Step Change in Safety 2013 report highlights offshore safety achievements
08 April 2013
Step Change in Safety has published its 2013 Annual Update report and has called on the UK oil and gas industry to continue its focus on improving safety performance. The report reviews the organisation’s achievements over the last year and identifies where it will focus its attention in future.
Highlights include:
*The launch of the Workforce Engagement Toolkit – designed to help companies measure their engagement with staff at worksites and improve site safety culture.
*Work to support the 50% hydrocarbon release (HCR) reduction target, including: guidance for companies on how to produce a good HCR reduction plan; guidance and eLearning material to improve competence on specialist mechanical joint integrity work; guidance on assurance and verification; and a new, improved HCR database.
*Helicopter safety – communication work of the Helicopter Safety Steering Group following two ditching incidents and the role of the group throughout the ongoing suspension of the EC225 model.
Step Change in Safety co-chair Martin Ellins said: “No other industry has a body like Step Change in Safety – which brings together oil and gas companies and contractors, trade unions, regulators and the workforce. Our collective focus has been on fostering safety culture offshore to continuously improve our industry’s safety performance and continue the drive to reduce hydrocarbon releases by 50% this year – a target we’re confident of meeting.”
Fellow co-chair Ken Robertson added: “The last year has been a challenging one for the oil and gas industry and a positive one for Step Change. While the 2013 Annual Update report points to many good achievements, Step Change recognises there is much more to be done. Let’s continue to work together to implement a simplified agenda of improvements that can drive forward our industry safety performance.”
RMT’s Jake Molloy, a member of the Step Change Leadership Team (SCLT) said: “I hope this year’s Step Change update is picked up by as wide an audience as possible, as I’m convinced it will encourage greater involvement across the sector given the nature and volume of work being undertaken by the group. Only through sharing and engaging can we hope to achieve our objective of continuous improvement in safety performance and the Annual Update is the first stage in that process.”
More information...