Embracing a Digital Safety Culture
In the high-risk energy industry, safety isn’t a 9-to-5 job – it’s a 24/7 commitment. As a team, we realized that to truly embed safety into our company’s DNA, we needed to transform how we communicate. Traditional memos and monthly meetings weren’t enough; we wanted real-time, continuous engagement. This vision led us to create QHSE 24/7, a bold digital platform that keeps safety conversations going around the clock at Mazrui Energy Services (MES). We leveraged technology and an innovative mindset to make safety everyone’s everyday conversation, not just a box to tick.
Launching QHSE 24/7 on WhatsApp
To kickstart this digital safety culture, we turned to a tool everyone knows and uses: WhatsApp. We launched our QHSE 24/7 platform as a WhatsApp group that connects employees across all levels and all MES sites. It was an instant game-changer. With a simple scan of a QR code, every new joiner to MES is onboarded into our safety community on day one. This frictionless approach meant no one misses out – whether you’re in the head office or a remote field site, you join the conversation instantly. We chose WhatsApp for its familiarity and ease of use; there’s no learning curve, so adoption was quick and enthusiastic.
Our launch was more than just adding names to a group chat – it was about setting a new expectation. We made it clear that safety is a shared responsibility and that we are all empowered (and expected) to speak up, share, and participate. The name “QHSE 24/7” itself signaled that anytime is the right time to talk about Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment. This always-on channel broke down silos and connected our workforce like never before.
Always-On Safety Engagement
Once the platform was live, we focused on keeping the content engaging, relevant, and relentless (in a good way!). Every week, we share Toolbox Talks – bite-sized safety talks that highlight key precautions or procedures for the week. These are quick reads or short videos that our teams can absorb on the go, reinforcing important safety practices. We post safety news and alerts as they happen, both within MES and from the wider industry, so everyone stays informed about potential hazards or learning opportunities in real time.
One of our most popular initiatives is sharing “Lessons Learned” from any incident or near-miss. Instead of lengthy reports that gather dust, we summarize the lesson and share it instantly on QHSE 24/7. This way, a mechanic in one location can learn from an incident that happened to a drilling team somewhere else the very next day. It’s powerful and prevents repeat mistakes by spreading knowledge quickly.
To keep things interactive and fun, we introduced friendly challenges like Hand Safety Hazard Hunts. For a week, everyone was encouraged to spot and photograph hand injury risks in their work area and share it in the group. The response was fantastic – people across all our sites started seeing their workplaces with fresh eyes, and we received a flood of photos highlighting hazards (and many creative solutions!). Similarly, we conduct biweekly “Line of Fire” audits, where teams identify situations where someone could be in the path of danger (the “line of fire”). The results of these mini-audits are shared on the group, giving kudos to teams that find and fix issues, and motivating others by example.
The engagement we’ve seen is phenomenal. Colleagues from the field to the corporate office are actively participating – reacting to posts, asking questions, and even initiating safety topics themselves. We’ve broken the barriers of location and hierarchy; a junior field engineer and a senior executive both contribute to the same safety discussion. That kind of cross-level engagement was unprecedented before. Now, safety isn’t top-down; it’s truly peer-to-peer and participative. We’ve built a community where safety is everyone’s business, and it shows in our metrics – hundreds of messages and responses each month and a noticeable uptick in proactive hazard reporting across MES.
Spreading the Word Beyond MES
We didn’t confine our digital safety culture within the walls of MES. Part of being a leader in QHSE is sharing our story with the broader industry and stakeholders. We made strategic use of LinkedIn to amplify our safety message externally. Through regular LinkedIn posts on both personal profiles and the company page, we highlight the best of QHSE 24/7: successful campaigns, key safety milestones, and employee safety champions.
By showcasing our initiatives online, we achieve multiple wins. It reinforces to our clients and partners that MES walks the talk when it comes to safety – not just in formal audits or certifications, but in daily practice. It also positions our company as a modern, forward-thinking employer, which helps in attracting talent who value a strong safety culture. Moreover, our posts have sparked conversations with industry peers. Other companies have reached out, curious about our WhatsApp-based approach. In this way, our LinkedIn communication isn’t just self-promotion; it’s about leading by example and perhaps inspiring an industry-wide shift towards more innovative safety communication.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
No innovation comes without its challenges. As we rolled out QHSE 24/7, we encountered a few hurdles and learned important lessons along the way:
- Information Overload: With so much great content and discussion, there’s a risk of overwhelming people. At first, a flood of messages could bury important announcements. We learned to find a balance by timing our posts and using features like pinned messages for critical info. We made sure our communications are concise and scheduled thoughtfully, so engagement remains high without burning anyone out.
- Tech Onboarding for All: While WhatsApp is simple, not everyone was immediately comfortable using it for work. Some colleagues were less tech-savvy or hesitant to mix a “social” app with professional matters. We tackled this by including a brief training during onboarding (for both new and existing staff) on how to mute notifications during off hours, how to manage WhatsApp for work purposes, and reassuring everyone that it’s okay to catch up on safety posts at a convenient time. By showing patience and offering one-on-one help, we brought everyone up to speed. Now even those who were initially skeptical have become active contributors.
- Management Buy-In: Convincing top management to endorse a WhatsApp-based safety platform took some discussion. There were understandable concerns about whether it would distract employees or if it was “serious” enough for important safety communications. We addressed these by demonstrating quick wins – for example, how a safety alert shared via QHSE 24/7 on a Friday evening potentially prevented an incident over the weekend. We also set group protocols (no off-topic chat, respectful communication rules, etc.) to ensure it remains professional. Seeing the high engagement and positive impact, our leadership gave full support and even started participating actively themselves.
Each of these challenges taught us something. We evolved our approach by listening to feedback and continuously tweaking how we manage the platform. In the end, these early obstacles actually strengthened our implementation, because overcoming them made the platform even more robust and inclusive.
Innovating Ahead: What’s Next for QHSE 24/7
We are proud of what we’ve built so far, but we are not resting on our laurels. Continuous improvement is a core principle of QHSE, after all! Looking ahead, we have exciting plans to make QHSE 24/7 even more impactful:
- Micro-Learning Videos: We plan to introduce short, engaging video clips – think 60-second safety tips or mini training modules – that employees can watch right within WhatsApp. Visual content can boost understanding and retention of safety concepts, and these bite-sized videos will make learning even more convenient.
- Gamification of Safety: To keep the enthusiasm high, we’re exploring gamification elements. Friendly competitions, quizzes, or a points system for participation can tap into our team’s competitive spirit. Imagine a leaderboard for hazard reports or safety quiz champions – it’s a fun way to encourage everyone to stay involved and maybe earn some recognition and rewards along the way.
- Integrated Incident Reporting: Another innovation on the horizon is linking QHSE 24/7 with our formal incident reporting systems. We envision a seamless process where if someone spots an incident or near-miss, they can quickly initiate a report through the same platform. Whether it’s through a simple form or a chatbot assistant in the WhatsApp group, integrating reporting will make it easier to capture crucial information in real time. This will help us respond faster and analyze trends with richer data.
These upcoming features will further solidify QHSE 24/7 as not just a communication tool, but a comprehensive digital ecosystem for safety management. It’s all about making safety information more accessible, engaging, and actionable for everyone.
Leading the Future of Safety Culture
Building QHSE 24/7 has transformed how we live our safety values at MES. We took a bold step into digital communication, and it has paid off in a safer, more connected workforce. Every employee now has a voice in our safety dialogue, and every success or cautionary tale is shared instantly across our organization. The phrase “safety is our number one priority” is no longer a corporate cliché for us – it’s a daily, living reality in our WhatsApp chats and beyond.
Our journey doesn’t end here. In fact, it feels like we’re just getting started. As we roll out micro-learning, gamified challenges, and integrated reporting, we’re continually pushing the envelope of what a safety culture can achieve in the digital age. We believe that by innovating how we communicate, we strengthen how we care for each other.
Looking forward, our message is clear: safety never stops, and neither will we. We’ll keep evolving QHSE 24/7, exploring new technologies and ideas to keep our people safe, informed, and empowered. In doing so, we hope not only to protect our own team, but to set a new standard for safety culture in our industry. After all, when it comes to protecting our people and our environment, we can always find new ways to do even better – 24/7, 365 days a year.
Together, we have built a digital safety culture that is proactive, inclusive, and always on – and we are excited to keep leading the way.
About the Author:
Renato Volpe is the QHSE and Sustainability Director at Mazrui Energy Services, driving group-wide excellence in safety, compliance, and ESG integration. With a results-driven approach, he leads ISO certification initiatives, champions digital QHSE transformation, and embeds sustainability into business operations. His leadership continues to shape a culture of accountability, innovation, and care for people and the planet.
