Safety Culture Tools. Best Practices

Safety Culture as Part of the Company Strategy

The development of a safety culture is not just a set of regulations, but a key priority embedded in the strategy of modern manufacturing companies. The speaker explains why, even with modern equipment and effective protection systems, injury rates cannot be reduced to zero without addressing employee behavior. Safety culture implies the personal responsibility of every worker for their own actions and the safety of their colleagues.

The Problem of a Formal Approach to Rules

The presentation details a paradox: key (or "golden") safety rules are implemented, everyone has signed off on them, they hang on information boards, but there is no deep commitment among employees. The rules do not become part of their daily lives. The speaker demonstrates by example that it is not enough to simply invent rules and hand them down from above — it is necessary to build quality dialogues with workers so they realize their personal need for safety.

The Role of Communications and Mentality

An interesting insight from the webinar is the impact of historically established mentality on work processes. In Russian practice, priority is often given to completing the production task at any cost, while communications remain a weak link. When transmitting information, colossal losses occur: barely half of what is intended reaches the point of being understood and executed. That is why it is critically important not to skimp on words when explaining why certain safety tools are needed.

Dialogues with Line Managers

To solve the communication problem, the speaker analyzes the practice of conducting face-to-face dialogues with line managers (foremen). The goal of these meetings is to make people understand that they need safety for themselves, not for HSE specialists. The sessions analyze real situations: risk assessment before driving a car, the danger of using a phone while driving, and the need to wear seatbelts in the back seat. Interactive formats, such as a tower-building game that considers risk balance, help to better absorb the material.

Assessment and Development of Safety Culture

During the webinar, methods for assessing safety culture are discussed. The speaker notes that it is impossible to derive an "average temperature" for a large company with many enterprises of different ages and profiles. The assessment is conducted locally using anonymous questionnaires based on seven criteria (including leadership and attitude to risks). The results are mapped onto the Hudson ladder to understand the current level and develop targeted improvement plans.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• Why implemented "golden rules" often do not work in practice and how to fix this?
• How historical mentality traits influence the priority of fulfilling the plan over safety?
• How to properly build a dialogue with line managers so they become conductors of safety culture?
• What interactive training formats help workers realize the importance of risk assessment?
• How to assess the level of safety culture at enterprises with different histories and specifics?