Interview with Andrey Prokopenko, Founder of the HSE DAYS Project

Every great project starts with an idea, and behind every successful idea is a person with a profound vision. Today we are talking with the founder of the project, Andrey Prokopenko, about how his ambitious ideas and hard work led to the creation of one of the most significant projects in this field.

A question that has been asked more and more often this year became the trigger for our interview. Andrey, some participants are asking – why is the project's name in English?

– When the project was just emerging at the idea level, my main business was related to the implementation of the Lockout / Tagout system. My clients were mostly companies with foreign capital, and in these companies, I observed a noticeably superior level of safety culture. And even formally, in these companies, the position of the occupational safety manager contained the abbreviation HSE – HSE manager, EHS director, QHSE manager, etc.

When domestic companies started showing interest in the LOTO system, I faced a terrifying contrast in terms of attitudes towards safety, enterprise equipment, and attitudes towards employees. It became "a shame for the country" that we are lagging behind even in those areas where much can be improved with a minimal budget. This became the main reason to create a project where companies can learn from each other and adopt best practices.

Therefore, with its name "HSE DAYS", it solves several tasks:

1. Emphasizes the project's focus on effective solutions that are not mandatory from the point of view of legislative requirements.
2. "Health Safety Environment" includes a broader agenda than "OHS".
3. Emphasizes the international status of the project – we also have foreign participants.
4. Differentiates from other projects with the abbreviation "OHS" in the title, the spirit of which seems alien and outdated to me.

— But there is a trend for "patriotism" now, aren't you planning to change the name?

We don't follow trends, we set them. HSE DAYS is not a business, it is our life's work, which we do with all our hearts. I don't care about temporary trends to please a certain part of the audience.

I would like to tell a story from my business to make the loudest "patriots" think – what have they actually done besides commenting on social networks? This happened after the events of 2014 and the first sanctions against our country. A large pharmaceutical company, as a result of a tender for the implementation of the LOTO system, made a choice in favor of our company. But at the stage of concluding the contract, an unpleasant surprise awaited us – the mandatory clauses of the contract were compliance with EU and US sanctions against our country and Russian counterparties under sanctions. For me, this clause was unacceptable on principle, morally I was ready to refuse this contract if we hadn't found a solution. And as a result of four months of negotiations, where the European office was also involved, we were able to achieve the exclusion of these clauses from the contract.

This is what I call patriotism – having principles and being a professional in your field so that your opinion is taken into account.

In HSE DAYS, we are building our ideal world, which you can observe as participants and partners, in the format and atmosphere of our events, the absence of hidden advertising in presentations, the safety of personal data, and other important nuances. What matters to me is not the quantity, but the quality of the people who responded to our call and carry our banner with honor.

— By the way, what is the number of project participants today?

By the end of Season IV, 9,703 participants from industry, retail, the public sector, and consulting were registered in their personal accounts.

— What are the plans for the development of the project, are there any off-site face-to-face events expected in the regions?

First of all, to develop the project's opportunities for the self-realization of our "star experts" – who have already achieved a high status and level of competence. In this, the Academy under the leadership of Svetlana Vladimirova will be useful to them, who is a great professional with extraordinary thinking, and most importantly, is full of fire and passion to take the field of training to a new level, without formalism and outdated approaches.

For the rest of the ambitious participants, we have big plans for the development of the club with Igor Nazarov. We want to help like-minded people in the regions form local clubs where they will develop informal communication and solve pressing professional issues.

At the IV Annual Forum, we established the KGB (Club of Safety Guarantors). This is a community of top executives and owners of large businesses who are interested in improving the safety and well-being of their employees. This is another direction that will actively develop, and over time will gain the same weight as the HSE DAYS project now.

— By what criterion are ambassadors chosen? How is the work with them structured?

There are no criteria as such, it is a subjective choice based on life experience and intuition. People who go a certain way with us show themselves in action. For example, the 20 authors of the book "3D Safety" are almost all winners of the HSE TOP 100 rating. We knew in advance which of the authors was strong in their direction, and the conversion rate of accepting invitations to join the authors was 100%.

Take the initiative in HSE DAYS, reveal yourself as a professional and as a person, and you will find yourself in the right place at the right time.

– Thank you for the interview, Andrey, what do you wish the project participants in conclusion?

I wish you success in your work, and that these successes are duly appreciated by the employer. I wish you an optimal balance, where your 100% dedication to your calling will be balanced by financial well-being and harmony in the family. And if there are no prerequisites for this – muster the courage to take a step towards new opportunities, having previously assessed what you currently lack for employment in your dream company.

With you was Andrey Prokopenko, founder and CEO of HSE DAYS.