Effective Control of Industrial Safety on Geographically Dispersed Production Sites of an Enterprise

Evolution of Industrial Control: From Formalism to Efficiency

Organizing administrative and industrial control (IC) at enterprises with a geographically distributed structure is a task that requires non-standard approaches. Classic inspection schemes prescribed by corporate standards often crash against harsh reality: vast distances, lack of transport infrastructure, and colossal financial costs for logistics. During the webinar, Denis Zamula, Deputy Chief Engineer for Occupational Health, Industrial and Fire Safety at the Vorkuta LPU MG of Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta LLC, shares practical experience in transforming the control system at Far North facilities.

The speaker analyzes in detail how the transition from formal adherence to regulations to a risk-oriented and territorial-cluster approach allowed not only to improve the quality of inspections but also to multiply reduce the costs of conducting them. Special attention is paid to the work of the permanent commission (PC) of the third level, which, according to the expert, should demonstrate leadership and set the tone for the entire industrial safety system of the branch.

Territorial-Cluster Principle: Optimizing Logistics and Costs

Until 2023, third-level PC inspections at the Vorkuta LPU MG were conducted strictly by structural divisions. However, the specifics of the enterprise are such that the facilities and personnel of one service can be located at sites separated by hundreds of kilometers. For example, access to facilities on the Yamal Peninsula is possible only by helicopter. Inspecting each division separately led to astronomical costs and a formal approach.

The solution was the transition to a territorial-cluster principle. The speaker shows by example how production sites were combined into compact clusters based on geographical or functional criteria. A comprehensive inspection of all divisions within a single trip to a remote compressor station reduced logistics costs by 12 times (from 19 million to 1.5 million rubles), while increasing the depth and quality of the control itself.

Reforming the PC Composition: From a "Crowd" to Mobile Inspection Groups

Traditionally, the third-level PC included 36 managers and specialists. Gathering such a commission in full is practically impossible, and an excessive number of inspectors at a facility often leads to a decrease in personal responsibility and formalism.

The presentation details a plan for transitioning to work with mobile inspection groups. Forming 4 groups of 5 people (including specialized experts and production representatives) with an annual rotation of one-third of the composition solves several tasks at once: it optimizes the workload on managers, strengthens personal responsibility, and additionally reduces travel costs by 4 times. In addition, a system for evaluating the effectiveness of each commission member tied to bonuses is being implemented.

Involving HSE Representatives: Targeted Training on Real Examples

One of the problems with the shift method of work is the poor informing of personnel about identified violations, which leads to their repetition at different facilities. To solve this problem, occupational safety representatives were actively involved in the work.

The speaker breaks down the mechanics of targeted training: specialized experts hold regular meetings with representatives, where they analyze specific violations using real photo and video materials from PC inspections. After such visual briefing, the representatives conduct targeted inspections at their workplaces. The result is a twofold increase in the number of non-conformities identified at the grassroots level and the practical reduction to zero of repeated violations on the analyzed topics. It is important that workers are not punished for violations identified through this system, which ensures trust and the effectiveness of the process.

What You Will Learn from This Webinar:

• How to adapt corporate industrial control standards to the conditions of the Far North and remote facilities?
• What is the essence of the territorial-cluster approach when planning inspections, and how does it help save millions of rubles?
• Why is a large commission less effective than a compact inspection group, and how to properly organize its work?
• How to train HSE representatives so that they identify real risks, and not just "minor things"?
• Why does the absence of punishments for violations identified by representatives increase overall safety at the enterprise?