Risk Identification Tools: Daily Monitoring, Safety Behavioral Audits, Improvement Proposals

From Control to Conscious Safety: Evolution of Tools

The transition from a punitive system to a conscious choice of safe behavior is a key challenge for modern manufacturing companies. Alina Sokolova, Deputy General Director for Quality and Industrial Safety at Steel Technology, shares practical experience in transforming the safety culture. The presentation details a comprehensive approach to risk identification, where safety becomes not just a priority, but an internal value for every employee.

Daily Monitoring as the Foundation for Risk Identification

The company's monitoring system is built on regularity and engagement. Daily morning walkthroughs of production sites are supplemented by weekly office inspections and unscheduled audits. The speaker emphasizes the importance of process transparency: site managers are notified in advance of planned walkthroughs via a general chat and can voluntarily join the inspection.

This approach shifts the focus from recording minor everyday violations to identifying potentially hazardous situations. Minor flaws are eliminated on the spot, while serious risks are recorded in the Bitrix system with assigned responsibilities and deadlines. Over a year, such monitoring has identified additional risks not accounted for during the annual assessment, proving the effectiveness of continuous control.

Behavioral Audits: Addressing Unconscious Unsafe Behavior

The speaker analyzes a critical aspect of injuries: unconscious unsafe behavior. Traditional methods (instructions, training) do not work here. Observational checks (behavioral audits) become the solution tool.

The process is structured as correctly as possible: the operator is warned in advance about the observation, which lasts 10-15 minutes. The most important stage is the subsequent feedback. The discussion is based on evaluating the situation, not the employee's personality. A joint search for the causes of unsafe actions helps form a new, safe behavioral model, which eventually becomes routine.

Improvement Proposals: Employee Engagement

A logical development of the monitoring system was the introduction of an improvement proposal mechanism. Any employee can submit an idea to enhance safety, ergonomics, or environmental protection. Various channels are used for maximum reach: electronic and paper forms, collection boxes, and even special "improvement agents."

Each proposal undergoes a risk assessment before and after implementation. Motivation is financially supported: a bonus is paid even for rejected ideas, and an increased amount for implemented ones. Additionally, a percentage of the economic effect is paid. This tool has helped identify dozens of hidden risks and significantly increase employee engagement.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to organize effective daily monitoring without formalism?
• How to conduct behavioral audits so they change habits rather than cause negativity?
• How to build a working system of improvement proposals and motivate employees?
• How to use problem-solving boards for prompt risk elimination?
• What criteria to use for the best HSE department competition?