Interim manager and safety culture: successfully taking over a site under a public service delegation

Contents

• Taking over a site in a DSP: the safety blind

spot

• Why the safety culture does not transfer with the contract
• The case of two energy recovery units taken over by a new operator
• The levers of the interim manager to install a sustainable

safety culture

• Why WAYDEN supports these sensitive

takeovers

• FAQ
• Conclusion
• Sources

 

Taking over a site in DSP: the blind spot of security

A public service delegation changes operator, but the site does not change overnight. The teams remain in place, as do the habits in the field, and with them the differences in practices accumulated over the years. The name on the door changes before the daily reflexes change.

The new operator often inherits a sensitive facility, an energy recovery unit or a sorting centre. These sites are classified as classified facilities for environmental protection. However, the controls do not weaken after the takeover. In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes alone, the DREAL carried out nearly 2,900 inspections in 2025, 45% more than in 2018, according to its regional report. More than 340 formal notices were sent to industrial operators over the same period.

In this context, safety cannot remain the subject that is dealt with after the operational resumption of the site. It must be asked from day one, with dedicated management and clear priorities for the teams on duty. Waiting until the end of the tiling period to worry about it is like playing against the clock. A subject that does not forgive delays.

 

Why safety culture does not transfer with the contract

A public service delegation contract transfers obligations, equipment and teams. It does not automatically transfer safety reflexes built up over several years by the former operator.

The latter had its own standards, sometimes less demanding than those of the new operator. The employees, on the other hand, continue to apply what they know, without ill will. It is simply their way of working for a long time on this site.

Waste management is also becoming an increasingly important part of the French economy. Waste management expenditure reached €22 billion in 2023, 41% of which was financed by companies. This is according to data from the Ministry of Ecological Transition. Material recovery concerns 71% of the waste treated. A sector under strong economic and regulatory pressure, which can no longer afford a long-term safety gap on a takeover site.

Bridging this gap requires methodical work. Our guide on the stages of crisis management details it, which is also useful for anticipating the tensions that often accompany a site takeover.

 

The case of two energy recovery units taken over by a new operator

This is the situation experienced by a player in environmental services. It had just won a twenty-year public service delegation for two energy recovery units in a large metropolis.

The new operator took over the teams of the previous operator, i.e. a site with about 65 employees. It quickly noticed a gap between its own prevention standards and the practices observed in the field. Nothing spectacular at first glance, but habits which, cumulatively, exposed the operator to a real risk.

Rather than imposing a sudden change, the company called on interim managers. Their mission: to structure and accelerate the deployment of a sustainable health and safety culture. Their role was to understand existing practices and identify priority gaps. Then to get the teams on board, without placing them in the position of accused.

This gradual approach, rather than an authoritarian overhaul, largely explains the buy-in obtained on the ground. The teams saw managers who were able to explain the reason for each change, not just impose new rules from above. This is often the difference between an instruction applied for a week and a reflex that takes hold for good.

 

The interim manager’s levers for establishing a sustainable safety culture

Installing a long-term safety culture is not limited to posting new instructions in the changing rooms. The interim manager structures his intervention around several complementary levers.

• A field diagnosis, carried out with the teams on duty rather than against them, to map real practices.

• The prioritization of the most critical risks, in particular in areas of flow between machines, machines and operators.

• The training of local supervisors, often the link that makes or breaks the sustainable adoption of new practices.

• Management by simple indicators, monitored with the management committee and shared with the teams themselves.
• The anchoring of short and regular rituals, more effective over time than a one-off awareness campaign.

This method is also based on the principles of a structured CSR approach. The safety of employees is an integral part of an industrial operator’s environmental and social commitments. A site that only works on its safety culture in reaction to controls always ends up paying the price.

Why WAYDEN supports these sensitive takeovers

WAYDEN regularly intervenes on this type of mission, at the frontier between crisis management, industrial safety and change management. The firm relies on a pool of more than 8,000 qualified managers, with managers specialising in health, safety and the environment.

The speed of deployment is particularly important in these contexts. Candidates are presented within 48 to 72 hours, for a start of the mission in less than a week. For a takeover of a public service delegation, the changeover date is set contractually. This short period limits the risk of a blind spot at the most exposed moment.

Each mission is monitored by an associate director, who is responsible for the link between the operator, the teams on duty and the control authorities. This close monitoring is important on a subject as sensitive as safety. A simple relaxation of management can be costly, for the operator as well as for the teams. Our page dedicated to HSE interim management details other missions of this type, as do our examples of transitions in the industry.

 

FAQ

What is a sustainable safety culture, in concrete terms?

It is a set of prevention reflexes integrated into the daily life of the teams, not just the instructions posted. It is measured by the way employees react to a risk, even in the absence of control.

How long does it take to transform the safety culture of an industrial site?

The change in visible practices can occur quite quickly. Sustainable anchoring, on the other hand, generally requires several months of continuous work with the teams, beyond the sole period of contractual tiling.

Does

the interim manager replace the current HSE manager?

Not necessarily. He can strengthen an existing HSE team, structure a vacant function or directly manage the transformation. It all depends on the maturity of the site and the need identified by the operator.

How does an interim manager intervene from the first day of a site takeover?

He relies on a diagnosis prepared beforehand with the operator and meets with the teams on duty as soon as he arrives. He then prioritises the most critical risks, even before undertaking the substantive actions.

Sources

• DREAL Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, “Safety and control of industrial sites in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: 2024 assessment and 2025 priorities”, published on 30 June 2026: nearly 2,900 inspections carried out in 2025, up 45% compared to 2018, more than 340 formal notices sent to operators.

• Statistical data and studies, Ministry of Ecological Transition, “Waste management and circular economy in France”, published on 27 March 2026: €22 billion in waste management expenditure in 2023, 71% material recovery.

• FJ Prevention, “764 deaths at work in 2024: the report of the Health Insurance”, published on 27 February 2026: 764 deaths related to work-related accidents in 2024, up 0.7% compared to 2023.