In this blog post, we explore how Borealis transformed their approach to health and safety training by making use of psychology in their life-saving rules approach. Katarina Virtue, a social psychology expert, explains how this approach not only engaged employees but also reduced incidents with 30%. Learn how focusing on behavioral change, embracing game-based learning and involving stakeholders at every stage made their life-saving rules truly impactful.
Beyond Procedures: Borealis' Human-Centered Approach to Workplace Safety
Borealis, a global leader in advanced polyolefin solutions, operates across 120 countries with a diverse workforce of 6,000 employees. Recognizing that traditional safety measures—like equipment and procedures—weren't enough to prevent incidents, the company shifted focus to the human side of safety. Katarina Virtue, a social psychology specialist at Borealis, played a crucial role in this transformation. Appointed with understanding how behavior and organizational culture influence safety practices, Katarina helped Borealis rethink how they train employees on life-saving rules, aiming not just for compliance, but for deep understanding and long-term behavioral change.
From Compliance to Commitment: The Power of Understanding Life-Saving Rules
Katarina Virtue emphasizes the vital role life-saving rules play in keeping employees safe. Borealis, however, realized that even the best procedures can't prevent accidents if people don’t understand the importance of these rules. They needed to shift the focus from simply following rules to understanding *why* they matter. By helping employees see how these rules directly protect their lives, Borealis fostered a deeper commitment to safety. This focus on connecting the rules to real-life consequences was the key that needed to be cracked.
Rethinking Training: How Interactive Learning Drives Safety Engagement
Borealis took a bold step by reinventing their safety training with a focus on hands-on, immersive learning. Katarina Virtue emphasized that traditional training methods, like lectures and PowerPoints, weren’t enough to engage their workforce—especially blue-collar workers who thrive on practical experience. To make the training more impactful, Borealis introduced interactive, multi-sensory game-based learning that allowed employees to see, hear, and actively engage with the material. This innovative shift not only made safety training more engaging but also ensured that employees retained and applied the knowledge in real-world situations. By making learning relatable and dynamic, Borealis fostered a deeper connection between their employees and life-saving rules.
Risk-Free Reality: Using Gamification to Bring Safety Rules to Life
A game-changing element of Borealis’ safety training overhaul was the introduction of gamified virtual simulations. To make life-saving rules truly resonate, Borealis embraced gamification, creating immersive, risk-free environments where employees could apply safety protocols in real time. Katarina Virtue highlighted how these simulations allowed workers to experience high-risk scenarios—like equipment malfunctions or hazardous conditions—without any real-world danger. This hands-on, interactive approach didn’t just engage employees; it made the life-saving rules come alive. By allowing workers to see the immediate impact of their decisions in a safe setting, Borealis ensured that the lessons stuck, turning abstract safety concepts into tangible, memorable experiences.
Building Together: How Stakeholder Involvement Fueled Training Success
The success of Borealis’ innovative safety training was driven by its collaborative development process. Katarina Virtue stated that including a diverse group of stakeholders—from line managers to blue-collar workers—was key to creating a program that truly resonated. By involving those who would use the training from the start, Borealis ensured the content was not only accurate but practical and engaging. This approach gave employees a sense of ownership and investment in the program, making them more likely to embrace it. Regular feedback loops allowed for continuous improvement, ensuring the training met real-world needs and created lasting impact across all levels of the company.
A Viral Success: How Engaging Training Sparked Widespread Participation
The impact of Borealis’ new safety training was immediate and impressive. Without being mandatory, the program spread organically, with over 800 employees voluntarily completing the first module within just 10 days. Katarina Virtue described how the engaging, gamified approach created a “viral” effect across the company. In just a few months, thousands had completed the training, leading to a reduction in safety incidents of 30%. This surge in participation proved that when training is relevant and engaging, employees are motivated to take part on their own, driving real, lasting change across the organization.
Turning Doubt into Action: Winning Over Skeptics with Results
While Borealis’ new safety training was a breakthrough, it wasn’t without its challenges. Katarina Virtue revealed that some employees initially resisted the idea of game-based learning, dismissing it as too “childish” for the serious petrochemical industry. There was skepticism about whether game-based learning could truly drive change in such a high-stakes environment. However, by involving stakeholders early and demonstrating the real-world impact of this approach, Borealis gradually won over the doubters. As the training’s effectiveness became clear, even the skeptics recognized its value. What started as a bold, unconventional move quickly proved to be a powerful tool for engaging employees and driving meaningful change.
Beyond Borders: How Borealis’ Training Expanded Globally
Borealis’ gamified safety training didn’t just succeed—it scaled. Initially designed to cover five life-saving rules, the program expanded to nine as Borealis adopted new safety standards from its majority shareholder. What started as an innovative approach for Borealis is now being used by its parent company, reaching over 177,000 employees worldwide. This growth demonstrates not only game-based learning’s effectiveness but also its scalability. By blending virtual simulations with hands-on learning, Borealis created a training model that continues to drive real, lasting behavioral change on a global level, proving that engaging training can transform safety cultures far beyond the company’s original scope.
What Safety Managers Can Learn From the Borealis Case
For safety managers looking to elevate their training programs, here are the key lessons from Borealis’ innovative game-based learning approach that can help drive real, lasting change in your organization.
1. Understand the “Why” Behind Safety Rules: employees are more likely to follow safety rules when they understand the personal benefits. Shifting from rule enforcement to helping employees see why the rules matter can lead to more genuine engagement and commitment.
2. The Power of Social Psychology: integrating social psychology into safety training can help safety managers understand how behavior and organizational culture influence compliance. By addressing the human side of safety, companies can drive real behavioral change.
3. Interactive, Hands-On Learning Works Best: traditional lecture-style training may not resonate with all employees, particularly those in hands-on roles. Embracing immersive, multi-sensory learning methods such as game-based learning makes safety training more relatable and effective.
4. Gamification Can Transform Safety Training: gamified, virtual simulations offer a powerful way to train employees in high-risk scenarios without the real-world dangers. This engaging, interactive approach helps employees internalize safety rules more effectively than traditional methods.
5. Involve Stakeholders Early and Often: engaging employees at every level, from line managers to blue-collar workers, during the development of training programs ensures that the content is relevant, user-friendly, and practical. This collaboration also boosts buy-in and participation.
6. Overcoming Resistance to Change: new training methods such as game-based learning may face initial resistance, particularly in traditional or high-risk industries. However, by involving stakeholders and demonstrating the tangible benefits, safety managers can win over skeptics and foster a more positive attitude toward innovation.
7. Voluntary Participation Drives Engagement: when training is designed to be engaging and relevant, employees are more likely to participate voluntarily, creating a positive ripple effect. Mandatory training isn’t the only path to widespread participation and success.
8. Measurable Impact Through Innovative Training: game-based learning and behavioral approaches can lead to real, measurable improvements in safety performance, such as reducing incidents and improving safety culture. Safety managers should focus on outcomes, not just training completion.
9. Scalability of Game-Based Learning: This innovative, digital safety training approach can be scaled across larger operations or even entire organizations, impacting thousands of employees globally and enhancing overall safety culture.
10. Long-Term Change Over Quick Fixes: by focusing on behavior and long-term engagement rather than short-term compliance, safety managers can create lasting cultural shifts that make safety a core value in the workplace.
By focusing on the human side of safety, embracing innovative training methods like game-based learning, and involving employees at every step, Borealis created a scalable, impactful program that drives long-term behavioral change and enhances workplace safety, leading to a reduction of incidents with 30%
