The Evolution of Leadership Principles and HSE Practices in Mining

Transforming corporate culture in large industrial holdings rarely occurs without resistance. Shifting from reactive incident response to proactive risk management requires not only changes to the regulatory framework but also a profound shift in mindset at all levels—from the CEO to the line supervisor. This presentation details the practical journey of a major mining company with over 15,000 employees that launched systematic changes to its safety culture elements at the turn of 2022–2023.

The speaker candidly discusses not only successful solutions but also typical early-stage mistakes: attempting to implement too many initiatives simultaneously, encountering formalism on the ground, and the challenges of integrating occupational safety processes with the company's business system.

From Quantity to Quality: The Evolution of Behavioral Safety Audits (BSA)

Behavioral safety audits became a key tool for involving management in safety issues. However, at the start, the company encountered the classic trap of a "tick-box" system. Setting a quota (e.g., two audits per month for each supervisor) led to formalistic inspections, with data being mass-entered into the system during the final days of the reporting period.

To reverse this trend, a comprehensive approach was implemented:

• Digitalization of the process. All audits were migrated to a corporate automated system with data entry capabilities via a mobile application (including explosion-proof devices). This reduced documentation time and allowed for the recording of unsafe acts and conditions directly at the production site.
• Changing the control rhythm. Instead of monthly statistical reporting, a weekly status check was introduced during regular production meetings.
• Combating simulation. The system requires employees to provide specific improvement suggestions. After identifying a practice of formal field filling (e.g., entering a space instead of text), the company, together with independent verifiers, shifted from quantitative audit assessment to qualitative evaluation.

Proactive Indicators in the Incentive System (KPIs)

An important step was restructuring the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for managers. Traditional reactive metrics (FATALITY, LTIFR) now account for only 20% of the safety component in the annual bonus. The remaining 80% consists of proactive indicators that motivate personnel to prevent incidents.

Three key elements are integrated into the proactive block:

• Quality and regularity of BSA execution.
• Timely completion of corrective actions. This includes tasks generated from government inspections, incident investigations, and comprehensive audits recorded in a unified digital system.
• Personnel training. Strict control over 100% completion of mandatory certifications and training, including for blue-collar professions.

Failure to meet monthly targets for these indicators directly impacts the annual bonus, ensuring constant engagement from technical management.

Cascading Leadership and Risk Management

To solidify the new culture, the company launched a series of leadership sessions. The process started at the top management level: the CEO and plant directors made personal safety commitments. The next stage involved cascading these principles to the level of line managers through the implementation of "Safety Practices"—an adapted standard for managerial work.

In parallel, the management of critical risks was systematized. Historically, the company had several fragmented assessment methodologies. Today, the list of critical risks (such as mine flooding, which could lead to business loss) is formed during annual sessions involving top management. Managing these risks is allocated as a separate block, accounting for 10% of technical managers' annual bonuses, and the execution of protective measures is strictly verified.

What you will learn from this presentation:

• How to avoid the "initiative overload" effect at the start of a safety culture transformation?
• How do mobile technologies help combat formalistic behavioral safety audits?
• How to properly balance reactive and proactive indicators in managerial KPIs?
• How to involve line management in implementing safety practices and measure their effectiveness?
• How to synchronize fragmented critical risk assessment methodologies into a single working system?