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Atlantica-Rioglass

Atlantica-Rioglass Services transformed its safety culture with SafeStart by achieving greater situational awareness, safer habits, and making 2024 its best safety year yet!
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  • Client

    Rioglass Services O&M

  • Location

    Spain

  • Year
    2023
  • Industry

    Renewable Energy

“2024 was our best safety year since records began. It’s no coincidence that it was also our first full year with SafeStart.“

Myriam Julia Campos, Director of the Solucar Platform

SafeStart supports a safety culture transformation at one of Atlantica’s solar platforms

Through its subsidiary Rioglass Servicios, Atlantica operates and maintains its own solar plants. Founded in 2022, Rioglass Servicios is responsible for the operation and maintenance of these solar facilities.

With more than 500 employees, the company operates and maintains 15 renewable solar plants located in south-west Spain, with a total capacity of 681 MW. Every year, Rioglass produces enough green energy to power over 260,000 households, positioning itself as a national leader in the transition towards clean energy.

Rioglass Servicios faced challenges in managing safety across its operations, particularly in environments involving high-pressure and high-temperature equipment and installations. Although strong safety measures were already in place, the company was ready to take the next step — moving beyond traditional procedures to drive a lasting cultural shift that would make safety a core daily value for everyone.

Recognising the importance of reducing incidents and shaping safer behaviors both at work and at home, Rioglass implemented the SafeStart programme. This approach helped them strengthen situational awareness, reduce unsafe acts, and achieve a significant improvement in their safety performance — with 2024 becoming its best safety year on record.

SafeStart not only changed work routines, but also became part of employees’ personal lives, creating an impact that extends well beyond the workplace.

Rioglass Servicios faced challenges in managing safety across its operations, especially in environments with high-pressure and high-temperature equipment and facilities. Although the company already had strong safety measures in place, it was the right moment to take safety to the next level. They wanted to go beyond traditional protocols and create a lasting cultural change — one that would make safety a core value in everyone’s daily life.

Aware of the importance of reducing accidents and transforming employee behavior both at work and beyond, they implemented the SafeStart program. Through this approach, they strengthened situational awareness, reduced unsafe acts, and achieved a positive impact on their safety indicators — making 2024 their best safety year yet.

SafeStart didn’t just transform work routines. It became part of employees’ personal lives, creating an impact that reached far beyond the workplace.

The Challenge: The Human Factor Behind Accidents

Despite having robust processes and state-of-the-art equipment, Rioglass Servicios faced a common challenge in industrial environments — human factors remained the main cause of safety incidents.

A detailed analysis revealed that focusing on human error could help strengthen the company’s preventive safety culture and reduce mistakes linked to specific states such as:

  • Rushing to meet deadlines
  • Frustration with process obstacles
  • Fatigue from 24/7 rotating shifts
  • Overconfidence in routine tasks

When analysing the accidents, we found that our facilities and processes were solid — but we were falling short on the human factor. We needed tools to help redirect those habits.

José Ángel Escamilla Pérez, HSE Specialist, Atlantica
SafeStart Cards

The solution: SafeStart in action

Rioglass discovered SafeStart through a US partner and a Canadian utility that had seen remarkable results with the programme. What stood out was SafeStart’s focus on mental and physical states, explained in clear, practical terms for all employees.

Their goal was simple yet ambitious: reduce human-factor accidents to nearly zero.

Training for lasting change

Implementing the programme in a 24/7 operation required careful planning. Rioglass built a strong internal network of trainers, combining expert-led sessions with in-house follow-ups. Training groups were kept small (around 17 people), and sessions were spaced every few months to allow teams to practise what they had learnt.

This structure ensured engagement, consistency, and long-term impact across the organisation.

Leading by example was key. The managers didn’t just support the program — they sat in as learners during the first phases and later became trainers themselves. Leading by example is always a recipe for success.

Myriam Julia Campos, Director of the Solucar Platform
atlantica rioglass servicios casos de exito 5 95c61b1d

Building a Sustainable Culture

What makes the SafeStart implementation at Rioglass Servicios stand out is its comprehensive approach to keeping the program alive over time:

Structured Follow-up

A dedicated committee was created, including management and area leaders, to monitor the progress of initiatives and employee engagement levels.

Integration into Daily Processes

  • SafeStart language is now part of daily work meetings.
  • SafeStart cards are used in all toolbox talks and safety interactions.
  • Program principles are applied in every incident and accident analysis.

Visual Reinforcement

A visual campaign was launched with posters placed strategically throughout the site — in the cafeteria, locker rooms, offices, and work areas.

“The signage is everywhere… SafeStart is always present.”

— Antonio, Health and Safety and Emergency Manager, Solucar Platform

Family Involvement

One of the most successful initiatives was Family Day, where the program was shared with employees’ families during an on-site event. This not only strengthened the safety message but also created cultural change ambassadors at home.

“Even my teenage daughter now says, ‘Mom, are you focused on the task? Remember SafeStart!’”

— Myriam, Plant Director, showing how the program has gone beyond the workplace

Results: Lasting and Measurable Transformation

The SafeStart program delivered measurable and lasting results at Rioglass Servicios:

  • Record Safety Performance: 2024 became the safest year since records began (2012), with only one minor incident and no lost-time injuries.
  • Cultural Shift: The SafeStart mindset became part of daily conversations, with employees using its language to discuss safety and behavior.
  • Greater Awareness: Workers now pause to assess their state before acting — a clear sign of improved self-awareness and decision-making.
  • Safety Beyond Work: Safe habits are showing up at home and on the road, proving the program’s impact goes beyond the workplace.
  • New Daily Habits: Practices like reversing into parking spaces or holding handrails are now standard, reinforced by visual cues. Improved
  • Teamwork: The process strengthened collaboration, leadership, and overall engagement across all levels.
atlantica

Discover the Power of Human Factors

Explore our resources section for a wealth of knowledge and inspiring stories that can help you reduce human error and boost your business performance. Dive into our articles, blogs, case studies, guides, and much more to learn about human factors and their impact on safety and efficiency. Click the links on the right to start your journey towards a safer, more productive workplace.