HSE Function Leadership in Developing a Safety Culture

From Inspector to Partner: Transforming the HSE Role

The development of a safety culture is impossible without a strong and competent Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) team. The presentation details the process of transitioning the HSE function from a traditional supervisory and controlling approach to the role of a business partner. This transition is necessary because the inspection approach, historically established in the industry, often causes resistance from production departments and does not contribute to a real improvement in safety culture.

The speaker examines how changing the interaction paradigm — from punishment to helping solve problems — radically changes the business's attitude towards the HSE service. When occupational safety specialists start speaking the same language as production workers and jointly look for ways to reduce risks, the level of trust and support from line managers increases significantly.

Competency Assessment and Team Development

Transformation begins with the HSE function itself. Before implementing new tools in production, it is necessary to ensure that the team has the required knowledge and skills. The webinar shows how conducting a deep competency assessment (including hundreds of questions and expert evaluation) allows identifying areas for development.

Special attention is paid not only to professional (hard skills) but also to managerial competencies (soft skills). Effective communication, change management, presentation skills, and the ability to give feedback become critically important for HSE specialists in their new role. In addition, the speaker demonstrates by example the importance of burnout prevention and stress management programs, considering the high emotional load on specialists in this field.

Top Management Involvement: Project Sponsorship

One of the key insights of the presentation is the transfer of responsibility for HSE projects to top management. The HSE function acts as a methodologist, while the implementation and achievement of results are taken on by board members and general directors.

This approach radically changes the dynamics: top executives, possessing the necessary authority and resources, become sponsors of specific risks (for example, working at heights). This ensures real leadership and commitment to safety issues at the highest level, which is then cascaded to all levels of management.

Digitalization and Employee Engagement

For the mass involvement of employees in safety issues, convenient and accessible tools are needed. The implementation of mobile applications for recording unsafe acts and conditions allows every worker to promptly report problems.

Providing employees with smartphones and automating the process of transmitting information to responsible persons (foremen, shop managers) significantly accelerates the elimination of violations and forms a proactive culture where everyone feels responsible for safety in the workplace.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to assess the current competency level of the HSE service and build its development program?
• What steps are necessary to transition from an inspection approach to a partnership with production?
• How to effectively involve top management in risk management and the implementation of safety projects?
• How to use digital tools for the mass involvement of personnel in hazard identification?
• How to build a system of internal trainers for more effective employee training?