How to Use the Potential of Top Executives in Developing a Safety Culture

The development of a safety culture is impossible without the active participation of the company's top executives. Formal declarations of goals do not work if they are not supported by real actions from management. During the webinar, Sergey Peresypkin breaks down the fundamental concept of HSE leadership and explains why the level of safety culture is always evaluated based on the subjective opinion of the working personnel.

The Cycle of Forming Safe Behavior

At the center of any safety system is the human. The leader's task is not just to manage processes, but to shape values that encourage employees to choose safe behavioral models. The speaker shows how this cycle works in practice: the manager broadcasts priorities, tracks their implementation through continuous monitoring, and applies corrective or positive actions to consolidate the result.

Seven Tools for Unlocking Leadership Potential

The presentation details practical mechanisms through which a manager at any level can influence the team's attitude towards HSE:

• Personal statement of responsibility. Public recognition of safety as a priority over other tasks. In practice, this is confirmed by the high status of the HSE function — for example, the department reporting directly to the company's top executive.
• Safety priority in investments. The review of any new projects and the conduct of meetings should begin with safety issues, which sets the right tone for all employees.
• "Programming" new employees. The onboarding of newcomers is a critical moment. The personal participation of the top executive in the briefing or welcoming of new employees builds trust and immediately sets high standards for safe work, neutralizing any potential negative experiences from previous jobs.
• Horizontal communications. Sharing best practices between departments. The speaker provides an example of rotating HSE specialists between different locations to exchange experience and get a fresh perspective on processes.
• Regular workplace visits. Going "into the field" should become a ritual, not a formal audit. The goal is a direct dialogue with workers about risks and the prompt use of managerial authority to improve working conditions.
• Timely motivation for progress. Encouragement should be given not only for the final result but also for following the rules during the work process. Non-material motivation (certificates, personal gratitude) often has a more long-term effect than fines, as it creates a desire to repeat the correct actions.
• Exit interviews with departing employees. The loss of a competent specialist is a reason to analyze the team climate. In an unbiased environment, the departing employee can highlight hidden problems in the safety culture that are not visible from the office.

Measuring Leadership: The Metrics Matrix

Any tools lose their effectiveness if they are not measured. To assess the engagement of managers, it is necessary to implement a leadership matrix — a system of key performance indicators (KPIs) for HSE. Tracking the frequency of workplace visits, the number of rewarded employees, and the conversations held allows top management to understand how well top managers are coping with their role as safety leaders and to adjust their training system in a timely manner.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• Why does a real safety culture depend on the subjective opinion of line personnel?
• How to properly structure the onboarding process to "program" a newcomer for safe work?
• What is the difference between motivation for results and motivation for progress in HSE?
• How to use horizontal communications to scale best practices between workshops?
• What metrics to include in the leadership matrix for an objective assessment of top managers' performance?