How do you adapt safety management to different projects?

Adapting safety management to diverse projects demands a nuanced understanding of each project's intricacies. Beyond standard risk assessments, tailor safety measures to the unique challenges posed by the project environment. Phased safety planning ensures continuous risk mitigation, while resource-specific adaptations align safety practices with technical nuances. Integrating safety into project scheduling and fostering a safety culture tailored to the project team enhance overall safety performance. This holistic approach not only safeguards against potential hazards but also ensures a safety framework that resonates with the project's individual identity.

Adapting safety management to different projects involves tailoring safety practices and procedures to the specific characteristics, risks, and requirements of each project.

We have done all of the above. It is time to try something else. Engage the reverse gear. I conducted a safety stand down recently but I did not stand down the site teams. I stood down us, the management, for an incident that took place on site. I decided that the teams on site should talk us through the incident by walking back the events and verbalising what had happened, who they believed caused the incident and if they were to "blame" anybody, who could it be? The outcome was a team Toolbox talk unprepared by the management with a conclusion that everyone, each one of them was at fault and did not act proactively to prevent the event. In my opinion this will return 95% of safety accountability and responsibility to frontline.

As the client, you must develop your own HSSE plan for the project. As you progress through the RFI and RFP processes, you will need to request the contractor's HSSE plan and do a gap assessment between these. If/where you identify gaps, the final 3-5 contractors/bidders will need to sit down with you and develop a bridging document to close these gaps. It helps then if you can author a separate, singular HSSE plan for the project. The requirements of which are auditable.

HSE measures have to be implemented during front end engineering and design (FEED) to maximize the effectiveness of the hierarchy of controls. Then for the remainder of the project life cycle, specific HSE criteria must be developed, E.g. Contractor selection process, onboarding of new project leaders, development of the minimum training requirements for the project team, etc. If you do not utilize the hierarchy of controls and the guiding principle, you are relegated to focusing on how you protect workers from hazards instead of focusing on the implementation and management of a safe work site.

Audit, audit, audit. Conduct safety observations, trend unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, near misses, and incidents. These should form the basis of your focused observation program since you've identified the areas of risk that need more attention. Additionally, develop potential solutions by engaging the craft workers to gain their insight and give them a seat at the table as key stakeholders.

It is advisable that at least once monthly, you hold a "mass meeting" with everyone who works on the project. Share 'the good, the bad, and the ugly' but end with the opportunities for improvement and thank them. Additionally, for complex projects, I institute a daily 'Control of Work' meeting with the General Foremen/Foremen to do a 24-hour look ahead to identify potential simultaneous operations classes and identify which groups are on the critical path work groups. This enables you to proactively manage the work.