CASE STUDIES

HSEQ Toolbox Talks with an online App

Client: Peterson Energy Logistics

Automating processes while taking the human factor into account can be a fine balance – and not least in the field of health and safety.

When Peterson Energy Logistics approached Core29 to move the documentation of their essential safety briefings onto a digital platform, they knew they wanted to keep the preparation and delivery of them as straightforward as possible for the team.

So we applied our business analysis and process improvement experience to create a Toolbox Talks application tailored to their precise needs.

The challenge

The challenge of digitising Toolbox Talks

Operating in the highly regulated and safety-focused energy industry, an integral part of safe working is the Peterson “toolbox talk”.

This is a brief safety discussion held before a specific task to address specific safety topics relevant to the work being conducted and to remind employees of safe work practices. They help to inform inexperienced workers – and remind experienced workers – of the correct control measures.

Peterson was keen to move these onto a standardised digital platform to help workers identify potential workplace hazards and understand how to avoid them. This would offer them greater visibility, while maintaining compliance and creating the safest work environment possible.

David Mowat, senior HSEQ advisor at Peterson Energy Logistics said: “We are really happy with the performance of the Toolbox Talks application. It not only provides a professional and systematic way of doing things, it ensures the business process is followed.

“Toolbox Talk preparation can now be carried out well in advance, making sure necessary documentation such as permits are in place so there are no operational delays at the last minute.

“And the application chimes perfectly with our Goal Zero initiative, allowing everyone to actively contribute to our safety culture through their actions and behaviours.

“Our Toolbox Talks app empowers employees to take personal responsibility for their safety and the safety of those around them, supporting us in completing our work with zero harm to employees, zero harm to the environment and zero asset damage.”

Core29 solution

Peterson holds around 1,000 Toolbox Talks a year, with an average of six attendees at each one.

Toolbox Talks delivered with the tool built by Core29 built provide notifications to internal health & safety management, providing alerts with updates on meetings, changes to talk content or attendees, making it easy to follow what was said and who was present.

It covers site-specific general business activities as well as non-recurring or specialist tasks which can require higher risk activities to be undertaken, such as hazardous materials handling or complex load handling, where a higher risk to personnel or environment needs to be carefully managed.

The key transformations have been:

eliminating paper copies and paper-based process
enabling standardised meetings with themes or content being discussed
optimising operational efficiency and continuity of safety management – as all briefings can be consistent for shift handovers and pre-job briefing meetings

With the company’s Goal Zero programme in place, by preparing and planning for success this application has demonstrated the teams are retaining higher levels of safe performance, ensuring all colleagues go home safe after risk-mitigated shifts.