Step Change in Safety, the UK’s member-led energy safety organisation, says its “Life Saving Rule” quarterly safety theme has landed well with industry.
Since the turn of the year, Step Change in Safety has highlighted nine life-saving rules (LSRs) which are effective in protecting individuals and colleagues from work-related injuries. The LSRs, developed by the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP), set minimum expectations to control the risk of serious injury from common activities.
During Q1, Step Change in Safety has shared videos, podcasts and highlighted a range of other resources focused on each of the nine LSRs, heightening awareness of them and demonstrating how they can contribute to improving safety. The materials have been viewed thousands of times since the beginning of January.
The nine LSRs are: bypassing safety controls, confined space, driving, energy isolation, hot work, line of fire, safe mechanical lifting, work authorisation and working at height. They are not intended to address all the risks and hazards that exist in our industry, instead focusing on the things an individual has control over.
Step Change in Safety used a series of short animated films developed by the IOGP as a central element in explaining the LSRs. Supporting these films were short podcasts from people working in different roles across the oil and gas industry. Each specifically commissioned podcast provided background on the featured LSR and its relevance to the worksite, while the contributors gave their personal perspective and motivation for adhering to the LSR’s.
A suite of downloadable resources produced by Step Change in Safety – which had relevance to each rule – were also promoted, alongside safety alerts and moments that have been curated by the organisation and which are based on real incidents. All the resources are designed to improve workplace safety, offering good practice and guidance from across the industry.
Sandy Fettes, Global Wells Director, EnQuest, and member of the Step Change in Safety Leadership Team, said: “During the past year, everyone has had to focus on their personal safety in ways they never expected and probably none more so than our people working remotely. It has, however, helped remind us that safety is everyone’s responsibility. In using the Life-Saving Rules as our first quarterly theme, we are drawing attention to the activities that are most likely to lead to a fatality and reminding everyone of the key actions they can take to prevent bad things happening.
“As an industry, we must continue to work together, from worksite to boardroom, continuously improving safety. By focusing on hazard awareness and understanding, following the Life Saving Rules and taking appropriate action, we can make workplaces safer, preventing incidents and injury.
“Our Life Saving Rules resources have been positively received by our industry’s workforce. Through video podcasts from our members, we share personal stories of how the practical application of Life Saving Rules has improved safety in their companies. Together with other resources available on the Step Change in Safety website, we will continue to engage with the workforce, collaborate and strive to make our sector the safest place to work”.
Step Change in Safety introduced its quarterly safety themes following the success of a week-long Safety Days for Safety initiative last September. The four themes being covered during 2021 have been shaped by points identified in annual reports published by both the UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and OGUK.
During Quarter two, April through June, the safety theme will be safe lifting operations and preventing falling objects. Dropped objects were, according to the HSE and OGUK reports, the largest type of dangerous occurrence – incidents with the potential to cause significant injury – across the UKCS in 2019. By focusing on this area, it is hoped a future reduction in incidents can be achieved.
During this quarter, activities and resources will seek to improve hazard awareness of lifting tasks and potential dropped objects, increase detail of specific task risk assessments and examine a standardisation of approach to crane maintenance inspection.
The second of Step Change in Safety’s three Lifting Forums for 2021 will be held on Wednesday, 26 May. The online event is free for delegates to attend.
Step Change in Safety is a member-led, not-for-profit organisation committed to making the energy sector the safest place to work by preventing predictable incidents. Founded in 1997, it brings together operators and contractors, trade unions, regulators and the workforce to continuously improve safety across the UKCS. No other industry has such a body, making Step Change in Safety unique. The organisation engages with its member companies and their employees through several workgroups, forums and networks, the production of informative resources and safety alerts and moments, and hosting a series of events and forums. For further information, visit www.stepchangeinsafety.net
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