Strict adherence to health and safety standards in the UK North Sea was celebrated at an industry award ceremony in the north-east yesterday.
Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) chief executive Malcolm Webb told a 350-strong audience it was wholly appropriate the event was taking place a year to the day after the Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers.
He said the second UK Oil and Gas Industry Safety Awards had attracted a truly exceptional standard of entries, showing offshore workers and their companies were committed to safety.
Mr Webb added: “Those who didn’t pick up an award this time should also be justifiably proud. All our finalists demonstrated the ideas, enthusiasm and commitment required in putting safety first and set an example for all of us working in offshore oil and gas to follow.”
Fresh from a visit to the Treasury amid the row over oil and gas tax, Mr Webb also said it was nice to be back among people who understood the industry.
The event, sponsored by Maersk Oil UK and jointly organised by OGUK and Step Change in Safety, took place in the Mercure Ardoe House Hotel and Spa, at Blairs near Aberdeen.
Award winners included David Mackenzie, a production apprentice at energy service giant Wood Group. He took the accolade for most promising individual after impressing his peers and managers with his commitment to health and safety.
Graham Spencer, occupational health and safety co-ordinator at Marathon Oil UK, won the honour for leadership.
OGUK said Mr Spencer’s award was in recognition of his highly creative methods and encouragement to others to speak about safety issues.
Aker Solutions hydraulic technician Mike Ross won the award for preventative safety action after his frequent interventions to prevent potential incidents.
Petrofac operations technician William Watt was named safety representative of the year for his efforts to reduce the risk of accidents in the workplace.
The company award for innovation in safety went to National Air Traffic Services, which has introduced technology which allows helicopters operating over the North Sea to be tracked.
Jim Trodden, offshore installation manager on Chevron Upstream Europe’s Captain Wellhead Protector platform, picked up a special award for services to safety in recognition of his “outstanding contribution” to making the UK the safest place to work in the worldwide oil and gas industry.
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