“We must look first and foremost at the human being” - interview with Agnieszka Szczygielska about the culture of occupational safety and modern solutions in offshore.

Safety Culture 💬 A culture of safety is based on a shared, consistent belief that people's health and lives are of the highest value. Wiktoria Ozimek, editor-in-chief of Jobs Door: Hello, thank you for accepting the interview invitation. Let's start with a general question: How do you understand the concept of security culture, but in an offshore context? Polish offshore in the sense of a dynamically developing industry. Agnieszka Szczygielska, Director of the Central Institute of Labor Protection - National Research Institute: I think it's hard to talk about security culture only in the context of one industry — be it offshore or any other. This concept is universal because it concerns the foundations on which we build a safe working environment: common norms, values and attitudes. They determine how employees — but also management and entire organizations — approach security. In the case of the Polish offshore sector, which is developing extremely dynamically, these elements are crucial. From the very beginning, it is worth building consistent standards in the industry, clear expectations and the awareness that safety is not an addition to the process — it is an integral part of it. And in this sense, the safety culture for offshore is the same as in any other industry: it is based on a shared, consistent belief that people's health and lives are of the highest value. Polish standards for offshore

💬 We have a very important task ahead of us: to create a Polish code of good practice, which would meet the real needs of the market and support the development of the Polish offshore.

Jobs Door: Is it enough for us, in the Polish offshore industry, to be inspired by international regulations on occupational safety in this area, or do we need additional norms, values, regulations, our local standards?

AS: At the current stage of development of the Polish offshore industry, in a situation where there is still a lack of dedicated national regulations in the area of occupational safety at sea construction, it is a natural step to take advantage of the experience of those who have years of experience behind them. It is worth relying on solutions developed by states and companies that have been operating in the industry for a long time and have developed effective standards. At the same time, I believe that we have a very important task ahead of us: the creation of a Polish code of good practice. It should be created on the basis of a reliable analysis of existing regulations in the world — with an assessment of how they work in practice and to what extent they correspond to the specifics of projects implemented in Poland. From the perspective of the supply chain, we must also consider whether the requirements imposed by foreign investors and global leaders really strengthen the level of job security in Polish companies or do not sometimes become an excessive burden for them. Therefore, a process of dialogue is necessary. Big players have a wealth of knowledge and experience — and they are often the ones who point the direction of change. But we must not forget that the Polish economy is primarily based on small enterprises, which account for more than 90% of the market. Their voice must sound just as loud. Without the participation of all parties, we will not create a code that will realistically support the development of the Polish offshore and ensure a high level of work safety. Inclusiveness in the process of building a culture of occupational safety

💬 Inclusivity means that we do not ignore the voice of smaller companies — on the contrary, we consciously strengthen it. JD: Are we acting inclusive? Inclusive?

AS: Yes, we are definitely inclusive. Inclusivity in this context means that we do not ignore the voice of smaller companies — on the contrary, we consciously strengthen it. They can bring enormous value: above all, a common sense perspective resulting from everyday functioning in very demanding realities. They have practical experience, see how regulations translate into real work and are able to indicate what is really needed and what remains only a declaration. When we talk about creating standards and guidelines, we need to look for the golden mean — a legal framework and principles that, on the one hand, appeal to values and high ambitions, and on the other, are feasible to implement in everyday practice. These two worlds must come together. Only then is a document created that not only inspires, but also realistically supports companies and builds a mature safety culture throughout the sector. Foundations of the Labor Safety Code 💬 The absolute starting point is a meticulous assessment of occupational risk. JD: If so, what fundamental principles should be included in the universal code of labor safety? AS: If we talk about the foundations of occupational safety, then the absolute starting point is a meticulous assessment of occupational risks. This is the first and most important element that should apply to everyone, regardless of the size of the company or the stage of implementation of the investment. Only a good risk assessment makes it possible to understand what threats we are dealing with and how to effectively counter them. The second pillar is the preparation of personnel, that is, the construction of a coherent model of training and development of competences. Only trained professionals are able to correctly interpret risks and implement in practice solutions that really increase the level of security. It's a matter of determining what skills are key, how to develop them, and how to tie this whole system into a logical whole. In the offshore industry, there is also a very interesting demand for the creation of a system of certification of the competencies of health and safety professionals working in this sector. Such a system could be a strong support and motivation for those responsible for security to develop uniform, high standards of performance — adequate both to the specifics of the industry and to the requirements of investors. However, in order to determine the specific requirements — regarding risk assessment, competence or even the selection of personal protective equipment — we must first analyze what regulations already exist, how they fit into the Polish legal system and to what extent they are suitable for the realities in which our companies operate. Only the combination of these data gives us a solid foundation. However, the most important thing is that all actors in the industry are involved in the process of creating the code. Only then will a document be created that will meet the real needs of the market and become a practical tool — supporting the development of the Polish offshore and raising the level of job security in the entire sector.

Digitalization of security

💬 Modern digital solutions in the field of occupational safety will be highly anticipated in this industry.

JD: I understand that digitalization is also important here.

AS: Yes, digitalization will be very important here. I am convinced that modern digital solutions in the field of occupational safety will be highly anticipated in this industry. At this stage, however, I would not like to prejudge what specific tools should be created. First, we need solid conceptual work: collecting data, materials, good practices from the country and from the world, and only later — selecting and designing solutions that are truly adequate to Polish realities. In conclusion: today we are in the phase of gathering information and conducting a reliable, in-depth analysis. The aim is to ensure that future solutions — including digital ones — correspond as best as possible to the conditions in which the Polish offshore industry actually operates. Finally, I would like to add one more, very important point. In the Institute, we plan to start two projects — in my opinion crucial for the industry — from the new year. The first will concern the development of standards, that is, just such a code. Our experts, who have experience in the analysis of international regulations and occupational safety rules, will study them in detail, critically evaluate them, and in parallel work on creating a competency model for employees of OSH services in the offshore industry. This is the first direction of action. In parallel, a second project will be launched, concerning the development of evaluation criteria and an IT tool supporting the selection and assessment of the degree of loss of protective properties of selected personal protective equipment used in the off-shore sector under extreme environmental conditions causing accelerated degradation processes. Proper selection of PPE should be carried out on the basis of a risk analysis taking into account the accelerated degradation of the materials used in their manufacture. In the project planned for implementation, the worst case scenario will be taken into account for the first time, in which we are dealing with the influence of cumulative degrading factors acting simultaneously, supposedly also causing synergy effect. Personal protective equipment in such conditions is very intensively exploited. We must therefore be sure that the useful life declared by the manufacturers really corresponds to their real durability and level of protection. Only then can we talk about a responsible and modern approach to the safety of work in the offshore industry. The man in the center

💬 We must look first and foremost at the person — at the conditions in which he works and how these conditions affect the safety of the entire investment.

JD: I absolutely understand that. After all, work safety is not some abstract concept; it directly concerns the employee, and the consequences of his actions or negligence are felt both by himself and by the entire organization, positively or negatively.

AS: Yes, that's why we have to look first of all at the human being. On what conditions he works and how these conditions affect him. And at the same time, he himself affects the safety of the entire investment, so this is very important.

JD: I understand that we will be able to use the reports produced in the framework of the two projects that you mentioned?

AS: Yes, reports, reports, IT tools and information materials will be available. Our projects always end with practical products for employers and employees that can be used to educate staff and support the building of a safety culture in companies.

JD: Surely it will be very useful. Thank you for talking.