Safety Curators: An Important Element of the HSE System

Overcoming Stagnation: Why Production Needs Safety Curators

Any, even the most modern and effectively built HSE system risks facing stagnation over time. Burnout of managers, a drop in personnel engagement, and routine can lead to a rollback of achieved results. In his presentation, Vladimir Stepanov, Director of the Industrial Safety and Occupational Health Department at OTEKO JSC, analyzes the concept of introducing the institution of safety curators — a tool that allows dampening stagnation and giving a new impetus to the development of safety culture without additional financial investments.

Curatorship is implemented through the internal potential of the organization and the current staffing table. This ensures system flexibility, the absence of unnecessary bureaucracy, and the continuous development of the specialists' own competencies. At the same time, the speaker emphasizes a fundamental difference: a curator is not a safety leader (this role remains with the head of the department). A curator is a mentor, a guide to best practices, and a connecting bridge between the HSE system and a specific workshop.

Two-Sided Resistance: Illusions and Fears on the Ground

The introduction of a new role is impossible without preliminary preparation. The speaker shows by the example of his company that an immediate launch of the project would have led to its discrediting due to powerful two-sided resistance.

• From future curators: specialists perceived the new role as an unpaid additional burden. There was a problem of unclear functions and a fear of public communications, as many lacked leadership qualities to conduct a dialogue with production workers.
• From department heads: line management initially perceived curators as "personal secretaries" onto whom all HSE paperwork could be shifted. In parallel, there was a fear that the curator would become a "spy" collecting information to punish the department by top management.

For a successful start, it was necessary to strictly separate the concepts. A curator does not take away the manager's routine work and is not their "friend" who turns a blind eye to violations to maintain good relations. They must maintain objectivity and help the department implement safe practices.

Working Tools and Mindset Transformation

Curators come to departments with a specific set of tools that help change workers' attitudes toward safety on the ground. The presentation details the transition from formal procedures to a lively dialogue.

• Line walkdowns with top management: curators prepare managers in advance for morning site visits. This forms a powerful role model and allows workers to directly discuss issues of PPE provision or sanitary conditions.
• Behavioral safety audits: the speaker analyzes the complex process of breaking the "violated — punished" stereotype. Curators, by personal example, taught foremen the format "violated — talked, analyzed the cause, thanked," acting as a buffer in the transition to a culture of open dialogue.
• Practical on-site training: instead of theoretical lectures, curators who have previously undergone specialized training (for example, in a steeplejacks school) conduct visual practical reviews directly in the workshops, which elicits a high response from the working personnel.

The result of such work was not only an improvement in overall safety culture indicators but also a 27% reduction in occupational injuries. For the system to continue working, Vladimir recommends regularly rotating curators (to avoid "merging" with the department) and ensuring their physical presence at production facilities, rather than in offices.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to overcome the resistance of line managers when introducing new roles in HSE?
• How does the functionality of a curator fundamentally differ from the standard tasks of an HSE specialist?
• How to transform behavioral audits from a punishment tool into a tool for identifying root causes?
• What methods help develop public speaking skills and confidence in safety specialists?
• How to avoid turning a curator into a "secretary" or an "advocate" for violators inside the workshop?