The Secret to Implementing HSEQ Procedures That Actually Work: Stop Working in Silos

Why Collaboration Across Departments Creates Safety Programs People Actually Follow

"Another safety procedure that looks great on paper but falls apart in the field."

Sound familiar? If you've spent time in HSEQ, you've heard this sentiment—or perhaps thought it yourself. The frustration is real on both sides: safety professionals wonder why their carefully designed protocols aren't followed, and operations teams question whether safety understands how work gets done.

After consulting organizations in high-risk industries like petrochemicals, manufacturing, and logistics for two decades, I've identified a clear pattern: the effectiveness of an HSEQ program is directly proportional to the level of cross-functional collaboration involved in its development.

The Expertise Trap

"But our HSEQ department is highly specialized. How can others contribute?"

This question reflects a misconception that safety expertise alone can create effective protocols. The reality? They can—and should contribute. Here's why:

Real Solutions Come From Those Facing the Risks Daily

The most elegant safety procedure is worthless if it doesn't align with operational realities. Frontline workers possess invaluable knowledge about:

• Practical constraints that might make compliance difficult

• Unofficial workarounds currently being used (the "real" procedures)

• Specific conditions and variables that safety professionals might never observe

• Historical context of why certain approaches have failed in the past

I recently worked with a manufacturing client who, despite extensive training, couldn't understand why they weren't following a new lockout/tagout procedure. When we brought maintenance technicians into the revision process, we discovered the procedure required retrieving equipment from a storage location, which added 20 minutes to each task. No wonder compliance was low! The solution—distributing lockout equipment at multiple stations—was simple but would never have emerged without frontline input.

Cross-Functional Teams Spot Potential Issues Earlier

When operations, maintenance, quality, and safety representatives work together, they identify interaction issues that might otherwise go unnoticed until implementation.

• How a safety change might impact production schedules

• Where quality requirements might conflict with new safety protocols

• When maintenance activities create temporary hazards not addressed in standard procedures

• How a well-intentioned environmental control might introduce a new safety risk

One petrochemical company reduced process safety incidents by 64% by implementing cross-functional risk assessment teams that reviewed proposed changes from multiple perspectives before implementation. This approach caught potential issues during planning rather than discovering them during incidents.

Whoever's Not Involved Will Not Strive to Get Solutions

This principle is fundamental to human psychology. People support what they help create. Excluding operational teams from safety planning almost guarantees resistance, while inclusion builds:

• Psychological ownership of safety outcomes

• Understanding of the rationale behind requirements

• Commitment to making solutions work rather than finding reasons they won't

• Organic advocacy for safety initiatives among peers

A logistics company I advised struggled for years with driver resistance to safety protocols. When they established a driver safety committee with real decision-making power, compliance skyrocketed. The procedures weren't substantially different but were now "our procedures" rather than "their rules."

It Bridges the Gap Between Policy and Practice

Perhaps most importantly, collaboration eliminates the dangerous space between how work is imagined (in policy) and how work is done (in practice):

• Policies become more pragmatic and adaptable to varying conditions

• Hidden operational challenges become visible to safety professionals

• Communication channels stay open for ongoing refinement

• Trust builds between departments once seen as adversaries

The Transformation: A Case Study in Collaboration

When we started inviting operations leaders to our shift-start toolbox talks at a major manufacturing client, we saw a surge in engagement and practical safety improvements. Their real-world knowledge and operational perspective were invaluable.

The initial resistance ("We don't have time for this") quickly transformed into active participation. Within three months:

• Near-miss reporting increased by 72%

• The quality of safety suggestions improved dramatically

• Implementation time for safety improvements decreased by 40%

• Supervisors began proactively requesting safety input on operational changes

This simple change—ensuring operations leadership participated in daily safety discussions—fundamentally shifted the relationship between safety and operations from adversarial to collaborative.

Breaking Down Barriers: Practical Steps

If you're ready to break down the silos in your organization, consider these proven approaches:

1. Establish Joint Ownership of Outcomes

Safety metrics should be owned by operations, not just the safety department. When production leaders know they're evaluated partly on safety performance, priorities align naturally.

2. Create Mixed-Discipline Teams for Procedure Development

Any new procedure should be developed by a team that includes representatives from:

• Safety/HSEQ professionals

• Frontline workers who will implement the procedure

• Supervisors responsible for ensuring compliance

• Technical experts relevant to the specific task

3. Implement "Day in the Life" Exchanges

Have safety professionals spend full shifts with operational teams periodically, and bring operations leaders into safety planning meetings. This cross-exposure builds understanding and empathy on both sides.

4. Establish a "Pre-Mortem" Process

Before implementing any new HSEQ initiative, gather representatives from all affected departments to imagine how and why it might fail specifically. This proactive troubleshooting identifies potential issues before they become actual problems.

5. Create Joint Recognition Programs

Recognize and reward collaborative safety improvements that involve multiple departments. This reinforces the value of working across silos.

The Reality Check

"Are your HSEQ initiatives meeting less resistance from operations?"

This simple question is the best diagnostic for silo-breaking success. If yes, you're on the right track—breaking down barriers and building a safer workplace together.

If not, it's time to reassess your approach to collaboration. The cost of continued silos isn't just inefficient safety programs; it's potentially lives and livelihoods at stake.

Beyond Compliance: Building a Unified Safety Culture

The ultimate goal transcends merely improving compliance with safety procedures. When we break down silos between HSEQ and operations, we create the foundation for a truly integrated safety culture where:

• Safety becomes an operational value rather than a competing priority

• Problem-solving happens collectively rather than departmentally

• Information flows freely between previously separated functions

• The artificial boundary between "safety work" and "real work" dissolves

I've seen organizations transform their safety performance not by implementing more stringent controls, but by fundamentally changing how they collaborate across traditional boundaries. The results speak for themselves: lower incident rates, improved operational efficiency, higher employee engagement, and ultimately, better business outcomes.

Taking the Next Step

Breaking down silos begins with a simple acknowledgement: no single department possesses all the answers to creating a safe, productive workplace.

Is your organization ready to move beyond the limitations of siloed thinking? Would you like to brainstorm ways we can help improve your relationship with your operational teams?

I'd love to hear about your experiences—both successes and challenges—in breaking down barriers between HSEQ and operations. Share your thoughts in the comments below or reach out directly to discuss how these principles might be applied in your specific context.

The most effective safety solutions emerge not from isolation, but from collaboration. The question isn't whether you can afford to break down silos—it's whether you can afford not to.