Improving Safety Culture Based on a New HR Strategy

Evolution of Occupational Safety: From Technical to Behavioral Solutions

The development of occupational safety is inextricably linked to industrial progress. The speaker highlights three main stages in the evolution of safety systems. The first stage focused on technical solutions — guards and interlocks — which emerged in response to industrialization. The second stage brought organizational solutions: standards, regulations, and procedures. However, despite these measures, injuries did not disappear completely. The main obstacle on the path to zero injuries became the human factor and behavior.

Today, we are at the third stage — the stage of behavioral safety. Further reduction in injuries is possible only through a positive change in employee behavior. The presentation examines the problem in detail: existing approaches (behavioral audits, stop cards) are often fragmented and viewed solely from the perspective of the enterprise, rather than the employee.

Personal System of Conscious Occupational Safety

To solve the engagement problem, the speaker proposes a new methodology — a personal system of conscious occupational safety. The essence of the approach lies in shifting from the "system - tool" paradigm to the "system - system" paradigm. The employee is viewed as an independent functional system with their own goals and values.

The methodology is based on aligning the personal goals of the employee with the goals of the enterprise. If an employee understands that to achieve their life goals (health, stable income, professional development) they need to use the enterprise's resources, they consciously accept the rules of the game. In this case, the employee acts not as a passive executor, but as an internal customer of safety tools (instructions, PPE, training).

Seven Elements of the Personal System

The speaker breaks down the structure of the personal system, which includes seven key elements based on the PDCA cycle:

• Employee goals: forming clear personal goals and synchronizing them with company objectives. This creates internal motivation for safe work.
• Operating principles: awareness, responsibility, and professionalism as basic attitudes when performing tasks.
• Commitments: voluntary acceptance of responsibility for one's own safety and the safety of colleagues.
• Competence: continuous development of professional skills and knowledge in the field of HSE.
• Work execution: strict adherence to regulations and practical application of safe procedures.
• Performance evaluation: regular self-monitoring and analysis of work results.
• Performance improvement: adjusting plans and goals based on gained experience.

Practical Aspects of Implementation and the Role of the HSE Department

Implementing conscious safety requires changing the role of HSE specialists. Using their company as an example, the speaker shows that removing specialists from the subordination of line managers and raising their status (including salary levels) turns the HSE department into a real business partner. Specialists become methodologists and assistants, rather than just controllers.

Special attention is paid to proactive indicators (KPIs). Evaluating the department's performance is based not only on the absence of injuries but also on the implementation of preventive measures: identifying risks, conducting training, and providing resources. This eliminates the motivation to hide incidents and stimulates real work to prevent them.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• Why do traditional HSE management methods stop working?
• How to align an employee's personal goals with the company's safety goals?
• What elements make up the personal system of conscious safety?
• How to change the role of the HSE department so it becomes a partner to production?
• Which KPIs help realistically evaluate the effectiveness of HSE specialists?