Juanita Pienaar spoke with Charné Vosloo, Managing Director of MSHEQ Health and Safety Services, about the company’s innovative approach to transforming safety culture in high-risk industries.
Through the integration of emotional intelligence, human-centred design, and advanced technologies, MSHEQ is redefining what it means to keep workers safe.
Making safety personal
For Vosloo, safety has always been more than a checklist. “Our work in high-risk industries made one thing clear: safety isn’t just procedural, it’s deeply personal,” she says. “We saw too many training programmes that failed to connect with the people on the ground. So, we began incorporating emotional intelligence and human-centred design to shift safety from something people had to do, to something they care about.”
When workers feel “seen, heard, and understood,” they take ownership of their role in maintaining safety, and that ownership changes everything.
From insight to measurable outcomes
This human-centred approach is delivering tangible results. “We’ve seen a direct correlation between emotionally intelligent training and reduced incident rates,” Vosloo explains. “Workers become more aware, proactive, and confident in identifying hazards or stopping unsafe behaviour.”
By ensuring training is “accessible, relevant, and memorable,” MSHEQ has improved compliance, shortened onboarding times, and significantly increased near-miss reporting. In industries such as construction, mining, and manufacturing, these outcomes can make the difference between prevention and tragedy.
Immersive learning with virtual reality
One of the company’s most effective tools is its virtual reality (VR) training. These simulations place employees in realistic, high-risk scenarios - from working at heights to managing confined space emergencies - without exposing them to actual danger.
“Instead of theory alone, they experience the consequences of decisions in a safe, controlled environment,” Vosloo says. “People remember what they’ve felt and done, not just what they’ve read. It also builds muscle memory and quickens instinctive decision-making under pressure.”
Industrial theatre that resonates
Complementing the VR experience is ISENZO, MSHEQ’s industrial theatre production. This training method blends humour, emotion, and impactful messaging to leave a lasting impression on its audiences.
“The response has been phenomenal,” says Vosloo. “Workers see themselves in the characters, and that creates a mirror for reflection and real behaviour change. Many have shared that it’s the first time they’ve felt the importance of safety, not just heard it.”
Clients praise ISENZO for “bringing humanity back into compliance” and for being “disruptive in all the right ways.”
Speaking the language of industry
When training those who operate heavy or complex equipment, MSHEQ focuses on relevance. “We speak their language, literally and figuratively,” Vosloo notes. “Our facilitators often come from industry backgrounds and understand the pressures on site.”
Training combines visuals, simulations, and hands-on practice tailored to the specific machinery and hazards of each role. Storytelling, case studies, and localised content ensure that workers not only understand the rules but also feel responsible for applying them.
From paperwork to people
Transforming safety culture requires moving away from a purely compliance-driven mindset. “We move safety from the clipboard to the heart,” Vosloo says. Leadership engagement, workshops, and emotionally resonant tools like VR and theatre foster open dialogue, reward proactive behaviour, and encourage leaders to model the culture they want to see.
“When safety becomes about people, not paperwork, engagement naturally follows,” she adds.
Focusing on critical risks
For industries where capital equipment poses high risks, MSHEQ provides scenario-based training in key danger areas such as working at height, mobile equipment operation, and confined spaces.
“These high-risk areas are a core focus for us,” says Vosloo. “We simulate decision points like choosing the right fall protection, inspecting mobile machinery, or following lockout/tagout procedures before confined space entry.”
The training also promotes hazard anticipation and the confidence to speak up in dynamic or unpredictable environments.
Women leading in safety
As a proudly female-led and female-staffed business, MSHEQ is challenging traditional perceptions in the safety and industrial sectors. “We don’t just bring diversity; we bring fire,” says Vosloo. “Our leadership in a traditionally male-dominated field is reshaping perceptions. Safety leadership isn’t about gender, it’s about impact.”
Through mentorship and visibility, MSHEQ is opening pathways for more women to succeed in industrial roles, both on site and in leadership.
Proven success in the field
MSHEQ’s approach is delivering results. One mining client recorded a 40% increase in near-miss reporting within three months of implementing VR-based training. In another case, a warehouse team prevented a serious incident after recognising a scenario from the ISENZO production and taking early corrective action.
“These are the wins that drive us - real lives, real outcomes,” Vosloo says.
Innovation on the horizon
Looking ahead, MSHEQ is exploring AI-driven hazard prediction tools, immersive mixed-reality environments, and gamified learning journeys. The company is also expanding its focus to include mental health and leadership development as part of its safety culture programmes.
“Our next frontier is integration: connecting the emotional, behavioural, and technological to elevate safety in ways the industry hasn’t seen before. Watch this space,” says Vosloo.
Through innovation, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to workers, MSHEQ is proving that the most effective safety programmes are the ones people care about.
