Developing a Safety Culture with Limited Resources

Building a sustainable occupational safety culture is often perceived as a process requiring massive financial investments and the involvement of expensive consultants. However, practice shows that fundamental changes begin with establishing communication and implementing basic tools that every worker understands. In his presentation, Alexander Ryabenkiy, Lead Engineer at LUKOIL-PERM LLC, analyzes a case study of developing a safety culture under severe resource constraints, proving that the system's effectiveness depends not on the budget, but on employee engagement.

System Architecture: From Prevention to Transparency

Using his company as an example, the speaker demonstrates how to build operations based on three key elements: incident prevention, ensuring transparency, and systematic work with consequences. A specific set of tools is provided for each level of personnel. While engineering and technical staff use risk assessment matrices and barrier development, highly practical formats have been implemented for operational staff: dynamic risk assessment, safety dialogues, and the right to stop unsafe work.

Visualization and Integration into Routine

Special attention in the presentation is given to inexpensive but effective solutions that change employees' daily habits:

• Visualization of key rules. Transitioning from dry text standards to clear graphic images at workplaces increases the level of requirement comprehension.
• "Check Yourself" mirrors. Installing full-length mirrors in change rooms and control rooms allows workers to independently check the correct use of PPE before starting their shift.
• Hard hat marking. Special stickers for employees who have undergone advanced training and are ready to provide first aid help to quickly orient oneself in an emergency situation.

Hazard Observation Cards (HOC) and the Motivation System

One of the central elements of the transformation was the implementation of Hazard Observation Cards. Alexander examines in detail the problem of low engagement: at the start of the project, workers were afraid to record the unsafe actions of their colleagues or report violations.

To overcome this barrier, a transparent system of material incentives was developed. For the best observations of unsafe conditions, unsafe acts, or near misses, bonuses ranging from 5 to 15 thousand rubles are provided, as well as a special bonus from the working group. This approach made it possible to double the number of submitted cards in just one year, shifting the focus from punishment to rewarding proactivity.

Dealing with Resistance and the "Human Factor"

The implementation of any changes inevitably faces resistance, especially from experienced employees accustomed to working the old-fashioned way. The speaker analyzes the root causes of unsafe behavior: from the pressure of production plans to conscious disregard for the rules ("I've always done it this way").

To change mindsets, a method of translating occupational risks into the realm of personal experience is used. Discussing domestic injuries or simple habits, like using a seatbelt in a car, helps break down the barrier of rejection and show that safety is not a management requirement, but everyone's personal responsibility.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to launch a working HSE hotline and why anonymous appeals reduce the effectiveness of feedback?
• What algorithm is used to process Hazard Observation Cards and how to avoid formalism when filling them out?
• How to prepare internal trainers and safety "navigators" from among line managers?
• What arguments to use when dialoguing with employees who consciously violate safety rules?
• How to assess the adoption rate of safety culture tools at geographically distributed facilities?