Is the energy sector failing its supervisors?

Supervisors in high-risk industries operate at the critical interface between organisational intent, regulatory expectations, and frontline work execution. Their role includes building and sustaining a positive safety culture, balancing competing priorities such as production, reliability, safety and cost, managing and mentoring people, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational requirements. This is particularly challenging in the energy sector at Major Hazard Facilities, where safety is not just focused on personal injury prevention but also on process safety to prevent multiple fatalities. In addition, since 2022, organisations must create a psychologically safe work environment and manage psychosocial hazards, which create additional tasks and complexity to the role of the supervisor. While organisations increasingly invest in safety management systems, cultural frameworks, and senior leadership programs, the development of supervisors has not kept pace with rising expectations, complexity, and risk. This paper argues that, despite good intentions and widespread safety culture initiatives, the energy sector is not doing enough to support its supervisors. It examines common challenges and obstacles supervisors face in fulfilling their demanding role and makes suggestions about what organisations can do to provide further support.