In just a few days, on February 8, nominations close for the first ever UK Oil & Gas Industry Safety Awards.
Last year, the injury rate on offshore installations dropped to an all-time low. Good news, clearly, but this cannot disguise the fact that there are still people getting hurt on our installations; we have to take the improvement even further. The way to do this is to look at what we have done well over the last few years. What has brought the injury rate down to this record level?
Clearly, we have better safety systems in place, advanced procedures and state-of-the-art technology. However, at the end of the day, safe operations come down to the people working on the installations with the equipment.
Many people make significant contributions to safety in the workplace, to the benefit of themselves and their workmates, and this contribution has to be recognised and rewarded. In this way, we can set best-practice examples and encourage others to follow suit.
Often, good safety behaviour is taken for granted. The attention is usually on the shortcomings, when an accident or a near-miss incident happens.
We hear so much about what is wrong with safety and the negative perceptions people have of it. Importantly, for me, at the new safety awards, we are celebrating real achievements and the things people have done to make the UK oil&gas industry a safer place to work.
We want to encourage the workforce to shout out about good safety practice and to share their positive experience with the wider industry to build a culture in which safety truly comes first.
When we, at Oil & Gas UK, created the awards, we thought about what sort of behaviour and action really make a difference to safety. It was clear to us that we need to recognise the outstanding contributions our elected safety representatives make to safety on a day-to-day basis.
Elected safety representatives have much to offer when it comes to the effective management of safety in the workplace. As representatives of the workforce, their contribution is of great value to their co-workers and employers; they are often familiar with safety issues and concerns, and are well placed to identify practical steps that will address them.
So it is only right that we should recognise the good work safety representatives do, and I look forward to the successful representative receiving due recognition.
When we talk about individuals who are active in safety, safety leadership is a common characteristic. There are some excellent teams and individuals working in our industry. Very often, it takes a special individual to lead the team and achieve safe and quality workmanship. I am always impressed with the commitment and tenacity that is often displayed by a leader to achieve those results.
Likewise, it takes consideration and strength of character to intervene and prevent a potential incident. However, the benefits of getting it right are of great value; the likelihood is that you stop someone from getting hurt, which far outweighs the loss of a short delay in getting the job done.
Giving due recognition to these aspects can greatly boost morale; words of praise from an OIM (offshore installation manager), supervisor or manager when safety procedures are followed to a high standard works not only to ensure organisational safety targets are met, but also encourages continued safety compliance to ensure the safety of all – the most important aspect of health-and-safety initiatives and precisely the reason why they exist.
That is why I am delighted to encourage the industry to shout about their safety achievements and nominate candidates for the UK Oil & gas Industry Safety Awards.
These awards, which are principally sponsored by Maersk Oil, provide a platform where commitment to safety can be rewarded in front of work colleagues and industry leaders.
Nominations are open for five award categories:
Award for Safety Leadership, sponsored by Chevron Upstream Europe, which recognises a highly motivated individual who works tirelessly to ensure that their team works in a safe and professional manner at all times.
Safety Representative of the Year, sponsored by Nexen Petroleum UK Limited, which recognises an individual’s active participation and effectiveness in regards to the promotion of, and commitment to, the safety agenda within the oil&gas industry.
Award for Preventative Safety Action, sponsored by Nexen Petroleum UK Limited, which recognises an individual who, through their proactive and vigilant behaviour, successfully intervened to prevent a potential incident.
Safety Award for the Most Promising Individual, sponsored by Draeger Safety UK Limited, which recognises the enthusiasm of an individual who has demonstrated a keen interest in safety matters and actively embraced the safety culture in the oil&gas industry.
Award for Innovation in Safety – Company Award, sponsored by ABB Engineering Services, which recognises a company’s innovative approach to safety through the implementation of a new process or technique.
In addition, an award will be presented for Services to Safety, and this will be chosen by the Step Change in Safety chairmen, Gordon Ballard, of Schlumberger, and John Forrest, of Talisman Energy (UK) Limited.
This award recognises an outstanding contribution by an individual towards the Step Change in Safety vision to make the UK the safest place to work in the worldwide oil&gas industry.
Please remember that nominations for each category will close on February 8, 2010. I therefore look to all of you to provide formal recognition for those people among you who have made an outstanding contribution to safety by entering them in the UK Oil & gas Industry Awards.
It is only through sharing and promoting positive examples of best safety practice that we can reward safety excellence, learn from each other and work together to ensure that safety standards are not only met, but exceeded.
Ian Crossan is support team leader for Step Change in Safety, the UK’s offshore flagship safety initiative
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