How do you ensure effective employee participation and consultation in PSM activities and decisions?

In my company, we have set up the Process Safety, Engineering and Operations programme to ensure wide participation at all levels and cross department learning and activities. A number of sub projects have been set up, from the HIRAC programme (HAZOP, Human Factors Analysis, LOPA, Bow Ties etc.), to design of a new flammables store and Toxic Gas Refuge upgrades, and PSM competence. Managers from each area have nominated people to join the teams and included this in their work and development objectives. It's a great way to broaden understanding of Process Safety, get inputs and break down silos between different parts of the organisation.

I belive employee participation and consultation play a crucial role in driving culture change in process safety. When workers are actively involved in safety discussions, it fosters a sense of ownership and shifts the mindset from compliance to proactive engagement. This change in culture encourages open communication, continuous improvement, and a shared responsibility for safety. A strong safety culture is not just about procedures—it's about empowering employees to be the champions of safety, leading to long-term improvements and a safer work environment.

Not do much sn example however an experience. If the culture of the organisation is not one where employees feel empowered to openly share knowledge risks and concerns the invite snd sharing becomes meaningless. I have worked with organisations where only the best politicians were heard as others feared saying the real potential if decisions made.

In my previous (oil & gas and petrochemical industries) companies, we've ensured effective employee participation in PSM by fostering an open communication culture, where employees were encouraged to contribute during toolbox talks, safety meetings, hazard assessments, developing SOPs & EOPs, sharing process safety related lesson learned from similar businesses & safety standdowns meetings. We involved stakeholders in risk assessments (JHA, HAZOP) and incident investigations, ensuring their insights shape decision-making. Regular training and feedback loops reinforce engagement. By facilitating safety committees and incorporating employee feedback into procedures, we promoted shared ownership of safety decisions and continuous improvement.

In offshore drilling, we've seen that real safety improvements come from listening to the crew on the front lines. The challenge? Making sure their insights lead to real changes. The fix? Set up a solid system for feedback where the crew's ideas actually shape our safety practices. This approach doesn't just make our operations safer; it builds a vibe where everyone feels their input truly counts, making the whole operation run smoother.

It’s similar to above. The processes must be there to share relevant information in a timely manner to enable review before processes occur such as Hazop snd hazid or envid (plus others). Then the open culture of acceptance of views must be present.

Implementar comitês de segurança com representantes de todos os níveis da organização. Realizar reuniões regulares de segurança onde os funcionários podem compartilhar preocupações e sugestões. Promover uma política de porta aberta para questões de segurança. Reconhecer e recompensar contribuições significativas para a segurança.

Recently, I carried out a study on employee participation and below are some barriers to employee participation from the research: 1. Blaming Employees/ discrimination 2.Inadequate feedback on safety concerns 3. Poor organizational culture 4.Poor employee competency level 5. Lack of communication 6. Poor Leadership 7. Literacy/Language barrier The feedback collated from the study's respondents revealed that Blaming Employees/ discrimination had the highest response as a barrier to effective employee partication. Lack of communication was next on the ranking. Active employee participation can be achieved by tackling these barriers.

Experience can create a positive or negative state of mind. Employees tend to compare things with their past experience and try to adopt the simplest way of doing their work. People's past experience affects their minds, if they have good experience and have done their assigned work safely, then in the new job, they adopt the same methods and do any job safely. But if they haven't worked safely in the past due to a lack of a good safety culture in business, they also want to bring the same culture to this new business. Sometime overconfidence may prohibit workers from adopting additional safety precautions, which may cause an accident.

Falta de tempo ou recursos para participação efetiva. Medo de represálias por relatar problemas ou preocupações. Falta de formação ou conhecimento sobre práticas de segurança. Comunicação insuficiente sobre a importância da participação dos funcionários.

Garantir que todos os funcionários recebam formação regular e abrangente em PSM. Estabelecer mecanismos claros e fáceis para relatar problemas de segurança. Envolver os funcionários nas fases iniciais do planeamento de segurança para garantir que suas vozes sejam ouvidas. Utilizar tecnologia para facilitar a comunicação e a participação, como plataformas de colaboração online.

Guias e ferramentas de melhores práticas da OSHA ou outras organizações de segurança. Cursos de formação e workshops em gestão de segurança de processos. Publicações e estudos de caso sobre participação efetiva dos funcionários em PSM.

Effective employee participation and consultation in PSM activities involves fostering a culture of open communication and involvement. This includes regular team meetings, feedback mechanisms, and training sessions. In subsea engineering, employees are engaged in safety protocols and equipment testing. In renewable energy projects like offshore wind power, consultations ensure understanding of environmental impacts and safety procedures. Grid code compliance studies involve collaboration between technical teams and regulatory experts. In manufacturing and battery energy storage systems, employees contribute to process improvements and safety protocols through active participation and feedback loops.