Some risks become harder to address once equipment has been purchased, a project has been designed or a new process is already taking shape. Across Leonardo’s Electronics and Cyber Divisions, the Health, Safety and Environment team has been working to bring its expertise into those decisions earlier.

In its submission to The SHE Show Inspiring Change Awards 2026, Leonardo describes a coordinated approach spanning communication, competence, leadership and reporting. The divisions, which list around 8,000 employees in the application, operate across sites with different technical activities, infrastructure and hazards. The aim is to make prevention part of normal business planning.

The team began by asking employees how they wanted to receive and engage with HSE information. A business-wide questionnaire and open feedback informed a new communication strategy, including a monthly bulletin, themed campaigns and targeted alerts. These channels help explain changes and make relevant information easier to find.

One important development was the introduction of a Management of Change procedure in July 2025. It considers changes involving people, equipment and infrastructure that could introduce HSE risks. The intention is to identify those implications while there is still an opportunity to adjust the plan.

The submission gives practical examples of why timing matters. Equipment purchases can create difficulties if access dimensions, floor loading or ergonomic requirements are considered only during installation. Earlier review gives the relevant teams an opportunity to examine those issues before decisions become expensive or difficult to reverse.

Management of Change is being incorporated into other business processes, including construction-related arrangements and project definition. Records held within the reporting and assurance system support review as work progresses. This connects HSE consideration to existing decisions and responsibilities rather than leaving it as a separate final check.

Leonardo also formalised its Specialist Reviewer roles. Expertise already existed across the business, but competence records and role expectations needed greater consistency. The revised approach documents appointments and required capabilities, supports training and makes it easier to identify suitable specialist advice across sites. It also helps plan cover when an individual is unavailable.

Event reporting has been refined to make different types of information more useful. Hazard Observations distinguish concerns identified before an event from incidents and near misses. Positive Observations provide a way to recognise good practice. A further classification identifies events with the potential for significant injury or fatality, helping leaders focus attention on high-consequence risks.

These distinctions matter because a count alone does not explain where the greatest exposure lies. A concern about a critical safeguard may need a different response from a routine maintenance issue. Leonardo reports that the changes have improved its ability to direct local action and focus HSE investigation effort where it is most valuable.

Leadership involvement supports the approach. Site vice presidents are required to undertake IOSH training, while senior leaders carry out workplace walks to see activities and speak with teams directly. Measures concerning serious injury or fatality potential have also been incorporated into the senior leadership scorecard, bringing those risks into performance discussions.

The work depends on collaboration with functions including learning and development, procurement, security and wellbeing. A training dashboard helps managers identify relevant HSE learning for their teams. Together, these measures aim to make responsibilities and sources of support clearer at the point where work is planned.

Leonardo describes the changes as still maturing. It reports improved employee survey feedback and greater use of proactive reporting, alongside continuing work on training and process integration. The submission does not provide a quantified incident reduction attributable to the approach. Its practical lesson is about timing and ownership: involve the right expertise early, make risks visible and connect that information to the people making decisions.

Based on Leonardo’s Electronics and Cyber Divisions submission and supporting evidence for The SHE Show Inspiring Change Awards 2026. Progress is as reported in September 2026.