TSN Edition
- 1. REMEMBERING PIPER THE NIGHT THAT CHANGED OUR WORLD NEWS ITEMS ⢠STORIES ⢠INFORMATION ⢠YOUR WORDS ⢠QUIZ PIPER ALPHA â the night that changed our world Tea Shack News speaks to one survivor and two men whose fathers were on board Piper Alpha on that horrific night SHELLâS SAFETY DAY: SIMPLIFICATION â SIMPLES! Jake Molloy, of the RMT union, looks at the problem of time, money and a system which workers don't have faith in. So how do we make that better? P4 Workers take part in a range of activities P7 Issue 10, July, 2016 Winner of the 2015 Energy Institute Awards for Communication The sky was alight and acrid smoke billowed into the cold air the night 167 men lost their lives â 28 years on and the scars of the Piper Alpha dis- aster have still not healed. It was the biggest and most tragic incident to have taken place in the North Sea to date. Tea Shack News spoke to one survivor and two men whose fathers were on board Piper Alpha on that horrific night. Shane Gormanâs dad, David, was a 41-year-old safety officer on the platform when he died on the night of July 6, 1988. Shane explained to us how the tragic event affected his life and those he loves. âThere was mylifebeforePiperAlphaandthere is my life after it,â he said. Shane was just 18 in 1988. He was starting his career in the army and the weekend of July 3 was a time to celebrate with his friends and fam- ily. Shane said: âI was going off to the Army for the first time, to do my basic training, and my dad was go- ing offshore, so we had a family din- ner to say good bye.â On the Sunday afternoon, Shane was dropped off at the train station by his dad, who was heading off- shore the next day â neither knew it wouldbethelasttimetheysaweach other. In those days, basic training meant no phones, newspapers, TVs or radios. âMy Commanding Officer came to visit and told me my dad had been in an accident. As a safety officer, dad had been involved in in- vestigating incidents before so I thought nothing of it,â he said. âThe following day I was told to go home, still having no clear idea what had happened. I was dropped off at the train station in Darlington and the first thing I knew of the scale of Piper Alpha incident was when I went to buy a Mars Bar and I saw all the newspapers with pic- tures of a piece of twisted metal sticking out of the sea. âIt was the hardest journey I have ever been on. I cried the whole way home and was comforted by two lit- tle old ladies. At that point I had no real information but I just knew he wasnât coming home. âWhen I got home, everyone was trying to support me and be there, but it was absolute chaos. There were people everywhere in the house, the press were calling and knocking at the door. It was horri- ble. I stayed there all weekend but there was nothing I could do. I felt completely helpless. âSurprisingly, and bizarrely, de- spite the huge number of people tryingtosupportme,Ifoundmyself dealing with it all completely and utterly alone. The overwhelming barrage and intensity of negative emotions are indescribable, which makes them incredibly difficult to communicate. âThe understanding you have of yourself and the world around you breaks down and many different uncontrollable feelings and emo- tions rush in and out of your being, but they are also all there at once.â Shane, who now works offshore and is a safety rep, said he has learned to live with what happened, but the accident will always affect him and his family. âFor a good 10 years after the accident my life spi- ralled into chaos. I wasnât suicidal, but I didnât care about myself or what happened to me. People donât realise the impact these things have on those who are left behind,â Shane said. âPiper Alpha became sensational photos of a big fire ball, but the real impact was quickly forgotten. Itâs about the 167 people who died at work and the effect that had on their families and children.â Shane, who is a dad-of-two, said he thinks there have been huge im- provements in safety offshore since the Piper Alpha but that more can, and should, be done. He said: âThe message has to come from within. I feel passionate about safety off- shore; I want to make a difference. Dad felt that way too; he knew it wasnât safe on Piper Alpha.â GaryCalderâsdad,Harry,wasalso on the platform that night along- side Shaneâs dad. Harry survived the night, but Gary, who was 20 at thetimeoftheincident,saidhisdad was never quite the same after that night. Gary, who is a safety rep offshore and now a dad himself, said: âI re- member thinking my dad was very quiet for a long time after Piper. I think he feels a lot of guilt that he survived and many other people hadnât. I donât think he ever had the intention of going offshore again but he did. I wouldnât say it made him angry but he was a changed man after Piper.â Continued on Page 3 Survivor Steve Rae asks âCould I have made a difference?â âPiper Alpha became sensational photos of a big fire ball, but the real impact was quickly forgottenâ Tea Shack News want to hear from you e-mail: editor@teashacknews.com #PlayYourPart HEâS IN THE SHED: Ever feel like youâre getting under the wifeâs feet after a few days back onshore? P6
- 2. 2 July 2016 | Issue 10 www.stepchangeinsafety.net/tsn Engaging the workforce to save the industry Thomas Hunter is an offshore Elected Safety Rep. Heâs part of the Step Change Leadership Team and the G18 â a group of safety reps which speaks for the workforce Whatâs onshore got to do with it? You may have an impact on the management of Major Accident Hazards â wherever you are Tea Shack News is produced by Step Change in Safety â a not-for-profit tripartite organisation involving the unions, regulators and industry. It aims to share industry good practice and information to help oil and gas industry workers do their jobs safer. All resources and events are available free to its members. Editor: Contributors: Gillian Simpson (Step Change in Safety) Charlotte Jordan (Bread PR) Emma Robertson (Step Change in Safety) Fiona FitzGerald (DNV GL) Gillian Taylor (Plus Performance) Jennifer Phillips (Oil & Gas UK) Libby Keiller (Bread PR) Dionne Abolghassem Winner of the 2015 Energy Institute Awards for Communication Weâd love to hear your news and stories. Hereâs how you can contact us: www.stepchangeinsafety.net/tsn editor@teashacknews.com #playyourpart Read the publication online Thomas Hunter With hundreds of miles of water between the platform and the of- fice, itâs easy to understand why onshore workers, in some roles, donât see the influence they might have on keeping their offshore colleagues safe. Major Accident Hazard e-learn- ing has been developed to help everyone understand a little more about managing hazards offshore, to help educate those onshore workers who do not undertake MIST (Minimum Industry Safety Training). Topics include the Safety Case, Safety and Environ- mental Critical Elements (SECEs), asset integrity and the use of bar- riers to prevent accidents happen- ing. Glen Sheppard, an Elected Safety Rep who sits on the work- group that helped develop the course, said: âItâs important peo- ple realise how their role, no mat- ter how unrelated they believe it is, may have an impact on the management of Major Accident Hazards. From buyers sourcing the correct spare part, through to logistics having it sent out quickly, to HR employing compe- tent people to fit and test it⌠they all have a part to play.â The module is free to members of Step Change in Safety. See www.stepchangeinsafety.net for more details As part of the G18 I attended the âShared Principles and Valuesâ event, organised by Energy Jobs Taskforce. The first thing I noticed was the number of suits. Everyone knew each other and most of the delegates were MDs, VPs, CEOs or presidents and some people from government departments. We heard speeches from lead- ers of industry organisations and they were what I expected: save money, co-operate to work more efficiently, we can move forward in the current climate, etc etc. During discussion time, my table â two MDs, two senior managers and two guys from government bodies â was quick to blame high prices and the lack of government help, and it was clear to me they were focused on money. Then all eyes fell on me. I told them that things are differ- ent for the workforce. The knee- jerk reaction is to downsize the workforce and cut wages. Yes, this is a quick saving, but what happens after that? The key to saving money is lis- tening to the workforce. Most ideas coming from the Men in Suits are not sustainable: âstop doing this, cut that, do things like thisâ. But most of the time, the best ideas come from the drill floor or the tea shack. The men and women working on the plat- form know what works and what doesnât. Everyone listened and agreed. The next activity was more in- teractive. Questions like âHow can we maintain the future of the in- dustry?â and âWhat can we do to improve performance?â were asked. One of the union guys replied with âEngage the work- forceâ. We had to stand beside the poster with the comment we agreed with. âEngage the work- forceâ had the most people stand- ing next to it. So it looked like most people in the room knew that the key to saving our indus- try lies with the workforce. After that we pulled together ideas on how to engage the work- force. After an hour my group had a plan and presented it to the room. Another two groups had chosen the same topic and their plans were pretty much the same as ours: Talk and listen to the work- force, not just in meeting rooms but on the platform, in the tea shacks and on the job site. My take on the event: everyone is looking for a way forward, but it has to be as a whole industry. The next few years are going to be tough but I am sure we can get through them with the work- force leading the way and with safety being the number one pri- ority.
- 3. Issue 10 | July 2016www.stepchangeinsafety.net/tsn 3 Stories from the shack We had the top brass oot the other day for one of they âTown Hall meetingsâ. We all piled into the mess to listen to this guy who was going to tell us about our future. He said that rumours about shutting down the platform were a bit exaggerated, but it could happen if we didnae pull our socks up and get production improved. He said if we could improve production we could be there until 2045. One of the lads shouted; âIs that quarter to nine the night or the year?â âIremember thinkingâan80ft jumpwasnâtin thesurvival trainingthatI havebeen involvedinââ Please . . . donât pick me Gary was in Germany with the Army at a friendâs 21st birthday party whensomeonenoticedthenewscov- erage of the incident on TV. He said: âSomeone asked me what platform my dad was on. I replied âItâs some- thing Alphaâ and thatâs when I re- alised what was happening. I tried to contact my mum but couldnât get through.â It wasnât until the next morning he spoke to her and she told him his dad had survived. âMy dad never really spoke to us about what happened. I think he spoke to some of his friends but heâs a very private and strong person and doesnât let his feelings show,â added Gary. Gary said his dad was a massive influence in his life. âWhen I decided to go offshore, I had a very long chat with my dad and he was full of re- assurance. He told me to follow my instinct, which I know he did, and thatâs why he is here today to pass on words of wisdom. My family arenât too worried when I go offshore, even after what happened to my dad. I spent years in the Army and they al- ways say âYouâd get off wouldnât you?ââ he added. AmanwhodidâgetoffâPiperAlpha was Steve Rae, now a consultant in the oil and gas industry, based in America. In a heartfelt description of the weeks leading to the night of July 6, 1988, Steve identified several safety observations and hazards which he now wishes he had raised with his superiors at the time. He said: âMy first thoughts when I arrived on Piper Alpha were that it looked old and tired â it was 12 years old. I thought it looked run down, however, having worked on other platforms, I didnât see this as a prob- lem and felt at the time that we just needed to get on and get the drilling job completed.â StevedescribedhowPiperhadbeen modified significantly over the years andhowâitwasconfusingtonavigate â like a rabbit warrenâ. He could not remember ever being shown round the accommodation or taken to the appropriatesafetymusterareaswhen arriving on-board. âI thought Iâd just get used to it and thatâs just the way it was,â said Steve. Steve and his colleagues were on the drill floor when the first explo- sion occurred. They made their way to the accommodation block but Steve decided to return to the drill floor because the accommodation module had already started to fill with smoke. Steve met a colleague who had also returned to the drill floor â both had ignored orders to go to muster. He said: âThere was no way off except to jump the 80ft into the North Sea. The whole wellhead deck was being con- sumed by fire and I remember think- ing âan 80ft jump wasnât in the sur- vival training that I have been involved inâ.â As the pair were building up their Cast your mind back to your school days where you are standing in a line in the sports hall, facing forward, back against the wall⌠waiting. Waiting for that moment of euphoria because you know you will be picked first, or waiting, stom- ach churning, because you know youâll be one of the last to be picked. Remember that feeling? Now look around you, this isnât a sports hall, this is the work place. Your team used to be double the size, youâve lost colleagues, mentors and friends. Everyone has their heads down, making themselves busy, working all hours, because no- one wants to be picked next. In this time of low oil price, those who wanted to be picked have gone, some of those with the knot in their stomach, believ- ing they were next, have gone. But you survive â those around you survived. But who, or what is next? Nobody really knows. What we do know is that now, more than ever, we need to pull together, look out for each other and start caring again. Did we ever really stop? Maybe not, but what did change was that we all started looking out for ourselves, and only ourselves, because we didnât want to be picked next. Is it the âFâ word thatâs stopped us caring? Stopped us speaking up? Stopped us from putting our head above the parapet? Fear. Fear that if we say something, if we speak up, weâll be next? But what happens when we stop speaking up? Weâve come so far as an industry, weâve worked hard at changing behaviours, weâve done the courses that make us think about the impact of our actions, and our in-actions. Are we prepared to go back to nobody speaking up? When acci- dents and incidents are the ânormâ, people get- ting hurt, and the impact that has on our work and personal lives? Letâs not dwell on that sick, knotted feeling in our stomach. Letâs keep doing what we are good at, which is looking out for one another and en- suring that each and every one of us goes home safely. Continued from Page 1 courage to take the lifesaving leap there was another explosion. When they reached the water they felt a sense of relief until a massive ball of fire and gas blew from the platform towards them in the sea. Both ducked below the water in a bid to avoid the flames. The pair were res- cued by a support vessel where, once on-board, they watched helplessly as Piper Alpha burned in the night air. Steve said since the incident he has often wondered if his safety obser- vations would have made a differ- ence to the outcome of the night. He is keen to make everyone aware of the importance of Major Accident Hazard management and com- mends the Joined-up Thinking films to aid this. Steve said: âThese films reference factors which are known to con- tribute to incidents; change manage- ment, communications, compla- cency, control of work, competence, culture and commitment. Each film describes a real incident and pre- sents an opportunity to increase our awareness and understanding of risks and hazard, if we chose to play our part.â The men who died on Piper Alpha are commemorated in the film Re- membering Piper which can be downloaded from https://www. stepchangeinsafety.net/safety-re- sources/safety-videos or https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxH- faweV3vs. The film identifies failings in the processes on-board Piper and asks thought-provoking questions about whether the issues that led to the Piper disaster are being effectively controlled today. The Joined-up Thinking packs fo- cussing on controlling Major Acci- dent Hazards, and in particular hy- drocarbon releases, are available from the Step Change in Safety web- site. The workgroup that created the Joined-up Thinking videos is cur- rently making another series, the first one being released in August 2016. Photograph of Shane with dad, David, and, left, the back of Shaneâs photo Gary with dad, Harry, and brother Ricky PIPER ALPHA: the night that changed our world
- 4. 4 July 2016 | Issue 10 www.stepchangeinsafety.net/tsn ⢠Printer in the locker room (which doubled as the permit control facility) had been broken for approximately 4 months ⢠OIM was not aware of the issue as he uses an alternative printer DISCUSS Does this seem trivial? What could be the consequences? The Regulatorâs View An early reflection from HSEâs Interim Head of Energy Division and promotion of the âHelping Great Britain Work Wellâ Strategy Playing My Part â Simon Burrows Go WEST Vicky Lamont, Offshore Safety Discipline Lead at Shell, and Bob Egan, Head of Workforce Engagement at the HSE, and both co- chairs of WEST (Workforce Engagement Support Team) outline their commitment in 2016 I have been in post as Interim Head of HSEâs Energy Division since April this year and in that time I have been able to meet many of the stakeholders in the offshore industry. I have been made to feel welcome, for which I would like to express my thanks. I am impressed by the energy and enthusiasm I have encountered in the various groups who are working hard to improve safety and the management of major accident hazards in these challenging times. I am keen to ensure that Energy Division continues its engagement with the industry and plays a full part in the various groups working to improve standards. Many of you will have heard of the Helping Great Britain Work Well Strategy (HGBWW) which aims to engage with all those who can play a part in further improving Great Britainâs already world class health and safety system. It sets out six strategic themes for us all to focus on over the next five years. The themes are: â Acting together: Promoting broader ownership of health and safety in Great Britain â Tackling ill health: Highlighting and tackling the costs of work-related ill health â Managing risk well: Simplifying risk management and helping business to grow â Supporting small employers: Giving SMEs simple advice so they know what they have to do â Keeping pace with change: Anticipating and tackling new health and safety challenges â Sharing our success: Promoting the benefits of Great Britainâs world-class health and safety system I am sure we would all agree that preventing harm to workers and the public is integral to business being successful and achieving sustained growth. The collective challenge for all those who can play a part in improving the system is to ensure that this is known, understood and becomes embedded firmly in everyoneâs thinking and in all our actions. It is important to acknowledge that this will not be at the expense of what is already done well and the areas identified are those on which we all need to focus our efforts collectively to make the greatest improvement. We need to see real ownership of this strategy â by the many, not just the few. This is not HSEâs strategy, it is for the whole of Great Britain and everyone in it. There were launch events for HGBWW earlier this year with one being held in Glasgow. To help extend the strategy further north, Step Change in Safety are hosting a breakfast event on June 29 where Richard Judge, HSEâs Chief Executive, will speak about HGBWW and presenters from Step Change will provide examples of work delivering on the six strategic themes. I hope many of you will be able to attend. Over the coming months we will be updating our sector strategies to align with HGBWW and will be consulting with you through that process. Chris Flint HSE Interim Head Energy Division Sometimes we talk about workforce engage- ment in a very conceptual way, making it sound far more complex than it actually is. For us, it is as simple as speaking, listening, re- sponding to the workforce and giving out the facts and information you have. This can be done in various different ways and thatâs why WEST (Workforce Engagement Support Team) has looked to broaden its communication methods. So in 2016 you can expect: 1. New Engagement Moments â just a simple example of good practice workforce engagement 2. G18 led Webinar Safety Meetings â we held the first one with the Samaritans on Emotional Health in early May 3. A regular update from your friendly co- chairs in the Tea Shack News 4. Continue the Workforce Engagement Lunch & Learns â come and hear how other companies are doing it The other key message is that we are looking to be much more aligned with G18 (Elected Safety Reps who sit on the Step Change Leadership Team), the wider offshore workforce and all the other Step Change workgroups. We donât need to create anything new, just work better with the other teams to effectively engage in the great work they are already doing. Please check our 2016 events on the Step Change web page and our social media updates. Cheers, Vic & Bob ⢠Printer in the locker room (which doubled as the permit control facility) had been broken for approximately 4 months ⢠OIM was not aware of the issue as he uses an alternative printer Does this seem trivial? What could be the consequences? Simon Burrows has worked at Maersk Training since 2011, firstly as an Offshore Survival Safety Instructor for BOSIET and MIST and for the last two years he has been in the HSEQ Department. Born in Kent, he previously worked in outdoor education with kids and adults. One of these jobs was as a tutor with the Fairbridge Programme, part of the Princeâs Trust, working with 13â25 year old youngsters who are disadvantaged, unemployed or children who had dropped out of school. Simon took them on kayak experiences, did creative arts with them, personal development, CV writing and building their confidence. He describes this as âthe hardest year of my lifeâ. Simon met his wife of three years Kirsteen in Glasgow and they have a baby daughter Annabel who is 11 months old. Kirsteen describes Simon as âalways on hand â nothing is ever a hardship and he would do anything for anyoneâ. Simon got involved in Step Change in Safety because of its innovative concepts and the down-to-earth, laymanâs terms used in publications and seminars â Piper25 being the first event he attended. He now routinely uses Step Change material, including the Joined-up Thinking videos for staff training. What is your favourite film? It would be Gladiator or the Fast and the Furious. Where in the world would you like to live? Iâve never been before but I would pick Australia, Melbourne in particular. Where has been your favourite holiday? It would definitely be Tavira in Portugal, itâs such a lovely place with great food and great weather and I tend to go there most years. What are your hobbies? I enjoy going to the gym. I actually did a 1/2 Iron Man back in August 2014 which involved 1.9k swim, 90k bike run followed by a marathon. I also enjoy walking the dog, Rosie the Labrador. What kind of books do you like? I am currently really into crime / thriller / vigilante type books. A taster of an Engagement Moment These âMomentsâ are short presentations with the aim to elicit conversations and ideas from the audience. Safety Moment and Engagement Moments are available to download free of charge from the Step Change website: https://www.stepchangeinsafety.net/ safer-conversations/safety-alerts
- 5. Issue 10 | July 2016www.stepchangeinsafety.net/tsn 5 Simplification â SIMPLES! Jake Molloy, RMT Union Opinion Change must have no bearing on safe operations Deirdre Michie, Chief Executive, Oil & Gas UK Industry Insights The business climate continues to challenge us and that is why companies are working hard to turn our situation around. We have to change to get through this difficult downturn. We have to be more competitive, more co-operative and more effi- cient. We are spending more than we are earning in the North Sea and no business in any sector could survive that. Companies are finding ways of working more effectively. Exam- ples include taking new ap- proaches to organising marine lo- gistics which involves more input from employees and which has helped bring down costs. Change must have no bearing on safe operations despite our need to work smarter. In fact, we are hearing case studies of more efficient working in safety. One operator â with safety and wellbeing of the workforce cen- tral to its core values and culture â set out to reduce productive time lost through the volume of inductions for personnel unfamil- iar with their North Sea assets â or âgreen hatsâ. After analysing its process, the company discovered that the planning behind inductions could be tightened up and run more efficiently. It calculated that over 57,000 hours had been lost in 2014 through Non-Productive Time (NPT). Changes made improved safety to the platform, reduced NPT as- sociated with âgreen hatsâ by 11% and saved approximately ÂŁ500,000. Those are the kind of changes needed to help us get through this downturn. And, with billions of barrels still to be recovered from the North Sea, we will get through it. For years now offshore workers have criti- cised the use of observation cards across different operations. Claims of the sys- tem being abused as a ânumbers gameâ or otherwise used to ânailâ workers for alleged performance or behavioural is- sues. The same sort of criticism has been lev- elled at the use of risk assessments and tool box talks (TBT), with many believing the risks are assessed in line with the gaffer's opinion â as long as you tick all the boxes and sign the TBT sheet the gaffer is happy! And if there's an incident, the first thing the gaffer does is pull out these sheets and point the finger â âyou should have seen this or stopped the job, you signed the forms!â Another big gripe is having to do training courses for all these systems. The operatorsâ system, the contractorsâ system, your employerâs system â what a waste of time and money. And therein lies the problem; time, money and a system that workers don't have faith in. So how do we make that better? SIMPLES! We pull the whole lot together, thereby reducing the money spent on its production, minimising the time spent on its delivery, and finally we standardise and simplify the system across the UK sector so workers have a common tool they understand and respect. That is exactly what Step Change in Safety has done â pro- duced a Safe Working Essentials pack which fits into your top pocket and contains all you need for a dynamic risk assessment, a tool box talk and an observa- tion. Adopting this is a no brainer, right? WRONG! Or so it seems from some areas of industry where apparently the idea of a âstandardisedâ system doesn't fit with the company's goals and objec- tives. Here is a process which has the potential to deliver on all fronts of efficiency, co-oper- ation, production and safety. We are repeatedly told âsafety is the number one priority", so why wouldnât all companies use it? The workforce wants this change, government, the regula- tors and most of industry sup- port the change, Step Change has developed the tool to deliver that change. But it doesn't fit with your company's goals and objectives! Really? H&S litigation lawyer Madeleine Abas MDs play their part More than forty senior leaders from oil and gas companies recently attended a work- shop to help them understand their respon- sibilities in managing Major Accident Haz- ards. They participated in a number of exer- cises including creating a generic âBow Tieâ diagram, which aimed to help them clearly identify the barriers that are put in place to prevent a Major Accident occurring. They were then asked to consider the importance they place on keeping these barriers fully functional in a time of low oil price. Food for thought⌠Pete Jones, MD at TAQA Bratani, attended the workshop. He said: âThe excellent speakers balanced industry, company and external industry perspectives on Major Ac- cident Hazards. âI took an action to promote and sustain the visibility of the generic Bow Tie which helps show the health of every safety critical barrier, supporting our focus on process safety at TAQA. âThe workshop was great at highlighting how every person plays a part in managing and maintaining process safety. The Bow Tie representation shows each of us where we fit, a healthy reminder as we work through our day-to-day tasks.â Guest speakers at the workshop included Professor Geoff Maitland, author of a report commissioned by the UK government after the Deep Water Horizon tragedy, who pre- sented on the importance of learning from past events and how process safety must be embedded within the culture of an organi- sation and not just an âadd-onâ. David Hainsworth, Field Ops Manager for Total UK presented on how Total responded to the Elgin G4 incident and what it felt like to have the world media at your door. Madeleine Abas, a health and safety litiga- tion lawyer, had the delegates scribbling in their notepads when she presented on the new guidelines for sentencing health and safety breaches in England and Wales. She informed the audience that these stricter rules and harsher fines are likely to be fol- lowed in Scotland. These presentations and other informa- tion on understanding Major Accident Haz- ards are available on www.stepchangein- safety.net/MAH
- 6. 6 July 2016 | Issue 10 www.stepchangeinsafety.net/tsn Donât learn safety by accident Heâs in the shed Westhill shedders share stories and experiences over a cuppa âAt the Menâs Shed thereâs a great deal of interaction and an awful lot of help, so when I get stuck on a project, somebody can help me outâ Travel in comfort and style from Aberdeen We have 70 flights a week taking you from Aberdeen to Bristol, Esbjerg, Norwich & Oslo. But we also look forward to bringing you home again. So, as they say here in Scotland, haste ye back! bmiregional.com Were you a proud member of the Tufty Club as a child? Or was the Green Cross Code man your safety guru of choice? Or perhaps your memory goes back as far as the early public safety films star- ring a young boy and his slightly scary cat, Charley, with a pen- chant for playing with matches. Some of these public safety ini- tiatives of years gone by may have contributed to the undeserved reputation of health and safety as an unnecessary âbig brotherâ, breathing down the neck of any- one who wants to have a bit of âfunâ. Weâre just a bunch of killjoys, arenât we? Not exactly. Absafe is a local charity dedi- cated to saving lives. At its HQ, âThe Safeâ, itâs created a funfair to make learning about safety and risk assessment an experience to remember. At âThe Safeâ, anyone from age four to 104 can cast off their cot- ton wool, subject themselves to risk and be âkilledâ in various fic- tional accidents. By experiencing dangerous situ- ations, visitors learn to make safe decisions and mitigate the risks theyâre exposed to in day-to-day life. Dame Judith Hackitt, chair- woman of the Health and Safety Executive, said that coping with risk and danger is crucial to a childâs education. She added: âChildren should learn to handle risk from a young age as this will lead to young adults who are well equipped to deal with the realities of the world around them.â Health and safety learning is a key part of the curriculum for ex- cellence in schools and is taught from nursery age right through to secondary level. Carly Neave, who is a primary one teacher at Elrick school in Aberdeenshire, said: âThe ability to assess and understand risk should be embedded in behaviour from an early age. âThe Curriculum for Excellence states children should be able to âassess and manage riskâ, but this can be a difficult thing to achieve in a classroom environment. âThe Safe is a fantastic facility and is something we could only previously dream about â with real life scenarios, immersive and engaging lessons and the ability to measure the learning outcomes with each visit. We share Absafeâs philosophy, that itâs not about putting up fences, itâs about un- derstanding how to make safe choices.â Ever feel like youâre getting under the wifeâs feet after a few days back onshore? Menâs Sheds is an organisation for socialising which isnât the pub or the bookies. The sheds let you catch up with a group of pals without involving alcohol or sport â for a change. Borrowed from Australia, sheds are located across the UK. Volun- teers run each shed and offer âmanlyâ activities, including wood- work, metalwork, card games and pool. They also host workshops to teach new skills such as cooking or computing, taught by fellow shedders or volunteers. Itâs a social space for anyone with time on their hands, whether you are missing the ban- ter with the guys offshore or just want to put the world to rights over a good cuppa. Brian, a Westhill, Aberdeen- shire, shedder told us: âMy wife was fed up of wood shavings all over the house and shooed me down to the Menâs Shed. I can get the benefit of the tools and facil- ities here but also the knowledge from some of the guys that know far more about woodwork and tools than I do.â The shedders, as the men are known, have recently been sup- plying wooden playground equip- ment to local schools. They reuse and recycle materials and often the tools have been rehomed and repaired. So the next time your lawnmower suddenly stops work- ing, you could bring it along to a shed and get the guys to help you fix it. âIâve always been used to work- ing in a large group of men. At the Menâs Shed thereâs a great deal of interaction and an awful lot of help, so when Iâm stuck on a project, somebody can help me out,â said Ian Wallace from the Westhill Menâs Shed. There are 13 groups across Ab- erdeenshire opening sheds, from Peterhead to Portlethen. Itâs a per- fect spot for men of all ages to share stories and experiences. With many connections to the oil and gas industry, youâll find much in common to chat about. Joining a Menâs Shed is com- pletely free. There are no criteria: just walk in. Visit www.menssheds.org.uk to find your local shed. If youâre missing the banter with the guys offshore, get yourself off to a Menâs Shed â joining is completely free Volunteers run each shed and offer âmanlyâ activities, including woodwork, metalwork, card games and pool At âThe Safeâ, anyone from age four to 104 can cast off their cotton wool
- 7. Issue 10 | July 2016www.stepchangeinsafety.net/tsn 7 Reconstitution of the Offshore Industry Advisory Committee â OIAC Achieving Goal Zero... Because We Care â a day To gather our resolve to achieving no harm and no leaks Super Success for Shellâs 10th annual Safety Day OIAC has been a long standing and well- established tripartite committee where in- dustry, trade unions and regulators met regularly to discuss offshore oil and gas health and safety matters. With the intro- duction of the Directive on the safety of offshore oil and gas operations in 2013, the UK reviewed its mechanisms for allowing operator and owner to contribute to tri- partite consultation on issues related to the management and control of major ac- cident hazards. In 2014, HSE and DECC held a public consultation on the proposals to transpose the EU Offshore Directive into UK law. Within the consultation document we asked if an updated OIAC could fulfil the Directiveâs requirement for establishing tripartite consultation between regulators, industry and worker representatives. 93% of respondents to the consultation sup- ported the proposal. In March 2015, OIACâs members agreed that OIACâs Terms of Reference (ToR) and Ways of Working (WoW) would have to be revised to reflect the more strategic ap- proach that was to be adopted. A working group was established and they prepared revised ToRs and WoW, and proposals for identifying the new committeeâs structure and membership. These proposals were presented and adopted at the October 2015 OIAC meet- ing. Under these changes, OIAC was re- constituted and became the Offshore Ma- jor Accident Hazards Advisory Committee (OMAHAC). HSE currently chairs OMAHAC and Oil & Gas UK are the vice chair, and the com- mittee will meet twice yearly. The committee is currently considering what key strategic issues, related to the management and control of Major Acci- dent Hazards, it should focus on in its plan of work. Further information on OMAHAC can be found via HSEâs web site http://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/ index.htm Shellâs annual Safety Day involves workers taking part in a range of activities Congratulations to the Beryl Field on its 40th anniversary of first production 11 June 1976 to 2016 Shell held its annual Safety Day in April, which marks a decade since the event was first launched. The Safety Day involved work- ers taking part in a range of ac- tivities, which were held both on- shore and on offshore platforms. This yearâs event focused on three areas, âProcess Safetyâ, âPeo- ple Safetyâ and âRoad Safetyâ. The Process Safety had inter- active activities to explain the concepts of Major Accident Haz- ards and the controls in place to prevent these becoming catas- trophic events. The People Safety area saw workers enjoy a mini health fair including stands on fatigue, re- silience and second-hand smoke effects, as well as first aid provi- sions and vital health checks performed by nurses. People also had the opportu- nity to have their bikes or their car tyres checked by mechanics, as well as âblind spot awarenessâ, which was carried out by a haulage company. Shell also hosted a technology deployment booth which showcased safety improvements. Renata Halim, Shellâs Safety Day Focal Point, said: âThe Safety Day is our biggest annual event and involves proactive in- volvement from everyone. This yearâs theme was âAchieving Goal Zero... Because We Careâ. âThe vision of Goal Zero is âNo Harm and No Leaksâ, which is what we want to achieve every day, in every business. This yearâs activities were interactive, but at the same time educational which made it a great success. âWe have come a long way since our first Safety Day in 2007. It marks a day for us to gather our resolve to achieving no harm and no leaks, which is what we strive for every day in our work.â HSEâs annual report cites fewer injuries The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) released its annual report on the numbers of offshore workplace injuries and dangerous occurrences, including hydrocarbon releases. There appears to be fewer injuries in 2015 compared to 2014, and no fatalities.* The number of improvements notices handed out by the HSE to operators in UK waters also decreased. The âOffshore Statistics & Regulatory Activity Report 2015â was released in June and can be accessed from the HSEâs website or directly from http://www.hse.gov.uk /offshore/statistics/ hsr2015.pdf *The criteria for reporting incidents has changed so itâs difficult to accurately compare year on year.
- 8. 8 July 2016 | Issue 10 www.stepchangeinsafety.net/tsn working on and offshore regarding helicopter transport. It is important the industry takes the necessary time to understand and address the concerns of the work- force. A petition with 27,000 signa- tures shows people want to see the back of 225s but there is a strong case to maintain a mixed fleet to ensure there is the neces- sary resilience. However, this can- not be at the expense of safety. Step Change in Safety will continue to encourage openness and transparency with all stakeholders and support workforce en- gagement throughout. Tea Shack News wants to hear your opinions on safety-related issues at your workplace. Send your comments and letters to editor@teashacknews.com Tea break Lunch break 9 6 7 5 8 3 9 2 5 7 4 3 1 2 9 5 6 1 7 4 8 1 2 2 4 8 3 8 9 6 5 4 7 3 1 6 1 2 T b k 5 8 4 8 9 7 1 6 7 1 3 1 2 7 8 7 4 5 9 8 6 1 4 5 9 1 6 The Simplification Safe Working Essen- tials Tool is nearing phase two of its in- dustry roll out. So far the Simplification Steering Group has gathered valuable feedback from six pilot sites operated by Shell, Nexen, BP, Centrica, Wood Group and EnQuest. Amendments have been made to the first draft Simplification tool, guidance and frequently asked questions document to enable the industry to better understand and use the Safe Working Essentials Tool. Phase two will also see a further 18 sites using the amended tool, spreading the word and feeding back comments so that any further improvements can be re- solved prior to the final roll out in early 2017. If your company would like to participate in phase two contact info@stepchangeinsafety.net Itâs Simple isnât it? Celebrating Offshore SafetyImagine the summer of 1977. ABBAâs on the radio and youâre wearing flares so wide, a sudden gust of wind could see you lifting off like a helicopter. Youâre just about to splash your hard earned cash on a brand new Mark IV Ford Cortina, 2.3S. Magic. Youâll spend your next time back onshore pouring over your Haynes manual, tinkering with the V6 en- gine, proudly polishing the paintwork until it gleams. You love any opportunity to take your car out for a spin. Eventually you sold the car. But what hap- pened to it? As time progressed, itâs likely parts needed to be replaced; the Mark IV had a terrible reputation for rust. What was cutting edge technology in 1977 will look redundant in 2016. In 1977, your car THE BIG BANG THEORY Asset Integrity Helicopter Safety So what is the situation regarding flights in Super Puma aircraft now? Following the publication of the preliminary report from the Acci- dent Investigation Board Norway (AIBN) the 225 and 332L2 ver- sions of the Super Puma family have been prohibited from flight by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which ex- tends to search and rescue within Norway and the UK through their respective aviation authorities. A dossier was delivered to Oil and Gas UK and Step Change in Safety in May, highlight- ing the concerns and needs of the individuals was guzzling leaded petrol and, boy, did every passing pedestrian know it, but with the right care, invest- ment and upgrades, your Cortina could still be safely on the road today. Asset Integrity Manage- ment is about keeping as- sets, like your Cortina, safely functioning throughout the years. Offshore, it is about ensuring the installation is able to function effectively and efficiently, and that itâs able to do so while protecting safety, health and the envi- ronment. Asset Integrity Management pri- marily focuses on maintaining Safety and En- vironmental Critical Elements (SECEs) and managing the overall condition of the asset. Have you booked your place for the Off- shore Safety Awards? As the Offshore Safety Awards near we are ramping up and preparing for the ceremony of the century, which champi- ons the men, women and companies go- ing the extra mile for health and safety in the oil and gas industry. For just ÂŁ25 a head you and your col- leagues can attend this exciting event which will let you vote for the award cat- egory winners, and enjoy breakfast, teas and coffees and a buffet lunch. There are more than 400 spaces at the theatre-style event for you and your company colleagues to seal the fate of our award finalists. The day is set to be a roaring success. Award finalists will be announced in July before the ceremony, which takes place at the Aberdeen Exhi- bition and Conference Centre on Wednesday, 17th August, from 8am to 1.30pm. This yearâs award categories for the Offshore Safety Awards are: â Safety Leadership â for an inspira- tional leader who motivates and engages their team to work safely. â Safety Representative of the Year â for an enthusiastic and committed safety rep who is driving the safety agenda at their worksite. â Innovation in Safety â for a company which has put in place a clever process or technique to improve safety either across an organisation or at an individ- ual worksite. â Workforce Engagement â for an indi- vidual or team which has actively em- braced engagement with its workers on safety matters, showing how a commit- ment to worker involvement in safety has contributed to an improvement in safety performance. â Occupational Health â for an individ- ual/team or company which has taken steps to implement health policies/prac- tices of proven effectiveness to improve the health of its workforce. This could be by implementing an existing policy par- ticularly effectively, or by introducing new practices â Sharing and Learning â for an individ- ual/team or company that can demon- strate a learning and sharing culture ei- ther within their organisation, or who has made a significant contribution to health and safety through active partici- pation in, or engagement with, Oil & Gas UK or Step Change in Safety. To book your space at the event visit the Offshore Safety Awards website