Human Performance in Practice: Our Refreshed Approach to Safety
Authors: Abbasi Shariq , Claessen Fons , Bryden Robin 
Published: September 2024

This paper describes Shell's multi-year safety improvement journey to eradicate serious injuries and fatalities, through embedding human and organization performance, following its refreshed and structurally changed approach to both Safety Leadership and Safety Management Systems. Sharing the end-to-end experience of this ‘Safety Refresh’ from inspiration to program design, change management and implementation, to evaluation of effectiveness, our journey is not complete, but leading and lagging indicators show promising sustained improvement.

Safety Refresh is a multidimensional approach with four key elements, keeping Learner Mindset, Psychological Safety, and the Human Performance Principles at the heart of it. These elements are:

Transition to the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) Life-Saving Rules and a change of approach when rules are not followed using Fair Event Handling from the Energy Institute's Making Compliance Easier Hearts and Minds tool, to help leaders respond to events with a learner mindset when errors happen. Frontline Work Execution – embedding human performance in how work is planned, briefed end debriefed through an environment of trust, supervisor coaching skills and improved start of work tools (e.g., IOGP Start Work Checks). A shift in risk management approach with our contractor partners. Strengthening our investigate and learn capability, including causally understanding systemic and human performance causes.

Each part of the Business and Assets conducted Change Impact Assessments to understand their current position versus what needs to be different after adopting human performance principles. The planned changes were enabled through a global implementation toolkit to integrate within their existing improvement plans. A structured approach to both leadership capability building and process embedment, leads to changes in culture and lagging/leading performance indicators. Part of the impact was a shift in focus and metrics from Total Recordable Case Frequency (TRCF) to Fatalities and Permanent Impairment (FPI) events as a scorecard metric along with differentiating between high potential events that fail safe versus those which only fail lucky.

The paper will share data on a significant reduction in FPI over a three-year period and a positive change in high potential incident reporting. Although TRCF increased, this was paired with a reduction in total injuries. This indicates that people are receiving better medical care (rather than a deteriorating safety performance). The journey is not complete with a focus on further embedment of Frontline Work Execution and partnering with our contractors on this human performance journey.

The novelty lies in integration and implementation: the incorporation of behvioural science and industry practices into a global programme, integrating "soft" behavioural elements at all levels, with "hard" management system practices. Engaging the Businesses and Assets such that the change is not a bolt-on initiative but embedded in the fabric of local practices and procedures, most importantly enhancing the capability of our people – both staff and contractor.