From Good to Great: Transforming your HSE Performance

Achieving a real transformation in health, safety and environmental performance is a challenging task that requires a thorough understanding of an organisation's current HSE performance, management systems and culture. Without these key components, it is difficult to develop an effective "call to action," understand the root causes of problem areas and create a targeted action plan to transform performance.

Procyon Group has developed a four-step methodology to drive such a transformation, as shown in Figure 1.

Fig. 1 - Procyon Group's four-step methodology

Step 1: Diagnostic Phase

The Diagnostic Phase entails an analysis of existing HSE outcomes, which is critical for articulating a "Case for Change" and identifying areas for transformation. This analysis includes the following typical Corporate Board expectations of a high performing organization.

1. Legal compliance: ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations is essential.
2. “Acceptable” levels of incidents and accidents: analysis of incident and accident data provides invaluable insights into the root causes of problems and identifies patterns and trends that must be addressed.
3. HSE performance against company/industry HSE KPIs: by comparing an organization's HSE performance to industry benchmarks and it’s own KPIs it is possible to identify areas where the organization needs to improve.
4. Robust HSE risk management: identifying and evaluating the organization's most significant HSE risks is crucial for developing an effective action plan.
5. Positive HSE culture: a thorough assessment of the organization's HSE culture provides invaluable insights into the attitudes/behaviours of employees and identifies areas to strengthen.

The outcome of the Diagnostic Phase is an assessment of HSE outcomes being delivered by existing HSE systems and, where performance is sub-standard, a “Case for Change” to engage with leadership and incentivise the transformation.

Step 2: Assessment Phase

The Assessment Phase entails a comprehensive review of the organisation’s existing HSE and associated management systems and their implementation across the organisation.

To facilitate this review, Procyon Group utilise "Insight", an integrated framework app which uses a systems maturity assessment approach to deliver a systematic, comprehensive and clearly communicated systems review. Root causes of any shortfalls are also identified.

The scope of the review is company-specific, but can include the following systems and technical topics, as per the image below:

Fig. 2 - Assessment Phase - review system and technical topics

The assessment is made against established criteria that reflect a progression from “Nothing In Place”, through various levels of systems development/implementation, to “Best Industry Practice”.

The scoring of systems maturity, along with company ambitions regarding the HSE outcomes it wants (i.e. Targets), allows the main gaps to be readily identified and gap closure to be tracked over time.

Step 3: Action Plan Phase

With the data and insights gained from the above assessment, a detailed and wide-ranging action plan can be prepared that focuses on addressing root causes, strengthening the organization's HSE culture and building effective, outcomes-focused HSE management systems.

The Action Plan should include specific Tasks, Priorities, Responsibilities, Target Completion Dates and Resource Requirements (e.g. CapEx/OpEx, personnel, training, etc.) As such, it needs to be prepared in close coordination with senior management, as the company’s ambitions will drive resource allocation and, therefore, the Action Plan timeline. Successful and sustainable transformation takes time and a 5 Year Action Plan is typical.

Step 4: Implementation Phase

There is so much more to the Implementation Phase than simply working through the Action Plan. It is essential that company leadership recognises that transformation is a Change Management exercise and there is no standardised approach. The Action Plan and its implementation must be bespoke to the organization.

There are many change management frameworks available. A classic example is Kotter’s 8 Steps for Leading Change, which is summarised below.

1. Create a Sense of Urgency: Draw upon the Diagnostic Phase outcomes to frame the transformation that is required, why it is required and why it is required now!
2. Build a Guiding Coalition: Leadership with visible commitment and drive is essential’ along with the right people to drive the change through the organization.
3. Form a Strategic Vision: Develop and communicate a clear and compelling vision of the future.
4. Enlist a Volunteer Army: Motivated and empowered people, driven by the common vision, are needed to affect the change.
5. Enable Action by Removing Barriers: Whether existing systems, people or attitudes (“we have always done it this way”), these barriers need to be identified and removed.
6. Generate Short-Term Wins: Quick wins demonstrate that the change is working and provide motivation and momentum for more change.
7. Sustain Acceleration: Pushing through until the end goals are achieved is essential; stopping when the job is half done is not a transformation.
8. Institute Change: Embed the change in the systems and culture of the organization so they are second nature and, therefore, sustained.

Using a change management framework will maximise the company’s chances of successfully implementing the Action Plan and achieving the HSE transformation being sought.

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OPEX MENA 2023 - HSE & EO Conference & Awards will once again bring together key specialists and executives to discuss OPEX latest trends, challenges and best practices, including Maintaining Asset Reliability & Flexibility, Implementing OE Technologies & Tools, Enhancing OE Culture, Data-driven OE, Safety Management and so much more.