Development of Occupational Safety Culture

Context: Transformation of a Historical Production Facility

The development of a safety culture is often associated with high-margin industries, such as the oil and gas sector. However, the experience of PJSC South Ural Mining and Processing Company (brand "Ackermann Cement") proves that large-scale changes are also possible at historical enterprises with established processes. In this webinar, Nikita Vildt details the transformation journey of the Occupational Health and Industrial Safety (HSE) management system at a cement production facility, implemented jointly with Ernst & Young consultants.

Audit and the Starting Point for Change

The speaker notes that at the start of the project, the enterprise fully complied with legislative requirements and successfully passed inspections by regulatory authorities. However, the system had several significant limitations:

• Formal approach to control: the first and second levels of production control worked nominally, and real audits were carried out only by the HSE department.
• Lack of risk assessment: the hazard identification process was not integrated into daily practice.
• Low employee engagement: the HSE policy existed "on paper," but workers did not know its content.

Based on the audit results, a one-year roadmap was developed, involving the phased implementation of new initiatives, starting with the revision of basic documents.

New Policy and 12 Life-Saving Rules

A key success factor was the leadership of top management. The CEO personally designated the life and health of employees as the company's core value. The new HSE policy is based on three principles: refusal to work in unsafe conditions, the right of everyone to stop work, and the understanding that safe production is efficient production.

The presentation details the process of creating the "12 Life-Saving Rules." Importantly, these rules were proposed by the workers themselves during focus groups, and then structured and visualized. They cover basic requirements: from the mandatory use of PPE and work permits to the use of seat belts in vehicles. The speaker shows by example how strict compliance with the seat belt rule became the starting point for changing attitudes toward rules in general.

Micro-Injury Management and Risk Assessment

An important stage was the implementation of a micro-injury investigation procedure. The speaker emphasizes that the main goal of this process is not punishment, but the prevention of more serious incidents. Employees are guaranteed no sanctions for disclosing information about micro-injuries, even if they occurred due to a rule violation. This made it possible to build a system for analyzing causes and developing corrective actions.

In parallel, a large-scale risk assessment campaign was launched using the "What If" (Five Whys) method. Within six months, risk assessment maps were developed for all work operations, covering over 2,000 employees. Risk mitigation measures are formulated according to the SMART principle, ensuring they are specific and achievable.

Contractor Engagement and Digitalization of Control

Special attention in the project was paid to working with contractors. During planned maintenance, consultants and HSE specialists worked on-site 24/7, conducting joint audits and discussions with contractor managers. This led to the creation of clear interaction regulations, including five stages of control.

To automate processes, checklists were introduced, allowing foremen and site managers to quickly assess workplace conditions. In the future, there are plans to launch the "Ackermann Safety" mobile application to involve every employee in the risk management process.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to overcome a formal approach to occupational safety at a historical production facility?
• How to involve workers in creating safety rules so that they actually work?
• How to build a micro-injury investigation process without the fear of punishment?
• How to organize effective control over the work of contractors during major repairs?
• How to use checklists to automate safety inspections at workplaces?