1. Situation
Due to the high visibility of the rail projects as part of a larger country infrastructure development, and the commitment of the organisations to ensure those working on the rail projects returned home safe and well to their families, a significant investment was made to proactively define and align the safety approach and safety leadership required by all to deliver the projects safely.
Those identified as in safety leadership critical roles were involved:
- Executives and senior managers formed a steering team and held themselves accountable for creating the desired safe work environment and ultimately delivering the desired safety results.
- Supervisors were developed and supported in the field to effectively lead safe work.
- The workforce were proactively engaged in working safe, and safety champions were identified from the workforce to work with management and supervision to encourage and support safe work.
2. Value Created
A strong foundation for sustainable high-performance safety was established throughout the project and created a platform for breakthrough in safety performance to occur.
This foundation was proactively developed around a shared commitment to have the projects deliver the highest standards of safety and quality, improve people’s lives and leave a positive legacy of ‘safe and reliable’.
A step change in people’s relationship to safety from compliance-only to compliance-as-choice was produced.
Safety leadership at all levels were developed and actively:
Aligned as a senior safety leadership team that walks the talk and leads an environment built on care and concern, openness and honesty
Created an environment of psychological safety in which the workforce felt empowered to speak up and own safety for themselves, each other and the project
Established a partnership between management and supervision to deliver consistent safety messages and behaviours to the workforce
Supervisors were developed and coached to be safety leaders in the field and provided with tools to effectively lead and coach their teams in safety
These practices for leading a safe work environment were integrated into existing safety systems, programmes, policies and procedures so that what was already in place was enhanced and reinforced
