Safety Leadership

Developing a safety culture at a large industrial enterprise is impossible without the active involvement of management. Formal adherence to regulations and instructions often leads to stagnation, whereas real change requires the transformation of internal beliefs of both managers and line personnel. In this webinar, Anna Alekseeva, Head of the HSE Management System Sector at JSC Apatit, details a practical case study of implementing the "Safety Leadership" project, which covered over 200 managers and 10,000 employees.

From Independent Audit to Culture Transformation

The prerequisite for launching the project was a comprehensive safety culture assessment conducted in 2021 by an independent organization. Based on the criteria of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), where safety culture is a fundamental element of investment attractiveness, the company identified leadership as a key area for development. The speaker notes that in the absence of a strong leadership position, formalism begins to prevail in the team: work is carried out strictly according to the rules, but without focusing on the overall result and proactive risk identification.

Working with Myths and Internal Beliefs

The foundation of the first stage of the project in 2023 was the rejection of the directive imposition of new rules. Changes were built on working with the deep-seated attitudes of the personnel. During strategic sessions, managers analyzed the origins of negative beliefs, which included insufficient communication, lack of recognition, and inconsistent management actions.

To assess the real picture, a large-scale survey was conducted. The initial data demonstrated a high level of resistance: 0% of respondents positively evaluated shift briefings, and only 40% considered personal safety their area of responsibility. The speaker shows by example that it is impossible to overcome such barriers with orders — it is necessary to offer employees new, more constructive ideas and confirm them with real actions.

Leader's Tools and Personal Commitments

The key mechanism for change was the transformation of the managers themselves. Project participants formed a unified leader model and signed "personal commitments" — a document confirming their readiness to apply leadership tools in practice. This included regular visits to the production site, collecting feedback, and setting a personal example in complying with HSE requirements.

The practical benefits of this approach were confirmed when solving problems with PPE. Instead of ignoring complaints about uncomfortable safety glasses, managers organized direct meetings with suppliers and workers, which led to replacing the models with more comfortable ones. A follow-up survey showed a radical shift in attitudes: 93% of employees began to positively evaluate briefings, and 95% acknowledged responsibility for their own safety.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to initiate a safety culture development project without tying it to strict KPIs and orders?
• What methods help identify and transform the negative beliefs of line personnel?
• How to develop and implement a "leader's personal commitment" model for department heads?
• How to build effective feedback when selecting and replacing personal protective equipment?
• How to assess the dynamics of leadership skills development and integrate this data into HR decisions?