isolation rules, the employee then applies these skills in practice when studying pump repair or working in electrical installations. The skill is consolidated as an integral part of the workflow.
• Networked program: Several modules are united by a common idea. At EuroChem, this is implemented through the "Safe EuroChem" onboarding course, which includes training on injury prevention, risk assessment, and first aid, all permeated by a unified concept of safety leadership.
• Threaded model: Sequential completion of related programs, where each subsequent one builds on the knowledge from the previous one (e.g., working at heights → gas-hazardous work → cleaning equipment inside confined spaces).
• Integrated model: Close intertwining of programs (equipment repair, LOTO, safety of rotating parts), allowing for a comprehensive exam.
• Nested system and networking: Applied during grade-level training, where professional skills and safety requirements are packaged into a single product, and the employee interacts with a network of experts, including HSE specialists, during self-preparation.

Practical Implementation: Practice Grounds and Skill Development

Theoretical models are supported by a solid practical foundation. The company is creating technical training centers with practice grounds for skill development. A pilot project in the Stavropol Territory already allows employees (both operational and maintenance personnel) to physically practice correct work algorithms on real equipment (e.g., bench grinders and drilling machines).

An important aspect is that training is conducted by in-house instructors who also assess the knowledge of employees and contractors. This ensures a unified standard of requirements and a deep understanding of the enterprise's specifics. The goal of such investments is to reduce injuries and prevent errors leading to equipment breakdowns and emergency situations.

What You Will Learn from This Webinar:

• How to stop teaching HSE just to "tick a box" and build safety into professional skills?
• What models exist for combining technical training and HSE programs?
• How to use the LOTO system not as a separate course, but as a basic skill for any repair?
• Why are practice grounds needed and how are safe work algorithms practiced on them?
• How to build an onboarding program for new employees through the lens of a risk-oriented approach?