Incident Communication Practices from All Production Sites

Evolution of Safety Culture: From Infrastructure to Awareness

Reducing workplace injury rates is not just a matter of installing protective barriers and upgrading equipment. In her presentation, Natalia Kovaleva, Head of HSE at a company with 10 plants and 7,000 employees across Russia, discusses how the approach to safety is evolving. In the first stage, a significant reduction in incidents (by 70%) was achieved by improving workplace infrastructure. However, further progress required a shift in mindset: moving from administrative control to proactive leadership by managers, and then to the deep engagement of every employee.

The speaker emphasizes that the sustainable reduction of injuries in recent years has become possible due to the development of workers' self-awareness. When people understand why rules are important, rather than just following them under supervision, a true safety culture is formed. The company's goal is zero injuries, and it can only be achieved through systematic work with behavior and communications.

Multilevel Communication System: How Information Prevents Incidents

Awareness is the foundation of correct actions. The presentation details a multilevel communication system that acts as a preventive measure:

• Global Knowledge Sharing and Call to Action: Analysis of incidents and best practices from all company sites and related industries. It is important not just to review the information, but to track the implementation of corrective actions at each plant.
• Annual Awareness Projects: Calendar planning of thematic HSE weeks, articles, and team meetings tied to seasonal risks (e.g., fall prevention) and relevant lessons learned.
• Regular Local Events: Monthly Safety Days to share practices between functions (logistics, production) and weekly "HSE hours" in teams to maintain focus on safety.
• New Format Visual Propaganda: Using bright floor visualization in warehouse areas, which attracts the attention of forklift drivers and pedestrians more effectively than traditional wall posters.

Behavior-Based Safety (BBS): Peer-to-Peer Observation

The Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) program has become a key tool for employee engagement. The speaker demonstrates by example how the initiative shifted from managers to the workers themselves. Operators observe each other's work, note safe actions, and discuss barriers that prevent safe work.

The process is digitized: observations are recorded via tablets, which speeds up data analysis. The main value of the approach is identifying real problems based on the employees' own words. For example, thanks to feedback, "smart headphones" were introduced in noisy areas, along with ergonomic carts that reduce strain when bending. Observer operators act as safety ambassadors and are motivated through a recognition system.

Unified Safety Perimeter: Contractors as Part of the Team

An important aspect that the speaker addresses in the Q&A is the attitude towards contracting organizations. The company makes no distinction between in-house staff and contractors when it comes to safety. Contractors actively participate in reporting near misses, conducting toolbox talks, and the behavioral observation program. Any incident involving a contractor is investigated just as thoroughly as one involving an internal employee, which creates a unified safe environment on site.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to overcome the "plateau" in injury reduction when technical measures have been exhausted?
• How to build a communication system so that lessons from incidents actually change local processes?
• How to launch a Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) program driven by workers themselves rather than inspectors?
• Which visualization formats work best in areas with heavy equipment traffic?
• How to integrate contractors into internal safety management processes?