Monday 6 October 2008

WORKFORCE VIEWS SOUGHT AT SAFETY EVENTS

Step Change in Safety, the UK offshore oil and gas industry's flagship safety initiative, is leading the way on engaging the workforce with a week of best practice sharing, learning and networking. The programme of events includes summit meetings of industry safety representatives and offshore installation managers (OIM) as well as the launch of a new pocket-sized guide to the HSE Guidance on permit-to work-systems. 

Ian Aitchison, Step Change in Safety support team leader, explained: "Our industry is often accused of not engaging enough with its workforce. Step Change in Safety is working hard to address this issue and is constantly looking for new ways to listen to what workers are saying. Our biannual safety Share Fair, which took place on 2 October 2008, was attended by more than 200 delegates providing a forum for very honest and open conversations with the workforce, safety representatives and OIMs, addressing issues such as not required back, permit to work and sharing of best safety practice."

The week of workforce engagement, sharing and learning will finish on 8 October, with a special network meeting for offshore installation managers, supervisors and company focal points. At the meeting, Step Change in Safety will roll out its new permit to work pocket card, which outlines the main procedures and essential rules of the permit to work system. 10,000 of these pocket cards will be sent to offshore installations, reinforcing the common process for completing permits to work.

Ian Aitchison added: "From our conversations with the workforce, it became clear that the problem is not so much the differences between permit to work systems across the industry, but that the HSE standard procedure for preparing a permit to work is not always fully complied with. Incidents happen not because there isnt a common system, but as a result of poor preparation, such as insufficient risk assessment and improper isolation procedures, which are two key steps in the permit to work process. Giving each worker a pocket card with the essential rules gives them a checklist to follow when preparing a permit to work which should reduce related incidents.  

"The new pocket card is based on HSE permit to work guidelines and advises every worker to stop work if any of the steps in the process cannot be completed satisfactorily. This will ensure that safety will always come first."

ENDS

For further information, please contact: Britta Hallbauer Oil & Gas UK Media Relations  3^rd Floor, the Exchange 2  62 Market Street Aberdeen AB11 5PJ            Tel:         01224 577331 Fax:        020 7802 2401

Email: bhallbauer@oilandgasuk.co.uk

Mob:   07891769113