Severstal's Safety Management System Transformation

Business scaling and the continuous growth of production capacities inevitably require a review of HSE approaches. When a company manages tens of thousands of employees and contractors, traditional control methods can no longer cope with the volume of data. In this webinar, Albert Lyaskovsky, HSE Director at Severstal, analyzes the process of a deep transformation of the safety management system aimed at the complete elimination of fatal injuries by 2028.

Focus on the Top 10 Fatal Risks

Classic work with the entire incident pyramid — from micro-injuries to severe cases — requires an enormous amount of time. Using his company as an example, the speaker shows why achieving zero fatal injuries requires identifying the top 10 critical risks. These are the scenarios most likely to lead to fatal consequences in the metallurgical industry.

A multi-level protection system is built for each of these risks, including technical, procedural, and behavioral barriers. No single barrier guarantees 100% protection on its own, so it is critically important to ensure their comprehensive and uninterrupted operation at every production location.

Digitalization of Barrier Control in the Workplace

Managing tens of thousands of risks on paper is impossible. The presentation details the transition to a unified digital system used by both full-time employees and contractor organizations. The key tool is an electronic checklist for assessing barrier operability.

• Shift-by-shift monitoring: Before starting high-risk work, employees spend 5 – 7 minutes checking technical interlocks and protection systems.
• Instant escalation: If a malfunction is detected, the information reaches the foremen's dashboards within an hour and a half. Work does not begin until the problem is resolved.
• Data transparency: The system allows managers to see the real picture of barrier conditions in real time and make decisions based on objective data rather than paper reports.

Overcoming Formalism and Developing Culture

The implementation of digital checklists inevitably faces the risk of formal, box-ticking completion. To solve this problem, production control was restructured. Foremen and managers, when going on leadership walkarounds, see the status of barriers in the system in advance and check the actual situation on site. If a discrepancy is found between the checklist mark and reality, it becomes a reason for a corrective conversation and affects the department's rating.

An additional pillar of the transformation was the development of an internal safety volunteer movement. Caring workers are involved without any financial motivation, which helps form a conscious attitude toward risks within the teams themselves.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to identify the top 10 fatal risks and build a system of critical barriers around them?
• How does the digitalization of checklists help prevent incidents before work begins?
• How to integrate contractor employees into a unified corporate safety system?
• What tools help identify and eradicate a formal approach to risk assessment in the workplace?
• How to build a cascade of steering committees for the timely resolution of problems hidden at the line level?