How to Build a Life-Saving Rules Program That Works

Oct 6

What if your next serious incident wasn’t just preventable—but predictable? That’s the premise behind Life-Saving Rules (LSRs): a small set of high-impact behaviors proven to prevent fatalities in high-risk work.

In 2025, the data is undeniable. The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) reports that 80% of industry fatalities occur during just a few critical tasks—not due to complex system failures, but simple breaches of known safeguards.

This post lays out how to build and implement an LSR program that goes beyond posters and policies—and becomes a living part of your safety culture.

What Are Life-Saving Rules?

Life-Saving Rules are non-negotiable, high-risk task protocols designed to prevent death and serious injury. They don’t replace your safety management system—they reinforce it when every other layer fails.

These rules typically focus on:

Confined space entry
Working at height
Energy isolation (LOTO)
Hot work
Line of fire
Mechanical lifting
Permit-to-work
Driving safety
Bypassing safety controls

Many organizations—BP, Ørsted, GE Vernova, ConocoPhillips, and TotalEnergies among them—have converged on these high-frequency, high-consequence activities as the foundation for their LSR programs.

Why You Need an LSR Program

For safety leaders and business owners, the case is clear:

Fewer rules, more focus. The IOGP reduced its original 18 rules to just 9 based on fatality data—emphasizing simplicity and retention.
Proven effectiveness. Energy Safety Canada estimates that if their life-saving rules were followed, over 80% of fatal incidents could be prevented.
Cultural clarity. LSRs create a shared language of safety across roles, contractors, and sites.

How to Implement Life-Saving Rules (Without the Bureaucracy)

Here’s a field-tested strategy for bringing LSRs to life in your organization:

1. Start With Data and Hazard Reality

Use your incident reports and job hazard analyses to identify which tasks pose the greatest threat. Don’t overcomplicate—pick 8–12 rules based on what could kill, not what could injure.

“Avoid administrative clutter like ID badge violations. Focus on enforceable, high-severity risks.” — The Campbell Institute

2. Standardize Wording and Visuals

Adopt consistent icons and plain-language descriptions. Standard IOGP visuals are widely used across sectors and help workers recall the rules quickly—even across languages or contractors.

3. Embed Rules in Daily Workflows

Your LSRs should show up in:

Permit-to-work forms
LOTO checklists
Pre-task planning
Toolboxes and micro-learning modules

They’re not posters—they’re embedded checkpoints.

ConocoPhillips requires verification steps for each rule, from hazard ID to fitness-for-duty checks.

4. Train for Competence, Not Just Compliance

Use:

5-minute discussion guides (e.g., “Rule-in-a-Minute”)
Start-work checks
Peer-to-peer role plays
Certification for rule-specific tasks (lifting, hot work, etc.)

5. Empower Workers to Intervene

Give every worker stop-work authority—and mean it. Reinforce that speaking up is a duty, not an inconvenience.

Bourbon and Nordex embed stop-work reminders in every pre-job briefing and encourage non-punitive reporting through “Stop Cards”.

6. Enforce Fairly and Transparently

Make the consequences of violating LSRs clear and consistent. But separate willful neglect from honest mistakes.

“Inconsistent enforcement undermines credibility. A just culture balances accountability with learning.” — The Campbell Institute

7. Model and Monitor From the Top

Leadership must not only endorse the rules—they must practice and fund them. Use audits, site walk-throughs, and storytelling to reinforce what’s working and where you’re growing.

8. Continuously Improve

Monitor compliance, near-misses, and corrective actions. Adjust your rules based on real-world learning—not just external mandates.

What Small Businesses Can Do Today

You don’t need a multinational budget to roll out LSRs. You just need focus, tools, and a commitment to protect your team.

Here's your quick-start checklist:

Pick 8-12 rules based on your top hazards
Use shared visuals (e.g., IOGP icons) for clarity
Train supervisors to lead toolbox talks and start-work checks
Integrate rules into permits, SOPs, and checklists
Print wallet cards, posters, and digital reminders
Use stop-work language in every briefing
Track rule use and violations with simple audit tools
Review performance quarterly and update as needed

💡 Try the STHS Life Saving Rules Assistant

Conclusion: Your Rules. Their Lives.

Life-Saving Rules are more than policies. They’re a compact between leadership and labor: we will do everything we can to make sure you go home safe.

Whether you run a 20-person operation or a 2,000-person project, implementing a streamlined, enforceable, and visible LSR program could be the most powerful safety investment you make this year.

Sources & Further Reading:

🚀 Ready to Launch Your Life-Saving Rules Program?

Explore the STHS Life-Saving Rules Assistant — a purpose-built GPT that helps business owners, supervisors, and EHS leaders create, implement, and sustain life-saving rules that actually work on site.

This AI-powered co-pilot helps you:

Generate toolbox talks, quizzes, and training modules grounded in behavioral science
Design high-impact campaigns with posters, slogans, and reminders
Build checklists, violation protocols, and audit tools
Develop rollout plans and leadership scripts tailored to your team
Translate everything to and from Spanish, in plain, professional language
Run scenario-based trainings with reflection and reinforcement prompts
Stay anchored in evidence-based best practices — no fluff, no filler

Whether you're building your first LSR program or refining an existing one, this tool keeps you focused, compliant, and culturally aligned.

👉 Check out the STHS Life-Saving Rules Assistant now — and bring your safety culture to life, one rule at a time.

Eric C Sixberry