HSE for Youth: How Sharing HSE Expertise Externally Reinforces the Principles Internally

Abstract

In 2008, an oilfield services company launched HSE for Youth, a program that reinforces a health, safety, and the environment (HSE) culture among employees to help make HSE become a lifestyle habit for the entire family. The program is designed to reach young people 7 to 18 years old, both employees' children and youth in local communities, and focuses on nine topics: Ebola, injury prevention, internet safety, road safety, personal security, HIV/AIDS, malaria, water, and climate change. The paper describes the program's implementation; the learning materials developed, and program results. The paper also discusses how the program has evolved and how it has been sustained since its launch 8 years ago. Ownership and leadership of the initiative are under the umbrella of the company's HSE function, supported by a global HSE for Youth manager. Organization and delivery of the workshops involve trained volunteers from the company's HSE experts, employees, and their spouses. The paper discusses the educational content methodology used, how the program has been reinforced with a quality control framework, mandatory criteria to run workshops, and how material was redeveloped to better fit specific age groups and address key specific subtopics. The paper also discusses how the program has been sustained over the years through a train-the-trainer program, which now comprises master trainers in all regions of the world.