HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

52
Health, Safety & Environment Worldwide ABB CONSULTING HYTORC (UNEX) LTD OFFSHORE SAFETY SUMMIT IPAF ASPIRE DEFENCE SERVICES LTD HEALTH & SAFETY EXECUTIVE (HSE) ISSUE 95 MARCH 2015

Transcript of HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

Page 1: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

Health, Safety & Environment Worldwide

ABB CONSULTING

HYTORC (UNEX) LTD

OFFSHORE SAFETY SUMMIT

IPAF

ASPIRE DEFENCE SERVICES LTD

HEALTH & SAFETY EXECUTIVE (HSE)

ISSUE 95 MARCH 2015

Page 2: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

Workshop Day: 30th March 2015Conference: 31st March - 1st April 2015Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Book Now and

SAVE £££’s

Learn how to develop clear organisational goals for developing a safety culture across your organization

Discover new and innovative ways of engaging with your offshore personnel, to reinforce HSE messages

Improve hazard awareness and problem solving skills of offshore staff to tackle operational challenges related to health, safety and environment

Measure the success of your company’s safety culture by implementing progress indicators and sustain incident free operations

Develop and implement best practices to ensure improved performance

Evaluate safety operations and implement practical solutions for expediting the compliance process

Attend and:F

F

F

F

F

F

Aligning People, Processes and Technology to Deliver Offshore HSE ExcellenceThe forthcoming 9th Annual Offshore Safety Summit will bring together senior industry experts from across the European offshore HSEQ community, to discuss the above question as well as to share their expertise through the use of recent case studies. The Summit will update you on the latest regulations, laws, trends and best practices that can help you attain a ‘zero accidents’ culture across your organisation.

UK HSE are attending to advise you on the EC Offshore Directive, their consultation findings and what companies need to do before July, a great opportunity to address any questions you have.

Contact us:Visit: www.offshoresafetysummit.comCall: +44 (0)20 7036 1300Email: [email protected]

PLUS!

Speakers for 2015 include:

Dr. Kathryn Mearns, Human Factors Specialist,

ConocoPhillips

Susan Mackenzie, Director of Hazardous Installations, Health

and Safety Executive

Davide Scotti, HSE Management Systems,Training and

Communication Manager, Saipem

Mohamed Awad Sanabary, HSEQ Director, ADMA OPCO

Gail Ritchie, Health and Safety Manager, Bibby Offshore

Craig May, Health and Safety Advisor, Centrica Energy

Ahmed Qabazard, Team Leader Health, Safety & Environment,

Kuwait Oil Company

Ruby Roberts, Industrial Psychology PhD Student, University of Aberdeen

Workshop Day: 30th March 2015Conference: 31st March - 1st April 2015Aberdeen, United Kingdom

Book Now

and

SAVE £££’s

Learn how to develop clear organisational goals for developing a safety culture across your organization

Discover new and innovative ways of engaging with your offshore personnel, to reinforce HSE messages

Improve hazard awareness and problem solving skills of offshore staff to tackle operational challenges related to health, safety and environment

Measure the success of your company’s safety culture by implementing progress indicators and sustain incident free operations

Develop and implement best practices to ensure improved performance

Evaluate safety operations and implement practical solutions for expediting the compliance process

Attend and:F

F

F

F

F

F

Aligning People, Processes and Technology to Deliver Offshore HSE ExcellenceThe forthcoming 9th Annual Offshore Safety Summit will bring together senior industry experts from across the European offshore HSEQ community, to discuss the above question as well as to share their expertise through the use of recent case studies. The Summit will update you on the latest regulations, laws, trends and best practices that can help you attain a ‘zero accidents’ culture across your organisation.

UK HSE are attending to advise you on the EC Offshore Directive, their consultation findings and what companies need to do before July, a great opportunity to address any questions you have.

Contact us:Visit: www.offshoresafetysummit.comCall: +44 (0)20 7036 1300Email: [email protected]

PLUS!

Speakers for 2015 include:

Dr. Kathryn Mearns, Human Factors Specialist,

ConocoPhillips

Susan Mackenzie, Director of Hazardous Installations, Health

and Safety Executive

Davide Scotti, HSE Management Systems,Training and

Communication Manager, Saipem

Mohamed Awad Sanabary, HSEQ Director, ADMA OPCO

Gail Ritchie, Health and Safety Manager, Bibby Offshore

Craig May, Health and Safety Advisor, Centrica Energy

Ahmed Qabazard, Team Leader Health, Safety & Environment,

Kuwait Oil Company

Ruby Roberts, Industrial Psychology PhD Student, University of Aberdeen

Page 3: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

Enter Your Information Below:Yes, I want to subscribe to HSE International Magazine for 12 months at £140.

Yes, I want to subscribe to HSE International & become an online member for 12 months at £60

*Full Name: …………………………………………………………………

Company: …………………………………………………………………

Position: …………………………………………………………………

*Address: …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

*Zip/Postcode: …………………………………………………………………

*Country: …………………………………………………………………

*Tel: …………………………………………………………………

Fax …………………………………………………………………

*Email: …………………………………………………………………

For just £140 per annum, you can subscribe to HSE International Magazine

This subscription includes:

12 x hard copy issues of HSE International Magazine

12 x months access to the digital edition of HSE International Magazine

Plus: 12 x months full access to our online Members Area

For just £60 per annum, you can subscribe to become an online member

This subscription includes:

12 x months full access to our onlineMembers Area

12 x months access to the digital edition of HSE International Magazine

www.hseinternational.co.uk

For further subscription enquiries,please contact us via email or telephone:

[email protected] International Head Office: 0800 612 5845

Payments can be made by cheque or postal order

Please make cheques payable to:Olympus Publishing Limited22 Tudor RoadWilmslowUnited KingdomSK9 2HB

SUBSCRIBE TO HSE INTERNATIONAL

MAGAZINE TODAY

subs .indd 1 18/08/2014 19:56

Olympus Publishing LimitedProspect Business CentreProspect StHuddersfieldWest YorkshireHD1 2NU

Enter Your Information Below:Yes, I want to subscribe to HSE International Magazine for 12 months at £140.

Yes, I want to subscribe to HSE International & become an online member for 12 months at £60

*Full Name: …………………………………………………………………

Company: …………………………………………………………………

Position: …………………………………………………………………

*Address: …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………

*Zip/Postcode: …………………………………………………………………

*Country: …………………………………………………………………

*Tel: …………………………………………………………………

Fax …………………………………………………………………

*Email: …………………………………………………………………

For just £140 per annum, you can subscribe to HSE International Magazine

This subscription includes:

12 x hard copy issues of HSE International Magazine

12 x months access to the digital edition of HSE International Magazine

Plus: 12 x months full access to our online Members Area

For just £60 per annum, you can subscribe to become an online member

This subscription includes:

12 x months full access to our onlineMembers Area

12 x months access to the digital edition of HSE International Magazine

www.hseinternational.co.uk

For further subscription enquiries,please contact us via email or telephone:

[email protected] International Head Office: 0800 612 5845

Payments can be made by cheque or postal order

Please make cheques payable to:Olympus Publishing Limited22 Tudor RoadWilmslowUnited KingdomSK9 2HB

SUBSCRIBE TO HSE INTERNATIONAL

MAGAZINE TODAY

subs .indd 1 18/08/2014 19:56subs .indd 1 07/11/2014 14:50

Olympus Publishing LimitedProspect Business CentreProspect HouseProspect StHuddersfieldHD1 2NU

Page 4: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

News:

Oil & Gas:

Hytorc (Unex) Ltd

RigDeluge®

Offshore Safety Summit 2015

ABB Consulting

Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

Defence & Security: Aspire Defence Services Limited

Working at Height: IPAF

Contents: March 2015

6

16

18

32

34

36

38

48

8

16

18

32

34

36

48

Page 5: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

We present to you an ‘Oil & Gas’ special issue of HSE International. In our opening News section, we hear from the leading

representative body for the UK offshore oil and gas industry, Oil & Gas UK, following the recent publishing of The Activity Survey 2015. Current Oil & Gas UK chief executive Malcolm Webb explains: “This year’s Activity Survey paints a bleak picture but also identifies this region’s potential, emphasizing the importance of Government and industry now putting the right measures in place to secure its long-term future.”

As highlighted recently by Labour MP Frank Doran, speaking in the House of Commons, the risk of another disaster like Piper Alpha will increase if North Sea operators allow maintenance to slip during the slump in oil prices. We hear how Mr. Doran warned that health and safety standards fell during the downturn of the 1980s because “many costs were cut to the bone” and essential maintenance was passed over to keep production going. “In particular, areas vital to safety, such as fire safety equipment, deluge systems and others, received little or no maintenance.’’

This leads us to our cover story; RigDeluge®, where we hear from Owner and Managing Director, Ian

Garden and QHSE Manager Tommy McCarthy about their pioneering, patented safety technologies, their main areas of operational activity; Heat Suppression, Fire Protection and Hazardous Area

Safety, and the company’s 4R Rule: Reduce Hazards / Reduce Risks / Reduce Environmental Impact / Reduce Costs.

For our ‘Oil and Gas’ special issue, we are also very proud to announce an Official Media

Partnership with the Offshore Safety Summit 2015. The forthcoming 9th Annual Offshore Safety Summit taking place at Aberdeen Marriott Hotel, Aberdeen, on 30 March - 01 April 2015, will bring together senior industry experts from across the European offshore HSEQ community to share their expertise and case studies, in addition to updates on the latest regulations, laws, trends and best practices that can help you attain a ‘zero accident’ culture across your organisation.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety and is now 40 years of age. We present an introduction to HSE, including a timeline of key events in the organisation’s history, facts and figures, and detail how HSE has helped Britain become one of the safest places to work in the world.

In our ‘Defence and Security’ section, the largest infrastructure PFI (Privately Financed Initiative) contract ever let by the MoD, RoSPA Gold Award winners ADSL provide Total Facilities Management services for the four Army garrisons on Salisbury Plain and Aldershot.

Finally, in our ‘Working at Height’ section, we introduce IPAF - The International Powered Access

Federation. Falls from height remain the biggest killer at the workplace, and herein, IPAF demonstrates how it promotes the safe and effective use of powered access worldwide.

Jonathan SealeMagazine Manager

Magazine Manager: Jonathan Seale

Editor: Katrina Kendrick

Production Manager: Rosalie Clarke

Magazine Design: Steve Newman

Senior Projects Manager: Roger Harker

Projects Manager: John Chambers

Projects Manager: Mike Williams

Contributors: Health & Safety Executive (HSE)IPAFOffshore Safety Summit Oil & Gas UKRigDeluge®

For more information, please contact a member of our team at:[email protected]://twitter.com/hse_int

HSE International Magazine is published by:

Olympus Publishing LimitedProspect Business CentreProspect HouseProspect StHuddersfieldHD1 2NU

All material is the copyright of Olympus Publishing Limited. HSE International Magazine is the property of Olympus Publishing Limited. The publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form whole or part without the written permission of a director of Olympus Publishing Limited. Liability: While every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of information herein, or any consequence arising from it. In the case of company product reviews or comments, these have been based upon the true and honest opinion of the editor at the time of going to press.

Foreword: March 2015

This month in HSE International:

www.hseinternational.co.uk

HSE INTERNATIONAL 5

Page 6: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

NEWS

HSE INTERNATIONAL 6

leaving oil and gas in the ground.” The survey reports that 6.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent

(boe) are sanctioned or under development. There are another 3.7 billion boe of potential investment opportunities, although companies indicated at the end of 2014 that less than two billion boe of those were likely to be developed.

Operating expenditure rose by almost eight per cent to £9.6 billion in 2014 and on a unit of production basis, reached a record high of £18.50/boe. Falling oil prices meant that revenues fell to just over £24 billion for the year, the lowest since 1998, and this, combined with rising costs, resulted in a negative cash-flow of £5.3 billion for the basin, the worst since the 1970s.

Malcolm Webb, Oil & Gas UK’s chief executive, said: “This year’s Activity Survey paints a bleak picture but also identifies this region’s potential, emphasizing

the importance of Government and industry now putting the right measures in place to secure its long-term future. This is crucial not only for the energy security that domestic oil and gas production provides but also for the hundreds of thousands of highly skilled jobs, advanced technology and billions of pounds of exports which the industry underpins.

“Without sustained investment in new and existing fields, critical infrastructure will disappear, taking with it important North Sea hubs, effectively sterilising areas of the basin and

REPORT PAINTS BLEAK PICTURE OF HIGH-POTENTIAL INDUSTRY BUT THE SOLUTION IS CLEAR, SAYS OIL & GAS UK

Oil & Gas UK’s new report on offshore exploration, investment and production published today (24 February) provides striking evidence of how rising costs, taxes and inadequate regulation have taken their toll on the UK industry’s international competitiveness. The Activity Survey 2015 highlights the urgency with which measures are needed to secure new investment and

address the collapse in exploration, if the UK is to maximise economic recovery of its still significant untapped resources.

US JUDGE REJECTS BP’S BID TO DECREASE $13.7BN FINE FOR 2010 GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILLA US judge has rejected BP’s bid to reduce the maximum civil penalty of $13.7bn it could face for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010.

US District Judge Carl Barbier agreed with the federal government claim that BP has to pay a fine of $4,300 per barrel, rejecting the company’s appeal to pay $3,000 per barrel as per the country’s Clean Water Act.

BP spokesman Geoff Morrell was quoted by Reuters as saying that the company disagrees with the decision and is considering legal options.

BP has already paid more than $28bn in damages and costs associated to the oil spill, which killed 11 people and spread oil across seafood grounds and coastal beaches.

The company contracted Transocean’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig to develop Macondo well, located in the Gulf of Mexico.

Earlier this month, the Texas Supreme Court rejected BP’s claim for $750m worth of coverage under Transocean’s insurance policies to help pay the damages related with the oil spill.

The British oil and gas firm paid hundreds of millions of dollars to the identified victims of the spill through multiple businesses between August 2012 and October 2013.

The well discharged millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, before eventually being capped in July 2010 and permanently sealed in the following September.

Original Source: http://www.hseinternational.co.uk/us-judge-rejects-bps-bid-to-decrease-13-7bn-fine-for-2010-gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill/

Page 7: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 7

Cost over-runs and project slippage on several large projects pushed capital investment in 2014 beyond expectations to £14.8 billion, with half spent on just 12 fields. As these large projects move from the investment phase into production there is very little new investment lined up to replace them; indeed, it is expected to fall in 2015 by around one third to £9.5 – 11.3 billion.

Annual investment in sanctioned projects alone is forecast to decline rapidly and could collapse to £2.5 billion by 2018. Equally alarming is the three-year (2015-17) outlook for projects yet to get company sanction, in which planned investment has fallen from £8.5 billion in last year’s survey to just £3.5 billion in current forecasts. The basin is not generating new projects and as a result, there is very little fresh investment.

Exploration for oil and gas in the UK last year was significantly worse than anticipated with only 14 wells drilled out of the expected 25. This continues the downward trend of recent years with no improvement in sight. Between eight and 13 exploration wells are forecast for this year as price uncertainty adds to the existing difficulty explorers still have in accessing capital.

Mr Webb said: “Even at $110 per barrel, the ability of the industry to realise the full potential of the UK’s oil and gas resource was hamstrung by escalating costs, an unsustainably heavy tax burden and inappropriate regulation. At current oil prices, we now see the consequences only too clearly.

“The industry recognises that its cost base is unsustainable. Cost and efficiency improvements of up to 40 per cent are required to give this basin a viable future. This adjustment is now underway but cost control alone is not the answer.

“The basin needs sustained, high investment - £94 billion alone to recover the 10 billion boe in known reserves. This is why a concerted effort on three fronts is needed – tax, regulation and cost – to make the basin more attractive to investors and ensure that significant sums of much-needed capital come to the UK.”

One positive finding of this year’s survey is that production in 2014 had its best year-on-year performance since 2000, falling just one per cent since 2013 to 1.42 million boe per day (boepd). This was largely the result of investment in new project start-ups, enabled by targeted tax allowances, and a specific focus across the industry on improving production efficiency in existing fields which resulted in no major unplanned shutdowns. This year up to 15 new fields could begin production with many expected in the first half of the year. If there is no major project slippage, oil and gas production could increase to around 1.43 million boepd in 2015.

Mr Webb concluded: “This offshore oil and gas industry is a major national asset. Our indigenous resources hold the promise of a successful industry for decades to come and we have the skills needed to realise that potential. The industry is taking measures to improve its cost efficiency and we are pleased that even before the steep fall in oil price, the Government took the important steps of implementing the Wood Review recommendations and conducting a comprehensive tax review.

“The time has now come for delivery of permanent change on those fronts. We need to see full delivery of the Wood Review recommendations as well as a permanent reduction in the headline rate of tax, a simplification of the tax allowance structure and stimulus for exploration. We must, together, do what is needed to reduce costs, encourage investment, and avoid premature decline.” `

Original Source: http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/news/news.cfm/newsid/1190

Deirdre Michie will take up her position from 1

May 2015, replacing the current Chief Executive Malcolm Webb who formally retires on 31 May 2015. She will be based in Oil & Gas UK’s Aberdeen office and will also have an office in London.

Deirdre Michie joins Oil & Gas UK from Shell where her career has spanned almost 30 years in senior

UK and global upstream and downstream management positions. Having worked extensively in both operator and supply chain orientated roles, she brings significant experience of the upstream oil and gas industry, with a strong and proven background in strategic contracting and procurement, commercial negotiation and communications. A graduate in Scots Law from Dundee University, she has built an impressive track record while at Shell leading multi-disciplinary teams to deliver robust and sustainable business outcomes.

She joins Oil & Gas UK at a crucial time for the UK offshore oil and gas industry. The trade body is currently spearheading industry collaboration on cost reduction and efficiency initiatives as well as leading discussions with the UK Government on tax and regulatory reform, playing a vital role in the implementation of the Wood Review recommendations on maximising economic recovery of the UK’s oil and gas offshore resource.

Deirdre Michie said: “I am really delighted to have been appointed to this important industry role and look forward to working with the high-performance team that is Oil & Gas UK. This is a hugely challenging time for the industry that will require us all – industry, government and the new regulator – to work co-operatively and collaboratively to ensure we address the issues that face us.

“This is a great industry, a key part of the British economy and with a UK-based supply chain that is world-class. Oil & Gas UK has a crucial role in helping the industry to emerge from the current downturn on a stronger, fitter and more sustainable footing that will see the UK producing oil and gas from its offshore areas for decades to come. It is a role I will greatly relish.” `

Original Source: http://www.hseinternational.co.uk/oil-gas-uk-appoints-new-chief-executive/

OIL & GAS UK APPOINTS NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE

The Board of Oil & Gas UK, the leading trade association for the UK offshore oil and gas

industry, is pleased to announce the appointment of Deirdre Michie as the organisation’s new Chief Executive, following a comprehensive search led

by The Curzon Partnership.

Page 8: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

NEWS

HSE INTERNATIONAL 8

anywhere in the offshore oil and gas industry.“If there is slippage in maintenance through the downturn, the

dangers for offshore workers will increase significantly.”The minister of state for Scotland, Conservative MP David

Mundell, moved to allay his concerns, saying that HSE will “continue to inspect thoroughly asset integrity issues and raise those with the industry at every opportunity to ensure that regulatory standards are not compromised”.

“As many of the UK’s onshore installations are working beyond their original design lives and have been exposed to a harsh environment and heavy usage, it is absolutely essential that asset integrity is maintained,” Mundell added.

He said the chancellor George Osborne “has made it very clear” that he would make commitments to the industry in the budget, which is due in March.

But Doran issued a warning about the sector squeezing its contractors – in particular helicopter transport providers – by cutting the price of their contract costs. He said he hoped the industry was taking a “cautious and sensible approach” to the matter and “the government and the regulators will strictly monitor how health and safety standards are maintained on both sides of the industry”. `

Frank Doran warned that health and safety standards fell during the downturn of the 1980s because “many costs were cut to the bone” and essential maintenance was passed over

to keep production going.Speaking hours after Talisman Sinopec said it was making up

to 300 North Sea workers redundant, the MP for Aberdeen North said the oil and gas industry should be given targeted tax relief to support the maintenance of infrastructure and health and safety systems and equipment.

“The consequences of the 1980s downturn were not only job losses,” he said during a debate in the House of Common’s Westminster Hall on 20th January. “All projects that were in progress were stopped. The platforms that were producing oil and gas carried on producing, but many costs were cut to the bone. In particular, areas vital to safety, such as fire safety equipment, deluge systems and others, received little or no maintenance.

“The consequences of that approach were not immediately apparent, but on the night of 6 July 1988 they were there for the whole world to see. The Piper Alpha platform exploded with 167 deaths. It is still the most serious loss of life from any incident

‘SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK’ IF MAINTENANCE SLIPS DURING OIL PRICE SLUMP, WARNS MP

The risk of another disaster like Piper Alpha will increase if North Sea operators allow maintenance to slip during the slump in oil prices, a Labour

MP has warned.

Original Source: https://sm.britsafe.org/significant-safety-risk-if-maintenance-slips-during-oil-price-slump-warns-mp#sthash.FI3D3Dc2.dpu

Page 9: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 9

onshore and offshore workforce to drive imporvements.Les Linklater, executive director for Step Change in Safety,

said: “In 2007 Step Change in became a subsidiary of Oil and Gas UK, but the model led to confusion over roles, functions and relationships.

“Independence creates better distinction between the two organisations with greater autonomy. We will be owned and managed by our members to ensure we represent every part of the oil and gas industry.

“While Step Change in Safety’s legal entity has changed, our purpose remains the same: to continuously improve the safety of the North Sea. We cannot do this without collaborating with operators, contactors, regulators and the unions: being member-owned will ensure levels of collaboration increase as we continue to serve the onshore and offshore workforce day in, day out.”

Lewis Macdonald, Scottish Labour’s energy spokesperson, said the move could be positive one during what is a volatile period for the sector as the oil price continues to fall.

“The news is fairly positive, because it includes representations from the trade unions and the Health and Safety Executive,” he told STV Aberdeen. “We have to make sure that the current fall in oil prices isn’t used as a reason to cut corners when it comes to safety.

“There have been strides forward in this area during the last few years, but we can’t afford to stand still. We have to take care in a climate of uncertainty that safety is not compromised. I am confident that Step Change in Safety will want to press home that message in the future.” `

Original Source: https://sm.britsafe.org/step-change-safety-splits-offshore-trade-association#sthash.1bvVTXzN.dpuf

Since 1st January, Step Change in Safety, which was a subsidiary of Oil and Gas UK, has instead been owned by its 137 members from across the oil and gas industry supply

chain. Step Change in Safety is now governed by a board of directors, which includes senior representatives from member companies, union and HSE representatives and offshore safety representatives.

The body was established in 1997 with the aim of reducing the UK offshore injury rate by 50%. Its current aim is to make the North Sea the afest oil province in the world. It brings together operators and contractors, trade unions, regulators and the

STEP CHANGE IN SAFETY SPLITS FROM

OFFSHORE TRADE ASSOCIATION

The tripartite body established to spearhead safety improvements in the oil and gas

industry has split from the offshore trade association citing “confusion over roles,

functions and relationships”.

Page 10: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

The “economics of safety at $50 oil” is the topic for this year’s OPITO Safety

and Competence Conference (OSCC) which will take place on 3 November 2015 in Abu Dhabi. OSCC is the only global annual event wholly focused on safety and competence in the oil and gas industry.

With the offshore industry’s focus firmly on reducing costs and increasing efficiency, this year’s OSCC will explore how the sector maintains competence and continues to keep its people safe in a lower oil price environment.

Over 500 delegates and 20 exhibitors are expected at OSCC 2015 where leaders from the oil and gas supply chain and world-renowned experts in safety will participate in keynote sessions and panel debate on

NEWS

HSE INTERNATIONAL 10

ways to avoid long-term damage to safety and reputation as a result of short-term measures that may cut training and development budgets.

David Doig, group chief executive for OPITO said: “With operators looking for ways to cut costs in the current climate it is imperative that there are no compromises when it comes to the safety of the workforce and risk to the environment.

“It is a challenging time for many but the economic conditions cannot be a reason to relax standards. That said, businesses will be looking to make savings and we will examine ways in which this can be done without cutting corners on safety.

“Through a blend of presentations from leaders in oil and gas and other industries, delegates will be inspired to implement strategies that increase efficiency while making sure people are not at risk.”

The OSCC is the only global event focused on debating the issues around safety and competency in the industry in the way it relates to people. It brings together industry leaders, government bodies, regulators and training providers to share new thinking and best practice.

This platform provides an opportunity to hear from safety leaders from other industries, learn about new thinking, find out more about global standards and new training practices and network with industry decision-makers who are committed to making the oil and gas sector safer for every employee, anywhere in the world.

Last year’s event, which attracted over 400 delegates from 30 countries was opened by the Minister of Energy for the United Arab Emirates, Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei.

International training standards body, OPITO, devised the event as part of its drive for common global standards across the oil and gas industry to improve safety and competence.

The OSCC will be held in the Dusit Thani Hotel in Abu Dhabi. More information and registration details can be found at www.opito-oscc.com

Original Source: http://www.opito.com/news-article/oscc-to-focus-on-safety-in-lower-oil-price-times

US District Judge Carl Barbier agreed with the federal government claim that BP has to pay a fine of $4,300 per barrel, rejecting the company’s appeal to pay $3,000 per

barrel as per the country’s Clean Water Act.BP spokesman Geoff Morrell was quoted by Reuters as saying

that the company disagrees with the decision and is considering legal options.

BP has already paid more than $28bn in damages and costs associated to the oil spill, which killed 11 people and spread oil across seafood grounds and coastal beaches.

The company contracted Transocean’s Deepwater Horizon

drilling rig to develop Macondo well, located in the Gulf of Mexico.

Last month, the Texas Supreme Court rejected BP’s claim for $750m worth of coverage under Transocean’s insurance policies to help pay the damages related with the oil spill.

The British oil and gas firm paid hundreds of millions of dollars to the identified victims of the spill through multiple businesses between August 2012 and October 2013.

The well discharged millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, before eventually being capped in July 2010 and permanently sealed in the following September.

Original Source: http://www.hseinternational.co.uk/us-judge-rejects-bps-bid-to-decrease-13-7bn-fine-for-2010-

gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill

US JUDGE REJECTS BP’S BID TO DECREASE $13.7BN FINE FOR

2010 GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILLA US judge has rejected BP’s bid to reduce the

maximum civil penalty of $13.7bn it could face for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010.

OSCC TO FOCUS ON SAFETY IN LOWER OIL PRICE TIMES

The “economics of safety at $50 oil” is the topic for this year’s OPITO Safety and Competence Conference (OSCC) which will take place on 3

November 2015 in Abu Dhabi. OSCC is the only global annual event wholly focused on safety and

competence in the oil and gas industry.

Page 11: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 11

winners such as Kenya Airways (Nairobi), MTR Corporation of Hong Kong and National Express’s Birmingham Coach Station in the UK.

“Our warmest congratulations to all of the winners.”

Celebrate at the Gala Dinner, Friday 24 April 2015Neal Stone added: “I look forward to celebrating the success of the

International Safety Award winners at our spectacular Gala Dinner at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on the evening of Friday 24 April 2015. The black-tie event will be hosted by well known broadcaster and journalist Louise Minchin and will include formal presentation of the award certificates, official presentation photographs, a three-course dinner and a night of live entertainment and dancing.

“I would also like to extend our invitation to attend the Gala Dinner to any organisation or individual globally that wishes to celebrate the benefits of good health and safety performance. The evening is an ideal way of promoting and publicising your organisation’s health and safety record by inviting customers, clients and business partners to celebrate with you on the night.”

At the Gala Dinner, the 2015 ‘Sector Awards’ winners – outstanding sites and business units within individual business sectors, as judged by independent adjudicators from the 2015 International Safety Award winners – will also be announced. The winners of the two annual British Safety Council awards for exceptional individual performance by workers – the Health and Safety Champion of the Year and Young Health Safety Champion of the Year Award – will also be revealed.

Those purchasing tickets for the Gala Dinner by 12 March 2015 will be entered into a prize draw to win the chance to spend the night of Friday 24 April 2015 in a superior room plus afternoon tea for two at the Grosvenor House Hotel (terms and conditions apply). `

Original Source: http://www.hseinternational.co.uk/international-safety-awards-2015-winners-announced/

The British Safety Council has announced the winners of its 2015 International Safety Awards, which recognise and celebrate the commitment of the winning organisations to keeping their

workers and workplaces healthy and safe during the 2014 calendar year. This year, 514 organisations of all sizes and sectors from around the world won an International Safety Award, including businesses from the UK, Africa, Asia, mainland Europe, the Middle East and the West Indies. Twenty-nine organisations were awarded a distinction, 320 organisations were awarded a merit and 165 organisations achieved a pass.

Congratulating the winners, Neal Stone, acting Chief Executive of the British Safety Council, said: “2015 marks the 57th year of the International Safety Awards, which celebrate organisations from around the world that have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the scheme’s independent judges their commitment to preventing workplace injuries and work-related ill health during the 2014 calendar year.

“The success criteria for the International Safety Awards is challenging and that rightly reflects the importance of achieving good standards of health and safety at work.

“The International Safety Awards shine a light on those businesses who are taking sensible and effective steps to protect employees from the risks of work-related injury and ill health, celebrating their efforts and encouraging other employers everywhere to give workers’ health and safety the priority it rightly deserves.”

He added: “Our vision is that no one should be injured or made ill at work, anywhere in the world, so it is heartening to see that winners of the 2015 International Safety Awards are truly international; from Aluminium Bahrain to Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited; Delhi International Airport to the Rugby Football Union’s Twickenham Stadium in the UK.

“Winners are drawn from a broad range of sectors dealing with different risks – from the construction, civil engineering and housebuilding sector, with winners such as Bovis Homes, Costain, ISG, J Murphy & Sons and Willmott Dixon; to the oil and gas sectors, with winners such as Bahrain National Gas Company, Kuwait National Petroleum Company and Offshore Design Engineering Ltd of Great Yarmouth in the UK.

“The transport and distribution sector is also well represented, with

BRITISH SAFETY COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL SAFETY AWARDS 2015 WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Businesses dedicated to protecting their employees from the risk of injury and ill health at work have been recognised with International Safety Awards from the British Safety Council.

International Safety Awards Gala Dinner 2014

Page 12: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

NEWS

HSE INTERNATIONAL 12

His nephew managed to grab something and was left hanging from a wall but Mr Naumovs fell five and a half metres to the concrete floor below and died at the scene from head injuries.

The following investigation concluded that the circumstances leading up to the fatal incident showed poor communication, a lack of instruction and supervision, the use of equipment which was not suitable for the task, and the work being carried out in a manifestly unsafe manner.

Although the men should never have been on the roof itself at all, as the telehandler being used was not suitable for this work activity, the company would have been able to intervene to stop the roofing work had there been more effective and regular supervision.

Bruce of the Broch 1886 Ltd, of Broad Street, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, was fined £80,000, reduced to £60,000 after pleading guilty to breaching section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Following the case, HSE principal inspector Niall Miller said: “This tragic incident could have been avoided had the work been planned properly and carried out with the correct equipment.

“This type of work should ideally be undertaken without the need to directly access the roof, for example by using a Mobile Elevated Working Platform, or, if that is not possible, with safety measures to minimise the risk of falling such as crawling boards, fall arrest harnesses or netting.

“In addition, an employer needs to arrange suitable training and instruction to ensure that persons working there clearly understand not only what they are expected to do but also how they are expected to do it in order to ensure a safe system of work will be followed.

“In this case the difficulties arising from the language barrier resulted in fatal consequences.” The risks associated with work at height, and fragile roofs in particular, are very well known, and HSE has produced substantial amounts of free advice to assist duty holders to comply with the relevant legislative and regulatory requirements.

Falls from height continue to be the most common cause of fatality to workers. In the year 2013/2014 they accounted for 29 per cent of deaths reported to HSE, meaning that 19 workers lost their lives after a fall that year.

For more information about working at height visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls`

Original Source: http://www.hseinternational.co.uk/fines-after-language-barrier-results-in-fatal-consequences/

It was heard in court how 57-year-old Latvian national Nikolajs Naumovs had arrived in Scotland only two weeks before his fatal fall. He was brought to the site by his nephew, Nikolajs

Cernovs and son Vjaceslavs who were employed by local butchery company Bruce of the Broch 1886 Ltd, which was converting premises in College Bounds, Fraserburgh into residential property.

The two men were under the impression that they could bring additional workers to help undertake the works if required, who would be paid by the company for any work they did. Consequently they asked Mr Naumovs and his other son Juris.

The evening prior to the incident the company’s managing director had visited the property to plan the next day’s work with Mr Cernovs and Vjaceslavs. Neither of the men had a thorough grasp of the English language. They formed the impression that they were to start removing the roof the following morning in his absence.

Peterhead Sheriff Court was told on 18 February that on 21 August 2009 Mr Naumovs was working with his nephew to remove the asbestos cement sheets from the roof. They had reached the roof using a telehandler, and, while the basket was on the ground being unloaded, the two were sitting near the apex of the roof. Suddenly and without warning, the roof collapsed beneath them.

FINES AFTER LANGUAGE BARRIER “RESULTS IN FATAL

CONSEQUENCES”An Aberdeenshire business has been fined for serious safety failings after a man died

when he fell more than five metres through a fragile roof. A subsequent investigation

highlighted a lack of communication, instruction, training and supervision

leading to the fall.

Page 13: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 13

Peter Baker, who is currently Head of HSE’s Chemicals, Explosives and Microbiological Hazards Division, will replace Philip White on 1st April 2015.

Philip, who has been acting interim chief since Heather Bryant left HSE in September 2014, will continue in his role as Head of HSE’s Operational Strategy Division.

Construction is one of Britain’s most important industries employing over two million people. Vast improvements have been made in the sector in recent years, however it remains one of Britain’s most dangerous industries to work in. The post of chief inspector of construction for HSE is hugely influential in working with and encouraging industry to drive up health and safety standards.

Peter said: “I am delighted to be appointed as the chief inspector of construction, and I am very much looking forward to working collaboratively with the whole of the construction industry to continue the progress it has made in reducing ill health and injury in recent years.

In particular, I want to ensure the industry responds in a sensible and proportionate manner to the revised CDM Regulations. All changes bring challenges, and I want the industry to work together in focussing on the real health and safety risks to workers’ lives;

I believe that industry leaders also have a critical role to play, and have seen in the major hazard sectors how vital clear and positive leadership is to achieving the effective management and control of risks.”

Philip said: “I’m very pleased to be handing over to Peter whose

extensive experience of managing high hazard industries for HSE stands him in excellent stead to provide leadership for an industry which despite its vast improvements, still has a lot to do.

Peter will also take over a dedicated and hard-working team within HSE, committed to driving improved health and safety outcomes in the industry”. `

Original Source: http://press.hse.gov.uk/2015/hse-appoints-new-chief-inspector-of-construction/

This year health and safety week is being used to shine a much-needed spotlight on occupational health. While fatal accidents and injuries are falling year on year, the number

of new cases in 2013/14 associated with work-related to ill health and occupational disease rose to 535,000.

Of these new ill-health cases in 2013/14, 80 per cent of these were musculoskeletal disorders, stress, depression or anxiety. In the run up to health & safety week in June, we will aim to highlight the importance of having a healthy workforce and what steps can be taken to better protect people.

In the build up to the week in June, the Health and Safety

Week website will be showcasing specialist content, including conversations with all the supporting associations, interviews with survivors and advice for employers on how to approach occupational health issues.

To show your support for Health & Safety Week 2015, visit http://www.healthandsafetyweek.com/ to access your supporters’ pack.

For any enquiries, email: [email protected]

HSE APPOINTS NEW CHIEF INSPECTOR OF CONSTRUCTION

HSE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTS HEALTH AND SAFETY WEEK 2015

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has appointed its new chief inspector of construction.

The Health and Safety Week 2015 website launched on 6th February following the hugely successful

inaugural health and safety week last year, which had the backing of all the major UK associations.

Page 14: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

NEWS

HSE INTERNATIONAL 14

answered 36 incidents that required assessment from a medical specialist. The majority of the incidents were health-related and not a result of work activities.

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) was invited to inspect the site. Simon Hatson, a committee member of the IOSH’s offshore group with a particular experience of wind farms, and Lawrence Bamber, chair of the organisation’s North Wales branch, visited RWE’s facilities at the Port of Mostyn in North Wales, and the wind farm itself.

The IOSH members were impressed to hear how the potential dangers have been overcome. “This site has a fantastic health and safety record, which is great to hear. This should be used as a benchmark for other projects in the future,” said Hatson. “They have had some very difficult challenges, which they have had to deal with. These include heavy lifts, diving operations, working in restricted spaces and working in an offshore environment where the usual onshore facilities aren’t always available.”

Lessons from OlympicsPlanning for the health and safety aspect of the operation started

well before offshore construction began. What quickly became apparent to RWE was that the project team had to pay at least as much attention to the health aspect as to safety.

In 2011, a team from the wind project visited the London Olympics facilities, ahead of the 2012 Games, to see how staff there were kept safe and healthy. The Olympic park had been commended for the way this was being achieved. Some of the Olympic construction team then visited Gwynt y Mor to make suggestions, which included a three-point

Building an offshore wind farm by its very nature involves a host of potential risks. During construction of the 576MW Gwynt y Mor offshore wind farm in North Wales, more than one million

tonnes of equipment had to be lifted, the weather was often bad and more than 100 different contracting companies were involved in the project.

Ensuring the safety of all those involved was an important consideration for developer RWE Innogy. The utility worked closely with Trevor Johnson, the offshore specialist from the UK Health and Safety Executive’s renewable energies team, right from the start.

With all 160 turbines now constructed at Gwynt y Mor, and most of them operational, RWE can look back proudly on an excellent health and safety record, with no fatalities or life-changing injuries - despite the potential dangers of the remote site. The 3.6MW turbines are more than 13 kilometres off the coast, in Liverpool Bay, in water depths of 12-28 metres, and the site covers a vast area of 80 square kilometres.

The project has amassed more than nine million man hours, including 4.5 million hours offshore without a lost-time incident. During the height of the construction period, 64 vessels were out in the field at one time - more than in many busy shipping lanes.

Offshore, the project’s dedicated emergency response teams

GWYNT Y MOR SHOWS EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF HOW TO BUILD OFFSHORE SAFELY

Lessons from the London Olympics, a focus on occupational health and full engagement with

contractors helped RWE to build its Gwynt y Mor project with an exemplary safety record.

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s Marcus Boocock reports on a site visit.

Page 15: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 15

strategy for occupational health. This strategy was centred on three “W”s.First came the “worker”

- covering medicals, health surveillance and access to health information.Second the “workplace”

- checking facilities and work activities to ensure that health issues were identified and managed. And third “wellbeing”

- the promotion of health, lifestyle and work/life balance.From the Olympics visit, RWE identified that large construction

projects often have a high risk of health-related and cardiac issues, with many employees being middle-aged men working long hours away from home.

An occupational health nurse came on site at least one day a week to provide personal, confidential consultations and give free healthcare advice. The project also ran specific campaigns, such as bowel cancer awareness, stress awareness and healthy hearts. “The focus on occupational health and their people, bearing in mind the age range, was fantastic,” said Hatson. “Often in the planning phase there tends to be more focus on safety than health, but as the records from this project show, health, as RWE anticipated, was a bigger problem.”

International workforceAnother complicating factor was the number of different

contractors working on the scheme. RWE appointed nearly 100 contracting firms, 26 of them principal contracting companies. Some of the early work was done overseas, including the manufacture

of various components in factories across Europe. RWE sent staff out to those factories to ensure that health and safety was being appropriately considered and that working conditions were suitable.

RWE also had to ensure that contractors coming to work in North Wales from abroad were following UK health and safety standards. At the Port of Mostyn alone, up to 250 workers were on site each day, many of them different nationalities.

One of the approaches to raise awareness of health and safety among an international workforce was to set up an awards system for good practice.

“A lot of workers were not used to UK health and safety and how we do things, said Sye Channer, health, safety, environment and security adviser on the project.”People said that the safety was the best that they have encountered. We hope that the culture here will be transferred to other projects.”

Darren Tape, health, safety, environment and security manager at Gwynt Y Mor, said RWE had been determined from the start to ensure they were blazing a trail for health and safety in wind-farm construction. “The visit to the Olympic site was inspirational. Its focus on occupational health was industry-leading and prompted us to review our own occupational health strategy,” he said.

“For us the health and safety aspect was not just about being able to prevent and respond to incidents, it was about demonstrating that we care. What pleased me was the level of engagement from all of the contractors. We hope we have changed mind sets for contractors going elsewhere,” Tape added.

Original Source: http:// www.hseinternational.co.uk/gwynt-y-mor/

Page 16: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

The revolutionary HYTORC Washer can be used in place of any standard washer, adding safety, speed and accuracy to a job while increasing the lifespan of tooling. This

simple and economical upgrade can be used on nearly every bolting application imaginable without changing existing bolts and nuts.

The patented HYTORC Washer works with a double-layered socket; the outer socket holds onto the washer while the inner socket turns the nut. This eliminates the reaction arm, the most common source of safety incidents on all bolting jobs. By eliminating the reaction arm, the side force that is applied is eliminated, providing a more consistent bolt load across the flange. Though many bolting system manufacturers boast about torque accuracy, the HYTORC Washer assures an even and accurate bolt load, the true measurement for joint integrity.

In addition to these benefits, the HYTORC Washer makes the bolting process more intuitive, which reduces the chance of human error. With a standard bolting system,

reaction points must be considered before the job begins. This is especially problematic in scenarios where the nuts and bolts are not directly adjacent to each other, or another piece of equipment is blocking access to the nuts being turned. This can lead to challenges with tool placement, which can add danger to the job if the operator is not trained correctly. When the HYTORC Washer is used, the double-layered socket goes over the nut and washer and the tool is ready to go. Not only does this added simplicity increase job safety, it can also lead to reduced maintenance time.

THE HYTORC Washer™

Increase job safety - The elimination of external moving parts and the intuitive design of the HYTORC Washer system make it the safest bolting method in the industry.

Increase joint integrity - The HYTORC Washer ensures even and accurate bolt load to eliminate joint failure and uninten-tional nut loosening

Increase tool longevity - Other bolting systems put the reac-tion arm and square drive on opposite sides of the tool caus-ing high stress in the body of the tool, which can lead to failure over time. The HYTORC Washer puts the action and reaction on the square drive axis to eliminate the majority of internal stress, and increase the lifetime of your tools.

The HYTORC Washer is currently being used around the world in plants owned by every major oil and gas company. It has also proven to be invaluable for the offshore industry, due to the increased ease of use for both remote projects and underwater applications. Unlike jobs on land, training and special accessories are not easily accessible for offshore jobs.

With a standard bolting system, if the reaction fixture does not work for the job, it could be weeks before a new one can be brought to the offshore site. When the HYTORC Washer is used, the reaction point is universal. Not only does it work on every application, it reduces the amount of training required for operators.

HYTORC Washer Features:

HYTORC is the world’s largest and oldest manufacturer of industrial bolting systems. The interna-

tional company is family-owned and operated, and has been in business since 1968. With a focus on

world-class customer service, the company has more than 50 locations in the United States and a

comprehensive network of dedicated distributors and service centers worldwide.

For more information, visit www.hytorc.com.

Hytorc initial.indd 7-8 25/02/2015 14:08

HSE INTERNATIONAL 16

OIL & GAS: HYTORC® (UNEX) LTD

Page 17: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

The revolutionary HYTORC Washer can be used in place of any standard washer, adding safety, speed and accuracy to a job while increasing the lifespan of tooling. This

simple and economical upgrade can be used on nearly every bolting application imaginable without changing existing bolts and nuts.

The patented HYTORC Washer works with a double-layered socket; the outer socket holds onto the washer while the inner socket turns the nut. This eliminates the reaction arm, the most common source of safety incidents on all bolting jobs. By eliminating the reaction arm, the side force that is applied is eliminated, providing a more consistent bolt load across the flange. Though many bolting system manufacturers boast about torque accuracy, the HYTORC Washer assures an even and accurate bolt load, the true measurement for joint integrity.

In addition to these benefits, the HYTORC Washer makes the bolting process more intuitive, which reduces the chance of human error. With a standard bolting system,

reaction points must be considered before the job begins. This is especially problematic in scenarios where the nuts and bolts are not directly adjacent to each other, or another piece of equipment is blocking access to the nuts being turned. This can lead to challenges with tool placement, which can add danger to the job if the operator is not trained correctly. When the HYTORC Washer is used, the double-layered socket goes over the nut and washer and the tool is ready to go. Not only does this added simplicity increase job safety, it can also lead to reduced maintenance time.

THE HYTORC Washer™

Increase job safety - The elimination of external moving parts and the intuitive design of the HYTORC Washer system make it the safest bolting method in the industry.

Increase joint integrity - The HYTORC Washer ensures even and accurate bolt load to eliminate joint failure and uninten-tional nut loosening

Increase tool longevity - Other bolting systems put the reac-tion arm and square drive on opposite sides of the tool caus-ing high stress in the body of the tool, which can lead to failure over time. The HYTORC Washer puts the action and reaction on the square drive axis to eliminate the majority of internal stress, and increase the lifetime of your tools.

The HYTORC Washer is currently being used around the world in plants owned by every major oil and gas company. It has also proven to be invaluable for the offshore industry, due to the increased ease of use for both remote projects and underwater applications. Unlike jobs on land, training and special accessories are not easily accessible for offshore jobs.

With a standard bolting system, if the reaction fixture does not work for the job, it could be weeks before a new one can be brought to the offshore site. When the HYTORC Washer is used, the reaction point is universal. Not only does it work on every application, it reduces the amount of training required for operators.

HYTORC Washer Features:

HYTORC is the world’s largest and oldest manufacturer of industrial bolting systems. The interna-

tional company is family-owned and operated, and has been in business since 1968. With a focus on

world-class customer service, the company has more than 50 locations in the United States and a

comprehensive network of dedicated distributors and service centers worldwide.

For more information, visit www.hytorc.com.

Hytorc initial.indd 7-8 25/02/2015 14:08

HSE INTERNATIONAL 17

Page 18: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 18

OIL & GAS: Rig Deluge

Page 19: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 19

Page 20: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

RigDeluge® was incorporated in 2012 to provide innovative safety solutions for the offshore industry. However, their technology now has a far greater reach, extending into onshore production facilities, power plants, mining infrastructure and land based fire protection.

Managing Director and owner Ian Garden established RigDeluge® to introduce innovative safety solutions and equipment to the offshore fire protection industry. All RigDeluge® innovations are born through lessons learnt and problems encountered in their respective areas of implementation.

There are currently three main areas of operational activity for the RigDeluge® safety technologies:

Heat SuppressionFire ProtectionHazardous Area Safety

All these areas have had bench mark innovations introduced to them, enabling the mitigation and reduction of risks associated with current industry supply.

As Managing Director, it is Ian’s responsibility to ensure that the core elements of business practice are afforded to all clients. The company’s 4R Rule is used not

only to design innovation, but also to ensure efficiency is achieved at all times.

Reduce HazardsReduce RisksReduce Environmental ImpactReduce Costs

Having more than 15 years field experience and 10 years in high end management, Ian is able to bridge the gap between all primary business building blocks. This enables the operational and engineering requirements of innovation to be delivered as cost effective solutions to both manufacturer and end user.

HSE INTERNATIONAL 20

Reduce HazardsReduce Risks

Reduce Environmental ImpactReduce Costs

OIL & GAS: Rig Deluge

Page 21: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

21HSE INTERNATIONAL

HEAT SUPPRESSION One of the first projects awarded to RigDeluge® was on the EON Babbage Platform for their phase 2 operations.

The operator asked RigDeluge® to review the problems encountered and lessons learnt on phase 1 and to implement engineered solutions.

All problems encountered in heat suppression activities were either mitigated or had the risks reduced significantly on phase 2.

Five of the primary problems encountered were related to the rig cooling system positioned on the flare boom:

1. It blocked the walk way2. The nozzle blocked and the Well Tests were disrupted3. The crane was required to install the system4. On the West Side of the platform the flare boom had to be swung into the side of the platform, for the cooling system to be installed and maintained when the nozzle blocked. 5. There was no independent verification on design of system or fire suppression nozzle

As shown below, a piece of equipment was introduced which added to the hazards and risks associated with the activities on the flare boom. Inevitably, it would be the Well Test Company and Duty Holder that would be held accountable if there was an incident or accident while using this type of flare boom cooling system.

This is the same type of rig cooling system as used on the Babbage Phase 1 project, and you can see how dangerous it is to personnel and the operation in general. With a blocked walk way while working over water and at height, Well Test Operators and Rig Cooling Operators frequent the flare boom during rigging up, service and maintenance, pressure testing and rigging down.

North Sea today - current industry standard cooling systems blocking flare boom walk way

Page 22: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

This was an industry first which led to a second contract award for RigDeluge® with Operator RWE on the Clipper South project, where the RD44® was operated and positioned on the flare booms for almost 365 days with no NPT recorded on its operation.

It has been identified that the Well Test Company and Duty Holder will be held accountable if an incident or accident occurs on a flare boom that has cooling systems positioned on it that block the walk way and is not fully independently certified.

The cooling company will not be held accountable for supplying a system that introduces hazards or risks; it will be the company that introduces it to the operation. All

Well Test companies and Duty Holders should be made aware of their responsibilities to safety on flare booms and the risks and hazards introduced by installing these types of systems.

RigDeluge® does not charge a high rental price for their revolutionary Patented Technology as you would expect. Instead, they have offered it for sale to everyone who wants to use the safest flare boom cooling system in the world.

Well Test companies can introduce a safety device and new revenue stream to their owned flare booms. Duty Holders can mitigate the risks of blocking their fixed flare booms and cooling companies can replace their current systems with a safer proven technology that mitigates hazards and risks while improving efficiency.

This is a truly safety based innovation that has been offered to everyone involved in Well Test Flaring Operations; not only a unique piece of equipment, but a very rare opportunity for everyone to share this safety innovation at a none inflated cost.

“The RD44® was operated and positioned on the flare booms for almost 365 days with no NPT recorded on its operation”

HSE INTERNATIONAL 22

Shown below is the engineered and patented solution of RigDeluge®.The RD44® is an independently certified proven technology that not only mitigates hazards and risks but also improves performance along with financial efficiency.

The RD44® with a clear walkway

OIL & GAS: Rig Deluge

Page 23: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 23

RD44® and RigDeluge® Free Flow Nozzle™ Operational for EON on the Maersk Resolve. The clear walk way enables HSE Legislation to be adhered to, and ALARP is achieved on reducing the risks associated with heat suppression and rig cooling on flare booms. Independently Certified to API 14G, API521 and ASME B31.3.

The RD44® with a clear walkway

Page 24: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

One of the main problems encountered with offshore facilities is the blocking of fire sprinkler heads caused by the effects of sea water as a delivery fluid. This is a problem for all types of fire containment systems including both Heat Suppression and Fire Fighting.

One of the bench mark problems encountered and lessons learnt in the oil and gas industry was the Piper Alpha; 50% of the nozzles located on C-Block were blocked and inoperable through debris and concentric corrosion being present in the delivery lines.

Not only can the equipment being used on this system be noted as problematic but the process of ‘Fail Fix’ can also be noted as a contributing factor.

27 years on, companies across the world still use the same sprinkler heads and the fail fix processes. In our eyes, these inherent behaviours seen time and time again in the offshore industry can be summed up by the statement “but we’ve always done it that way”. This is not just a risk based statement as it requires a shift in attitudes and behaviours to open new ideas related to safety.

This is why RigDeluge® innovated Free Flow Nozzle Technology™ and Concentric Flow Technology™

Today, RigDeluge® has a proven solution to reduce the risks of nozzles blocking through delivery line contaminants and concentric corrosion.

The process of increased wet testing has been proven to fail and contributes to external system corrosion due to the effects of salt water, yet this is still common practice as per the Piper Alpha disaster; need we say any more?

The nozzles currently used in the industry block with as little as 6g of debris and when the existing nozzle screen is in place, block even quicker with less debris.

HSE INTERNATIONAL 24

RIG DELUGE FREE FLOW NOZZLE TECHNOLOGY™

CONCENTRIC FLOW TECHNOLOGY ™

“A shift in attitudes and behaviours is required to open new ideas related to safety”

OIL & GAS: Rig Deluge

Page 25: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

25HSE INTERNATIONAL

More than 90% of the nozzles on this system blocked on first time actuation. The client spent several million pounds on a delivery line up-grade changing from carbon steel to rubber / plastic, yet the nozzles still blocked.

It is common belief that changing the pipe work delivery lines to exotic metals or plastic and rubber will eliminate this problem, yet we are still being asked for our products after this “solution” has been implemented at great cost to the operator.

The problem is not the delivery line, but salt water and the side effects brought through its use that is the root cause.

Even a fire fighting system with Titanium lines will suffer from salt crystallisation and fail through blockages, as we have seen in Norway.

As little as 6g of debris or 1 piece will block an existing nozzle instantly.

As seen above, we have managed to fill a delivery line with over 1000g of debris and still get a level of water to a fire.

You can clearly see that the delivery line is blocked and with the RigDeluge® CFT™ adaptor water will still get to the fire. As you never get a second chance with a fire, a ‘Fail Fix’ process is adding luck into the equation as to whether or not your safety critical Fire Deluge System will function on first time operation.

“Today, RigDeluge® has a proven solution to reduce the risks of nozzles blocking through delivery line contaminants and concentric corrosion”

Page 26: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 26

Contact us for further information on 01224 293 500

Demanding market and challenging times. Tyco provides cost savings through integration and innovative service delivery, without compromising on compliance, safety, reliability and customer service.

An integrated approach to

delivering life safety and asset integrity

Tyco Oil & Gas UK locations Aberdeen | Great Yarmouth | Nottingham | Norwich | Manchester

www.tycofi s.com

16208 Tyco Innovation in Service Ad 170x122mm.indd 1 13/02/2015 10:46Innovation in Service for LIFE SAFETY & ASSET INTEGRITY SOLUTIONSTyco Fire & Integrated Solutions provides a very broad range of high quality Life Safety and Asset Integrity Service solutions to oil, gas, marine and energy industries worldwide.

With Tyco’s 30 years’ experience working in the Oil & Gas market and over 100 years of experience in providing Fire Protection and Detection solutions, Tyco is the perfect partner for businesses operating in these challenging environments.

Tyco‘s unique Framework for Safety provides innovation and service delivery that offers an integrated approach to delivering life and asset safety solutions and service. Some of the key benefits of integrating these solutions is that working with Tyco can help to reduce costs through using multi-disciplined engineers, combining offshore visits to save duplication of engineering support, a single management fee for management and administration across all the disciplines provided, consolidation of tooling and deliveries offshore, plus additional purchasing power. To take advantages of the cost savings requires a coordinated approach and commitment from both business organisations – ensuring that significant savings can be generated without compromising compliance, safety reliability and customer service.

System Solutions and Services we are able to offer under this Framework for Safety are:

• Fire Protection and Suppression• Fire and Gas Detection• Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning and Refrigeration• Specialised Testing Services (LEV/SGI testing)• Audio Communications – PA/GA• Metering• Wellhead Process Control and Chemical Injection Systems• Deluge Verification including Hydraulic Modelling, Descaling, Performance Testing, Routine Service and System Upgrades• Interface Engineering• Fire & Safety Products

Tyco’s Framework for Safety compliments the requirements of KP4 and enables operator’s full compliance with their regulatory obligations.

Page 27: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 27

RigDeluge® Concentric Flow Technology™ utilises a form of filtration and positioning of the primary delivery source to achieve another world and industry first.

They are pushing for an environmental classification where any nozzle used in a salt water environment must pass a blockage test; this represents a true life scenario as encountered every day on a system fed from salt water.

It would be a travesty for another major disaster to happen before this revolutionary technology is implemented in every salt water firefighting system throughout the industry.

A low cost retrofit could potentially save the lives of hundreds, prevent an environmental disaster, reduce the risk of loss of share price and uphold the reputation of an operator who can be seen as a proactive safety first institution.

Tyco Fire & Integrated Solutions independently verified and witnessed the installation and operation of the RigDeluge® CFT™ adaptor for one of their clients in the North Sea sector.

RigDeluge® CFT™ was introduced to thirty five year old pipe work, in a system that had not recorded a 100% pass rate with zero nozzle blockages. Once they had introduced the CFT™ adaptors, the system was then tested once a month for a three month period, recording a 100% pass rate with no nozzles blocking on each test.

The pictures below show the condition of the pipe work, externally and internally, along with a unique picture of the inside of the adaptor, in situ, positioned in the pipe. You can clearly see the debris surrounding the adaptor. The nozzle at this node point performed as designed and no blockages were recorded.

It is clear to see from the picture that the debris within this delivery line would have blocked the nozzle without the adaptor instantly.

External corrosion accelerated through monthly wet testing to help pass the performance standard set by the Operator. Gas detection systems and general plant machinery are affected by the deluge of salt water which in turn affects the ability to produce oil and gas efficiently.

Internal condition of a system protecting a hydrocarbon vessel. This system recorded a 90% fail from 100%.

“The system was tested once a month for a three month period, recording a 100% pass rate”

www.msisgroup.com

Specialist Cleaning

Emergency Rescue

Rig Maintenance

Retro-jetting

CCTV Inspection

NORM De-contamination

Waste Management

Equipment Sales & Rental

Vacuum Units

Pressure Washers

Tel: 01467 673900Email: [email protected]

MSIS, Kirkwood Commercial Park, Thainstone, Inverurie, AB51 5NR

Provider to

RigDeluge®

Company Services Include:

Page 28: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 28

Intelligence is at your fingertips

hgf.com HGF Limited @hgf_ip

Like your ideas, for us, every client relationship is unique and requires an individual approach. From IP protection to maximising the identity rights of your bussiness HGF can provide bespoke services to you.

For further information please callCraig Watson on +44(0)1224 258510or email [email protected]

Proud to be supporting Rig Deluge developing their ideas from initial

concept to finished products using our 3D

CAD design, draughting and animation services.

GTN Technical Services LimitedABERDEEN

w w w . g t n u k . c o m

Animation& CAD 1990 - 2015

25 Years in Business

Tel: +44 (0)1224 783111

www.neroengineering.co.uk

engineering

Fabrication & WaterjetCutting Specialists

Fabrication & Welding in:Stainless Steel Carbon Steel Aluminium

Precision Waterjet Cutting in a Large Range of Materials

Tel: 01224 722028Email: [email protected]

WILLIAM EAGLES. Established in 1850. The UK’s foremost manu-facturers of fire fighting and protection fittings and equip-ment. Quality products with a world-wide reputation. Bespoke design and manufacture of ‘specials’ to your requirements.

William Eagles101 Liverpool StreetSalford • Manchester • M5 4LPTel: 0161 736 1661Fax: 0161 745 7765Email: [email protected]

Wrekin Shell Mouldings LimitedRegistered OfficeHalesfield 21 • Telford • TF7 4NXTel: 01952 580946Fax: 01952 582546www.wrekin-shell-mouldings.co.uk

Products and services include:-Pressure Reducing ValvesHose CouplingsHydrant ValvesUK manufacturing facilities available include:-Casting of copper based alloys (gunmetals)CNC machiningTool, die and pattern makingAssembly and fabricationFlow and pressure testing

•••

••••

In February 2014 William Eagles was acquired by Wrekin Shell Moulding Ltd.

WilliamEaglesadFINAL.indd 1 25/02/2015 18:27

OIL & GAS: Rig Deluge

Page 29: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 29

“It would be a travesty for another major disaster to happen before this revolutionary technology is implemented in every salt water firefighting system throughout the industry”

By Adding the RigDeluge® CFT™ adaptor to both these systems a 100% operational performance was recorded. A simple line flush with an adaptor up-grade allowed these systems to achieve full compliance.

Last Year RigDeluge® invited industry leaders, certifying authorities and fire solution companies to witness a live demonstration at the Petrofac Montrose Firefighting Facility.

A system containing 10 nozzles was lit and multiple pool and jet fires continued to burn. They introduced 10kg of debris into the delivery system to show real time performance of the product lines. Zero nozzles blocked and the fires were contained successfully; innovation that again will help mitigate the requirements of a ‘Fail Fix’ process.

RigDeluge® is not only an innovator of safety equipment, but is an innovator in business; they licence out their patented technologies to established companies that can deliver enmasse.

This keeps the running costs low and the profits high. RigDeluge® have published an almost 1000% financial net growth in year 2 with a projected 1000% for years 3 and 4.

What RigDeluge® have proven is that safety innovation can make manufacturers and service providers profitable, while reducing the overall costs to the operator.

At a time when cost associated operations are under review, RigDeluge® can provide a reduction in overall operational costs while achieving bench mark safety improvements.

Page 30: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 30

HAZARDOUS AREA SAFETY SOLUTIONS HASS247®

RigDeluge® Owner Ian Garden has recently established another innovative safety solution company called HASS247®.

The first patent pending product he has produced is called a HASS-HAB® which provides the means for safe, continuous hot working in Hazardous Areas & Locations (Zone I & Zone II), such as in the Petrochemical industry. In a reliable, cost effective and more importantly, safe way, work can continue without the need for complete shutdown of the facility and / or location.

HASS247® is the forerunner in its showcase, with Adaptive Progressive technology born from industry learnings, with an ethical approach to both business and financial responsibility to clients to be the best in service and cost.

The HASS-HAB® and Operating System have a number of Adaptive Progressive technology features that not only make it stand out amongst what is currently available in the service sector of the industry, but also highlights a vast number of safety features that can only be described as “game changing”.

The safety benefits of the HASS247® HASS-HAB® are noted as:

• Singular modular controls• One man HASS-HAB® installation; minimising manpower,

thus improving safety and reducing costs• Alleviates manual handling during set up by way of no

heavy air lock doors to lift and / or set up• Minimal equipment set up time, thus maximising the time

of use for both the work area and manpower• Exceeds regulatory compliance by way of ATEX, PUWER 98,

LOLER 98 and PFEER – which no “similar product” on the market currently complies with

• Fully portable HASS-HAB® Operating System with both four point lifting conforming to DNV 2.7-1 / EN 12079 (c/w CE Marked Lifting Set), with ability to fit through / down any walkway whilst on its anti-static wheel system

• The only organisation in the market place to have developed a penetration management system to manage pipework passing within the work area, be it from any elevation or angle

• Fully integrated cable management system on the internals of the work site as well as fixed points for lighting mounts

• Transit block panel wiring system

OIL & GAS: Rig Deluge

Page 31: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 31

OUR MISSION STATEMENT• A - Asset Safety

• L - Limit and Contain Hazardous Work Areas

• A - Assure Quality and a Professional Service

• R - Reduced Risks

• P - Product Development Through Safety Innovation

“To continue to deliver new technology globally and evaluate and maintain safety solutions in our industry through re-investment of financial rewards.”

This is the goal of RigDeluge®, HASS247® and Owner Ian Garden.

HASS247®HAZARDOUS AREA SAFETY SOLUTIONS

24 Hoursa day,7 Days a week

Page 32: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 32

OIL & GAS: OFFSHORE SAFETY SUMMIT 2015

Methods of extraction in the North Seaare becoming evermore technologically advanced. After a series of high profile oil and gas-related accidents in the past half decade, the industry has steered towards a more stringent regulatory regime. Macondo is still fresh in the mind of the global HSE fraternity even five years after that fateful day.

The role of HSE continues to grow in importance as the human, environmental and financial costs of offshore incidents take their toll in the form of unacceptable loss of life and billions of dollars in fines and reparations.

Worryingly, results of recent HSE and Asset Integrity-focused surveys* conducted by Oil & Gas IQ have shown

some alarming cracks in the core columns that hold a company’s safety framework aloft:

67% of respondents believed the industry was not doing enough to share HSE best practice between competing operators

30% believed that Human factors presented the biggest challenge for HSE

1 in 4 respondents gave their safety leadership a ranking of 5 out of 10 or below

* http://www.oilandgasiq.com/integrity-hse-maintenance/white-papers/infographic-hse-standards-on-the-norwegian-contin/ & http://www.oilandgasiq.com/integrity-hse-maintenance/white-papers/infographic-the-truth-about-asset-integrity-in-th/

The upcoming 9th Annual Offshore Safety Summit will bring together senior industry experts from across the European offshore HSEQ community, to share their case studies, as well as updates on the latest regulations, laws, trends and best practices that can help you attain a ‘zero accidents’ culture across your organisation.

30 March - 01 April, 2015Aberdeen Marriott Hotel , Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom

Page 33: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 33

Some of the event highlights include:• An update from UK HSE on consultation period in relation to the EU Directive on Offshore Safety

• A dedicated human factors and HSE leadership workshop preceding conference and plenary sessions during conference

• Case studies from operators and leading contractors, on development and improvement of processes and people

Learn how to develop clear organisational goals for developing a safety culture across your organisation

Discover new and innovative ways of engaging with your offshore personnel to reinforce HSE messages

Improve hazard awareness and problem solving skills of offshore staff to tackle operational challenges related to health, safety and environment

Measure the success of your company’s safety culture by implementing progress indicators and sustain incident free operations

Develop and implement best practices to ensure improved performance

Evaluate safety operations and implement practical solutions for expediting the compliance process

Speakers for 2015 include:

Dr. Kathryn Mearns, Human Factors Specialist,

ConocoPhillips

Susan MackenzieDirector of Hazardous Installations Health and Safety Executive

Davide ScottiHSE Management Systems, Training

& Communication ManagerSaipem

Mohamed Awad Sanabary HSEQ Director

ADMA OPCO

Gail RitchieHealth and Safety Manager

Bibby Offshore

Ahmed QabazardTeam Leader Health Safety & Environment,

Kuwait Oil Company

Tony HetheringtonDirector of Energy Division

Heath and Safety ExecutiveTo find out more and to download the agenda please visit www.offshoresafetysummit.com

Attend the Summit and:

Contact Me today! If you have any questions about the event please contact

Richard Jones at +44 (0)20 036 1300 or email [email protected]

Offshore Safety Summit 2014

2015 Venue: Aberdeen Marriott Hotel

Page 34: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 34

OIL & GAS: ABB CONSULTING

More demanding legislation and public scrutiny is increasing the need for operators to demonstrably improve the safety of their operations. ABB Consulting provides an expert independent view on where improvements should be made and on how best to implement them for the global process industries. Our services include: alarm management, safety case assessments, human factors, pressure relief, Process Hazard Reviews (PHR), HAZOPs, SIL and LOPA studies and technical training to ensure safer operations. www.abb.com/consulting

ABB ConsultingTel: +44 (0)1925 741111E-mail: [email protected]

Safer operations with ABB?

Absolutely.

HSE International - Safety (A4) Feb 2015.indd 1 12/02/2015 16:13:37

Following process safety accidents such as Deepwater Horizon and Buncefield, it’s convenient to think that such equipment failures and errors by operating staff could not happen on

our facilities. Concerned about such complacency, the HSE issued the following challenge to all those that work in the major haz-ards sector, from the boardroom downwards; Do you know what can go wrong, Do you know what the systems are to prevent this happening.Do you have information to assure yourself that they are working effectively?

The offshore sector has been leading the way with the concept of barrier management, but a real challenge remains to identify those ‘safety critical elements’ that prevent and mitigate major accident hazards, devise suitable performance standards, and then implement effective monitoring of performance to ensure barriers are not impaired.

Improved barrier management arrangements are now set against a backdrop of rapidly falling oil prices. In such circum-stances an obvious cost saving measure is to reduce discretionary spending by cancelling or postponing planned work. Writing in The Chemical Engineer (Issue 884, Feb 2015), HSE Chair Judith Hackitt gives a stark warning with, “I want all industries dealing with process safety to avoid writing tomorrow’s headlines today”, and “safety must not be compromised, even in hard times”. Senior Managers need to be reminded of the massive cost implication of process safety accidents that can threaten the existence of the company, with many now referring to such events as ‘billion pound incidents’. However, in these cost conscious times those with a responsibility for process safety should be questioning whether current methods are achieving efficient risk reduction for the money being spent.

Retrospective hazard reviews are an effective way of revalidat-ing process safety risk assessments on existing facilities, achiev-ing continuous improvement where performance can otherwise start to fall away. If done effectively, these reviews can identify impairments to barriers requiring urgent attention and provide information for subsequent barrier management improvements. It is essential to tap into the wealth of experience gained by operations and maintenance staff, building on the design basis knowledge of technical staff. Traditionally companies have used familiar HAZOP studies for such reviews, but these can become bogged down by the level of detail and hence time required, test-

ing the ongoing availability of busy operations staff. An alterna-tive approach uses a higher level HAZID or Process Hazard Review (PHR) technique, progressing system-by-system and looking for hazardous events associated with loss of containment or release of energy.

Whichever technique is used, the quality of the study and re-port needs to be given special attention. Such reviews should not be seen as a ‘box ticking’ exercise to get the job done as quickly as possible, but instead should be treated as a golden opportu-nity for identifying opportunities to reduce risks. Getting a highly experienced team with operational knowledge, led by a special-ist and independent facilitator is crucial. Preparing a ‘Terms of Reference’ document to detail how the review will be conducted and recorded is seen as best practice, and this should be referred to by the review team and used to audit the quality of the records. Recommendations are the key output from the review, and there is a history of these not being implemented or the actions not addressing the original concerns. Writing clear and unambiguous recommendations using the ‘what-where-why’ format goes some way to addressing this problem, plus an effective action close-out process recognising the effort that is needed to turn recommen-dations into SMART actions.

So what is done once the review has been completed, certainly not wait for 5 years until the next revalidation is required. In ad-dition to closing out recommendations effectively, a number of follow up studies may well be required, such as; LOPA, Pressure relief and SIS verification, alarm management, Bow Ties, etc. The records should be kept ‘evergreen’ as a living document on the facility, with updates based on implementing actions and as part of management of change. Deep dive audits provide a test of bar-rier robustness for selected Major Accident Hazards. These audits focus on safety critical barriers, and carry out in-depth checking of plant-process-people arrangements based on checking of records, discussions with key staff, and site based inspections.

So should we be looking to delay essential process safety studies until better times? My advice is to improve the efficiency of reviews to ensure improvements are genuinely risk based, and avoid being overtaken by far more serious events which may cause any further reviews to become unnecessary.

— G Ellis, ABB Consulting

Are we doing enough to prevent Major Accidents?

123

ABBfinal.indd 1-2 02/03/2015 10:35

Page 35: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 35

More demanding legislation and public scrutiny is increasing the need for operators to demonstrably improve the safety of their operations. ABB Consulting provides an expert independent view on where improvements should be made and on how best to implement them for the global process industries. Our services include: alarm management, safety case assessments, human factors, pressure relief, Process Hazard Reviews (PHR), HAZOPs, SIL and LOPA studies and technical training to ensure safer operations. www.abb.com/consulting

ABB ConsultingTel: +44 (0)1925 741111E-mail: [email protected]

Safer operations with ABB?

Absolutely.

HSE International - Safety (A4) Feb 2015.indd 1 12/02/2015 16:13:37

Following process safety accidents such as Deepwater Horizon and Buncefield, it’s convenient to think that such equipment failures and errors by operating staff could not happen on

our facilities. Concerned about such complacency, the HSE issued the following challenge to all those that work in the major haz-ards sector, from the boardroom downwards; Do you know what can go wrong, Do you know what the systems are to prevent this happening.Do you have information to assure yourself that they are working effectively?

The offshore sector has been leading the way with the concept of barrier management, but a real challenge remains to identify those ‘safety critical elements’ that prevent and mitigate major accident hazards, devise suitable performance standards, and then implement effective monitoring of performance to ensure barriers are not impaired.

Improved barrier management arrangements are now set against a backdrop of rapidly falling oil prices. In such circum-stances an obvious cost saving measure is to reduce discretionary spending by cancelling or postponing planned work. Writing in The Chemical Engineer (Issue 884, Feb 1015), HSE Chair Judith Hackitt gives a stark warning with, “I want all industries dealing with process safety to avoid writing tomorrow’s headlines today”, and “safety must not be compromised, even in hard times”. Senior Managers need to be reminded of the massive cost implication of process safety accidents that can threaten the existence of the company, with many now referring to such events as ‘billion pound incidents’. However, in these cost conscious times those with a responsibility for process safety should be questioning whether current methods are achieving efficient risk reduction for the money being spent.

Retrospective hazard reviews are an effective way of revalidat-ing process safety risk assessments on existing facilities, achiev-ing continuous improvement where performance can otherwise start to fall away. If done effectively, these reviews can identify impairments to barriers requiring urgent attention and provide information for subsequent barrier management improvements. It is essential to tap into the wealth of experience gained by operations and maintenance staff, building on the design basis knowledge of technical staff. Traditionally companies have used familiar HAZOP studies for such reviews, but these can become bogged down by the level of detail and hence time required, test-

ing the ongoing availability of busy operations staff. An alterna-tive approach uses a higher level HAZID or Process Hazard Review (PHR) technique, progressing system-by-system and looking for hazardous events associated with loss of containment or release of energy.

Whichever technique is used, the quality of the study and re-port needs to be given special attention. Such reviews should not be seen as a ‘box ticking’ exercise to get the job done as quickly as possible, but instead should be treated as a golden opportu-nity for identifying opportunities to reduce risks. Getting a highly experienced team with operational knowledge, led by a special-ist and independent facilitator is crucial. Preparing a ‘Terms of Reference’ document to detail how the review will be conducted and recorded is seen as best practice, and this should be referred to by the review team and used to audit the quality of the records. Recommendations are the key output from the review, and there is a history of these not being implemented or the actions not addressing the original concerns. Writing clear and unambiguous recommendations using the ‘what-where-why’ format goes some way to addressing this problem, plus an effective action close-out process recognising the effort that is needed to turn recommen-dations into SMART actions.

So what is done once the review has been completed, certainly not wait for 5 years until the next revalidation is required. In ad-dition to closing out recommendations effectively, a number of follow up studies may well be required, such as; LOPA, Pressure relief and SIS verification, alarm management, Bow Ties, etc. The records should be kept ‘evergreen’ as a living document on the facility, with updates based on implementing actions and as part of management of change. Deep dive audits provide a test of bar-rier robustness for selected Major Accident Hazards. These audits focus on safety critical barriers, and carry out in-depth checking of plant-process-people arrangements based on checking of records, discussions with key staff, and site based inspections.

So should we be looking to delay essential process safety studies until better times? My advice is to improve the efficiency of reviews to ensure improvements are genuinely risk based, and avoid being overtaken by far more serious events which may cause any further reviews to become unnecessary.

— G Ellis, ABB Consulting

Are we doing enough to prevent Major Accidents?

123

ABBinal.indd 1-2 23/02/2015 09:57

Page 36: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

That’s forty years of working with, and supporting, British businesses, workers and government in making Britain a better place to work.

HSE has helped Britain become one of the safest places to work in the world. As a result, its skills and insight are in demand internationally.

HSE’s headquarters sits right in the heart of Merseyside. Bootle to be precise.

HSE was set up under the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA), which was introduced in 1974 and has become one of the most successful of all Acts of Parliament. At the heart of the Act is a duty on employers to take reasonable steps to manage the risks they create in their business.

HSE provides a wide range of support to employers to help them manage risks well – books of guidance, case studies,

online tools and even visits to individual businesses to help them understand their risks and how to manage them.

Over the past 40 years, both HSE and HSWA have proved themselves adaptable in a rapidly changing environment.

Whether it has been helping to improve working conditions and the management of risks on construction sites or ensuring major hazards on oil rigs or chemical plants are properly managed, HSE has balanced support for industry with tough but fair enforcement of the law.

It is a crime not to properly manage serious risks to workers and the public. HSE holds those who break the law to account, securing justice for victims and ensuring that law abiding firms are not disadvantaged.

HSE has helped make Britain a fairer place to work – everyone has the same right to come home safe and well.

As the world of work continues to change, from its Bootle base, so will HSE. Alongside maintaining their role as an independent regulator, they will use the opportunities available to them to realise the commercial value of their expertise and experience and can further invest in their regulatory activities and reduce their cost to the taxpayer.

HSE INTERNATIONAL 36

“HSE has helped Britain become one of the safest places to work in the world”

Health and Safety Executive

The Health and Safety Executive is 40.

1975HSE began

1985 Bradford City

FC fire (56 fatalities)

1987

Kings Cross underground

fire

1984Abbeystead

pumping station explosion

(16 fatalities)

1976HMS Glasgow fire, Newcastle

(8 fatalities)

1988Piper Alpha

disaster

(167 fatalities)

1983

Regulation of asbestos

licensing became law

1990HSE began to regulate the

railways (until 2006)

TIMELINE

HEALTH & SAFETY EXECUTIVE

Page 37: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 37

What is HSE?The Health and Safety Executive is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk

Health and Safety Commission and ExecutiveAs required by the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), the Secretary of State for Employment in October 1974 appointed the first members of the Health and Safety Commission which took up its duties on 1 January 1975. The Commission first appointed the Management Board of the Health and Safety Executive. The first Director General, John Locke, took office on 1 January 1975, with the former Chief Inspector of Factories, Bryan Harvey, as his deputy. Mr E C Williams, the Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations, was the third member of the Executive.

In 2008, the Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive took the decision to merge their powers and functions to become a new unitary body with the name ‘Health and Safety Executive’. The merger took place following a 2006 consultation exercise setting out the benefits of the merger. `

2004 ICL Plastics

factory explosion

2002 HSE’s

construction division was

created

1991HSE became

single regulator of offshore oil and gas safety

2014 The triennial review of HSE

1995 Health and

Safety Laboratory becomes part

of HSE

2005

Buncefield explosion

1998

HSE introduced

stress guidance

2009 Gas Safety

Register was created

Facts and figures:The number of workers killed each year in Great Britain continues to be on a long-term downward trend with fatal injuries to workers falling to 133 in 2013/14 from 148 in 2012/13 and 171 in 2011/12, meaning Britain is one of the safest places to work in Europe.

The number of major injuries to workers has shown a downward trend – 18,877 in 2013/14, 19,707 in 2012/13 and 22,433 in 2011/12.

In 1973:1,000 (approx.) people were killed by accidents at work (between 3 and 4 every working day)

Between 500,000 and 700,000 were injured (between 2,000 and 3,000 every working day)

Over 23 million working days were lost through absences from industrial accidents and prescribed diseases

56.2 million – UK population

250,000 (approx.) were receiving disablement benefits

In 2013/14:133 workers killed at work

78,000 other injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR

629,000 injuries at work from the Labour Force Survey

28.2 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury

64.1 million – UK population

314,420 were receiving Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits in June 2013

Judith Hackitt CBE, HSE Chair

Page 38: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

winner), the British Safety Council, BSI and the Chartered Institute of Procurement Supply (CIPS), Gas Safe, the Considerate Constructors Scheme, OFTEC and F-Gas, and is currently working towards acquiring Legionella Control Association membership.

ADSL achieved ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards within 18 months of service commencement and have maintained these to date. In addition the company holds IIP (Silver).

As part of the organisation’s longer term 5-year vision to be a Sustainable and Responsible Business (Good Business, Good Citizen, Good Supply Chain), ADSL’s focus in 2015 will be to embed individual ownership of health and safety with everyone working on this contract.

Reporting to Chris Cockerill, Jonathan Jones, Head of Health, Safety and Environment and his team are responsible for driving the development and

improvement of strategic and operational health, safety and environmental performance within ADSL, in line with contractual, parent company and legislative requirements.

In collaboration with the Partners and ADSL Operational HS&E Teams, Jonathan provides professional direction, guidance and support to the Senior Management Team and operational management in developing, establishing, implementing and monitoring occupational health and safety systems. These systems support the needs of ADSL and ensure compliance with legislative, parent company and contractual requirements.

ADSL recently won a RoSPA Gold Award. Chris Cockerill

HSE INTERNATIONAL 10

Aspire Defence Services Limited (ADSL) recently received a prestigious RoSPA Gold Award. ADSL’s Estates Technical Services Director and Chief Engineer, Chris Cockerill and other members of the Aspire team, told Graham McDonald how the

organisation works and the services they provide for the British Army.

“We want to ensure that everyone goes home from work to their families safely, every day”

ADSL provides Total Facilities Management

services for the four Army garrisons on Salisbury Plain and

Aldershot, under the 35 year Project Allenby/

Connaught (PAC) contract. PAC is the largest infrastructure

PFI contract ever let by the MoD and has significantly improved the lives of some 18,700 soldiers (20% of the trained British Army). This has been achieved through the provision of modern, high quality, fully serviced and purpose built living and working accommodation.

ADSL has teams based in each garrison and directly employs over 800 staff. The size and scope of the contract means that ADSL has to work with a number of key partners and subcontractors in order to deliver the services required. In total, ADSL and the key partners employ 2,500 staff.

The services ADSL supply to the four garrisons on Salisbury Plain and in Aldershot include mechanical and electrical building maintenance, life cycle, cleaning, waste and stores management alongside grounds maintenance, transport and infrastructure maintenance.

ADSL also provide catering and mess management, multi-media services, utilities maintenance and office services

as well as a 24/7 helpdesk. Major works, building and

refurbishment also play a large part in the services they offer.

ADSL is an IOSH and CIEH Accredited

Training Centre. The company is a member

of RoSPA (2014 Gold Award

DEFENCE & SECURITY: ASPIRE DEFENCE SERVICES LTD

HSE INTERNATIONAL 38

Inse

t im

age:

Chr

is C

ocke

rill

- Est

ates

Tec

hnic

al D

irec

tor

& C

hief

Eng

inee

r, D

r M

ary

O’M

ahon

y - R

oSPA

Tru

stee

Making Soldier’s Lives Better

Page 39: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 39

Royal Artillery Mess, Larkhill

Page 40: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

engagement topic. A Leadership Report is produced from each visit.

“Senior ADSL involvement is fundamental to the management of incidents,” Chris said. “All significant accidents require an MD and Head of HSE conference call with the respective director and line manager of the individual involved. In ADSL, significant accidents are defined as those which require medical treatment beyond First Aid and a single lost working day.”

Health and safety performance is a high priority item on the agenda at monthly SMT meetings and at six monthly Leadership Forums which are attended by fifty senior ADSL staff. Health and safety is also a priority at annual

Managing Director (MD) Forums, where ADSL’s MD, Graham Blow addresses all ADSL staff, reviewing their performance against objectives.

Graham’s positive focus on Health and Safety has been fundamental to ADSL’s success in this area. His message to staff is, “We want to ensure that everyone goes home from work to their families safely, every day”, and Graham has taken the lead in ensuring that the company listens to its staff and makes improvements based on their feedback.

Health and Safety Belongs to EveryoneIn addition to ownership at senior

levels, ADSL encourage all of their staff to take ownership of health and safety

issues. Staff are kept updated in a regular Health and Safety Bulletin and via a Dashboard on the company intranet. They are also given an opportunity to lead on Health and Safety. Safe and Sure Action Groups have been established across all main locations. Group members are not health and safety specialists, but they can draw on expertise when required by submitting and receiving direction from the ADSL Monthly Health and Safety Review Meeting.

The Groups for each location represent their colleagues and develop campaigns to address current issues. Group membership posters are available on the intranet and noticeboards. This makes it easy for all staff to contact them with ideas and issues.

The Communications Forums, ‘Your Voice’ were established in the early development of the business. They enabled staff to give feedback on health and safety performance and offer suggestions for improvement.

“We regularly seek feedback from staff on a range of issues. In a formal Health and Safety Climate Survey conducted in 2009, our employees told us that they would

HSE INTERNATIONAL 40

“Personal ownership of health and safety by every one of us is the key to changing unsafe behaviours”

DEFENCE & SECURITY: ASPIRE DEFENCE SERVICES LTD

Hea

lth a

nd S

afet

y N

ewsl

ette

rs

Safe and Sure Campaign

gave us some background on what contributed to ADSL’s success and the ways in which Health and Safety is owned at the highest levels in ADSL:

Ownership at the Top“From contract commencement, the

Purpose, Vision and Values (PVV) jointly developed by ADSL and the MoD have been at the core of service, driving business objectives and performance. The first of the Five Values is ‘Safety First Always’ and our Company Policy Statement reflects this priority.

“The Board of Directors monitors health and safety performance through monthly Board Meetings where it is the first item on the agenda. A separate quarterly Health and Safety Meeting is also held where there is Board and Senior Partner representation.

“A Quarterly Health and Safety Performance Review is attended by representatives from our strategic partners and Board. A standard agenda ensures that trends and comparisons can be identified. An annual review with the same membership covers performance for the year and sets new targets in the form of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for the coming year. They update and tighten these to reflect the required performance, based on the performance of the previous year”.

Within ADSL, a report on delivery against Health and Safety objectives is reviewed by the Senior Management Team (SMT) at monthly meetings. The health and safety performance of each garrison is also an agenda item at

quarterly garrison reviews led by the MoD.Board Members undertake 2

scheduled Leadership Visits per year and the ADSL Senior Management Team carry out 4 visits per year. The programme includes locations which may have previously had significant work injuries, so that these can be addressed as an

Page 41: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

“Over the last 7 years, we have worked hard to develop an Aspire identity and a Safety First Always brand”

like the opportunity to work on the solutions to issues arising across PAC,” Chris explained.

“As a result of their request, Safety First Always Action Groups (SFA AG) were established. These were made up of a cross section of ADSL staff, and were established at each garrison and at the Aspire Business Centre (ABC). This year, these groups have been re-launched as ‘Safe and Sure’ groups. Each is chaired by a member of the local Management Team and the local ADSL HS&E Manager. All other members of the group are elected volunteers representing all departments based at the location.

“Partner organisations also have representation on the groups. The main purpose is to ensure that we develop campaigns and share lessons learned that are meaningful for all employees of ADSL and our partners alike.”

Other initiatives include an annual Safety First Always Team Competition. Alongside this, an iSEE (Improving Sustainability by Employee Engagement) initiative is in place that asks staff to submit suggestions based around health, safety and environmental themes.

When the ADSL contract commenced in 2006, it replaced previous separate FM contracts. The organisation’s staff numbers grew overnight from

49 to 850. Chris explained the process in detail:“These staff came from many different companies

and cultures and in our first year we had 16 RIDDORS (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations). Over the last 7 years, we have worked hard to develop an Aspire identity and a Safety First Always brand. We have actively partnered with our workforce to move away from pre-contract cultures and silos of individual contracts to a one project approach. By 2013, we had halved the number of RIDDORS and OSHA reported injuries across the project.”

ADSL work with a small number of partners and strategic suppliers including Sodexo, Babcock, MUJV (a utility joint venture between UKPNS and Veolia), Colas and Rollalong, to deliver complex, high value operations and has developed a long term strategic relationship with these organisations.

“It is vital that a subcontractor’s approach to health

HSE INTERNATIONAL 41

(L-R) Andrew Ollason - HS&E Manager, John Downie - Garrison HS&E Manager (Larkhill), Phil Mullan - Garrison HS&E Manager (Aldershot), Jon Jones - Head of HS&E, Chris Cockerill - Estates Technical Director & Chief Engineer

Office module extension (Rollalong) installed at Warminster garrison

Demolition of the Aldershot Military Power Station

Page 42: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

and safety matches our own,” Andrew Ingram, Head of Procurement said. “The contractor selection and evaluation process takes the form of a two part category based questionnaire. It is comprised of a standard question set, which includes evidence of insurance, acceptance of Terms and Conditions and QHSE contractual obligations.

“Part two relates to the specific Category with a question set developed by the SME and Category Manager following a Sustainability Assessment. This assessment is proportionate to the risk and complexity of the category and forms the basis of minimum standards and continual improvement.”

All work activities completed by contractors must be supported with an ADSL Authority to Proceed (ATP). Prior to ATP issue, the contractor must receive an ADSL health, safety and environmental contractor induction and demonstrate their competence to perform and supervise their work.

ADSL utilises three methods to monitor the performance of contractors. Factual and objective information is gathered on each contractor’s

performance and compliance. End-user experiences are obtained in respect of service, compliance, QHSE obligations and response times. These are then collated against a defined set of questions known as a Supplier Performance Review (SPR). Finally, the contractor’s experience of working with ADSL is considered and discussed together with the SPR at six monthly intervals (or a time frame dependent on the size and complexity of the contract).

“Our commitment to health and safety and the importance of everyone’s engagement with it is recognised by our subcontractors. We stress how personal ownership of health and safety by every one of us is the key to changing unsafe behaviours,” Andrew explained.

“For some of our partners, this contract leads the way for them in health and safety across their entire client base. Smaller companies subcontracting to us report that they have realised the benefits. The standards we have introduced them to have enabled them to win contracts with other organisations.”

Monitoring and MeasuringTo measure the success of Health and Safety management

and initiatives, operational monitoring is carried out through third party audits and Compliance Evaluations, undertaken on a scheduled monthly cycle against a specific piece of health, safety and environmental legislation.

Across the business, Garrison Facilities Directors and Health, Safety and Environment Managers develop a location specific inspection regime to ensure appropriate inspections are carried out in all work areas on a regular basis. Inspections are also conducted by ADSL on all subcontractor and contractor work activities being undertaken.

Their performance and behaviour is evaluated against quality, health, safety and environment contractual obligations. All contractor and subcontractor sites are inspected weekly as a minimum requirement.

Any observations and findings made during health, safety and

“ADSL aims to leverage efficiencies and implement a greener fleet over the next 24 months”

HSE INTERNATIONAL 42

DEFENCE & SECURITY: ASPIRE DEFENCE SERVICES LTDSo

dexo

sta

ff

Page 43: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

DEFENCE

Working with Aspire Defence Services Limited across Project Allenby/Connaught

“It is great to be working so cohesively with a professional organisation that demonstrates such a high regard for safety. The improvements in safety over the years that this contract has been in place are significant; our teams are saying this, our partners are saying this and so are our clients. Together we have created a safe and happy place to work.”Neil Whiteley, Quality, Health, Safety & Environmental Executive, Sodexo Defence

Delivering the Difference to our customers, clients and employees by putting safety at the heart of everything we do

n Safety is key to our commitment to the wellbeing of the Armed Forces community and to everyone in Sodexo

n Our values of team spirit, service spirit and spirit of progress are the foundation of our health and safety culture

n We work hand in hand with our clients and supply partners to ensure that safety is a key element of our commitment to service excellence

n Our health and safety events, training days and competitions raise awareness of safety and environmental issues

3007_Aspire_Sodexo_H&S_ad.indd 1 16/10/2014 10:26

Page 44: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 44

DEFENCE & SECURITY: ASPIRE DEFENCE SERVICES LTD

Tidw

orth

Lei

sure

Cen

tre

Juni

or R

anks

Sin

gle

Livi

ng A

ccom

mod

atio

n (JR

SLAs

)Th

e hi

stor

ic ‘B

lack

and

Whi

te’ b

uild

ings

at N

ethe

ravo

n ai

rfiel

d

Page 45: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

“Involvement in the NHS Stoptober Quit Smoking Campaign and annual flu jabs for all staff every autumn have further improved health and wellbeing at ADSL”

environment inspections and Leadership Visits are recorded using the applicable Inspection Check List or Leadership Visit Report Form. These are captured in a monthly performance dashboard which also gives performance breakdowns of each individual garrison.

Occupational HealthADSL recognises that Occupational Health (OH) provision

has a positive role to play in the relationship between work, an individual and their health. OH support can assist in reducing the effect of work on health as well as providing education and promotion on various health initiatives.

The organisation provides pre-employment screening which is carried out by medical questionnaire. A follow up medical assessment is performed where appropriate. Employee health monitoring helps to identify health problems and fitness for work issues at an early stage.

Medical referrals facilitate absence management of both long and short term sickness issues. Policies and procedures are also in place to tackle drug and alcohol abuse, alongside rehabilitation programmes and return to work strategies.

Advice is made available via the HR Department on medical severance issues and ill-health retirement cases. In addition, medical screening is carried out for specific groups of employees being trained to, or already working with, processes, material or substances that require medical surveillance.

Environmental ImpactsADSL has always assessed the environmental impact of

goods and services purchased and has defined minimum standards, such as only using 100% certified Sustainable Timber. The company have now introduced an explicit requirement to assess the wider sustainability risks and opportunities at the earliest stage of procurement via a sustainability test.

Detailing how this works, Nick Kirwan, Environmental Manager said: “It allows us to identify specific areas where we can reduce risks or add value prior to entering into contracts. It encourages business to consider longer term value and risk as opposed to focusing solely on price.

“As we purchase a huge range of goods and services, defining minimum standards for each category of work or specific product line is a massive task. We have approached this challenge by developing a new procurement process which addresses these issues in a systematic and risk based manner. The overall aim is to understand the sustainability risks and opportunities associated with our procurement activity, and to deliver long term value to the business and the contract.”

The company has designed a range of new energy efficient buildings. Each south facing accommodation block has solar panels fitted to provide energy and reduce

heating costs. The solar panels on the new buildings have an equivalent floor area to Westminster Abbey. ADSL

HSE INTERNATIONAL 45

‘In-situ cold recycling’ (Colas)

Pay As You Dine Diner - Kiwi Barracks, Bulford (Sodexo)

Page 46: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

anticipate saving 344 tonnes of C02 a year by reducing the gas consumption of boilers.

11km of underground piping has been replaced at one of the company’s locations. Plant rooms have been refurbished and a state of the art Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant has been installed which burns gas to produce electricity. It uses the ‘waste’ heat to provide heating and hot water for forty buildings across the garrison. The new technology is much more efficient than the old, oil fired boilers. It saves energy and money while reducing pollution.

ADSL aims to leverage efficiencies and implement a greener fleet over the next 24 months. This includes capping the C02 limits of company cars and reducing the limits year on year. The replacement of their commercial vehicle fleet will commence in 2015. Key areas being assessed are current and future mileage, manufacturers and alternative fuels. The logistics of stores, spare parts and equipment, business operational and vehicle extras requirements are also being evaluated.

Recruiting and Developing StaffSupporting the local community is important to ADSL and

the company recruits staff from the surrounding community wherever possible. Employment opportunities with the organisation are advertised on their website.

Establishing and maintaining a skilled and motivated workforce enables ADSL to provide better prospects for staff and results in sustained organisational success.

“A significant tool in building and sustaining our business was the introduction of our Competency Framework in 2012. The core framework includes a specific health and safety competence with four ability levels mapped to all roles in ADSL. It highlights the minimum expected performance for all employees,” Mike Newman, Training Manager commented.

The purpose behind these competencies is to enable all employees to know what behaviours, skills and knowledge are expected of them. They aid managers in setting goals and reviewing performance in a constructive and objective manner. An individual can either ‘Meet,’ ‘Exceed’ or have a ‘Gap’ against each competence. This is used to identify training and development (T&D) opportunities.

ADSL employees working specifically in Health, Safety and Environment teams are mapped and measured against the additional HSE Technical Competency Framework. It includes qualifications, training and experience alongside legislation, policies and plans. Contractual requirements, risk management, auditing and monitoring are also included.

Case StudyIn 2011, ADSL made a strategic decision to proactively

address staff health and wellbeing issues. The company went through a full tender exercise to contract with a new Occupational Health (OH) Provider. Their objective was to find an OH provider who could establish and maintain a fit and healthy workforce.

The company’s key drivers were to reduce sickness

HSE INTERNATIONAL 46

“The lost time rate reduction has more than validated the return on the organisation’s investment in occupational health”

DEFENCE & SECURITY: ASPIRE DEFENCE SERVICES LTDH

ealth

and

Saf

ety

Com

petit

ion

Even

tsSt

aff c

hild

ren

ente

r th

eir

art w

ork

for

the

Safe

ty F

irst

Alw

ays

Cale

ndar

, sol

d in

aid

of S

SAFA

Page 47: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

absence and assess the fitness of staff for the work they do while helping with any issues. Staff would be offered support with the broader aspects of wellbeing and lifestyle with the aim of maintaining an effective service delivery across the four garrisons.

A Health Monitoring Program that includes Health Assessments has helped to gather baseline data on staff health. This has enabled ADSL to adopt a risk based approach and move from annual checks to three yearly checks. Staff feedback ensures that the program continues to work and that staff feel its full value.

Data derived from the program has highlighted the most common reasons for absence and ADSL’s wellbeing initiatives have been targeted accordingly.

Back pain and musculo-skeletal issues were top of the list, followed by stress. Know Your Numbers sessions have provided general health checks for all employees. Involvement in the NHS Stoptober Quit Smoking Campaign and annual flu jabs for all staff every autumn have further improved health and wellbeing at ADSL.

The Employee Assistance Program provides additional support. It includes a 24 hour helpline run by BUPA, which provides free and confidential advice, counselling and support on a variety of issues.

The numbers speak for themselves. In 2011, the lost time rate was 4.2%. By 2013, this had reduced to 3.2%, a reduction that has more than validated the return on the organisation’s investment in occupational health.

Case StudyAs part of the 2013 ADSL Asbestos Awareness Campaign,

representatives of the organisation (alongside business partners, clients and customers) attended an Asbestos Removal Awareness event, held in November at the Aspire Business Centre (ABC) in Tidworth.

More than 70 delegates were guided step by step through a mocked up site compound and working Asbestos Removal Enclosure via a Decontamination Unit and Three-Stage Airlock.

Delegates were then shown what documentation must be held on site by the Licensed Asbestos Removal Contractors (LARC) and given the opportunity to handle specialist plant and equipment used by the LARC.

Karen Bradbury, ADSL Estates Administrator at TidNBul said: “You made it a very welcoming and relaxed enough atmosphere to learn and make everyone feel on the same level while keeping the seriousness of Asbestos Danger at all times.”

Steve Chivers, Rollalong Ltd Services Divisional Manager also commented: “The event was very useful both in terms of being informative around the subject matter and from a general networking perspective with ADSL and its suppliers.”

Bernice Gunn, ADSL Estates General Manager, Aldershot said: “We all learnt something new. It certainly opened my eyes to the practical difficulties in asbestos removal.”

Ian Hewer, ADSL Business Asbestos Manager said: “A big thank you goes to our Asbestos supply chain for their support in making the event an enjoyable learning experience for all the delegates.”

The above initiatives go hand in hand with the company’s high standards. ADSL are working tirelessly to ensure that everyone involved in the organisation receives the highest standards of health and safety support. This enables them to focus their attention on the most important job of all: Making Soldier’s Lives Better.

HSE INTERNATIONAL 47

Health assessment in progress

Asbestos Removal Awareness Event

Arbortrack System records location & condition of approx. 40,000 trees &

additional across the PAC estate

Page 48: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 48

WORKING AT HEIGHT: IPAF

Falls from height remain the biggest killer at the workplace. Most falls occur when people use inappropriate equipment or methods to work at height.

Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) are one of the safest ways to perform temporary work at height. If used correctly, these machines are very safe and offer an efficient option for work at height.

Typical platform users are usually electricians, plumbers, painters, cleaners and maintenance workers – people who do not operate platforms as their main occupation and who might not have received structured training to use access equipment.

Most health and safety regulations require employers to provide their staff with adequate training in the use of whatever form of access equipment for work at height. Employers should thus have in place a policy for access equipment use and training.

There are different levels of training depending on the level of competence, whether it is to simply operate a MEWP (operator), to demonstrate how to operate a specific MEWP (demonstrator) or to train others on how to operate MEWPs (instructor). There are also different training courses depending on the category of MEWP. A Push Around Vertical (PAV) which has no mechanical drive and which can be physically pushed around requires a half-day course. Scissor lifts (3a) and self-propelled booms (3b) usually take one day of training, while more complex machines such as a 100-metre truck-mount (1b) can require up to two or three days of training.

MEWP training can be obtained at construction schools, from equipment manufacturers and rental companies, or at specialised training institutes. It is also available through the not-for-profit International Powered Access Federation (IPAF). The IPAF training programme for MEWP operators is certified by TÜV as conforming to ISO 18878, Mobile elevating work platforms – Operator (driver) training. Training is not provided by IPAF itself, but is delivered through a network of IPAF-approved training centres around the world, who are member manufacturers, rental companies, training institutes, instructors and users in the MEWP industry. More than 100,000 MEWP operators are

Are your operators working safely at height?

Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) are highly manoeuvrable and can reach restricted areas efficiently.

Training ensures that platform operators are aware of the potential risks and that they use the equipment in a safe and correct way.

The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) promotes the safe and effective use of powered access worldwide

Page 49: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 49

trained each year through a worldwide network of over 600 IPAF-approved training centres.

Those who successfully complete training are awarded a safety guide, a log book, a certificate and a PAL Card (Powered Access Licence). The log book should be filled out and signed after each job to document operator experience. The PAL Card is valid for five years, after which it must be renewed. This ensures that operator knowledge and skills are kept up-to-date. The PAL Card features a photo of the holder and shows the categories of machines that he or she was trained in. There are now more than half a million valid PAL Cards worldwide. The PAL Card is a machine-readable smartcard and can be verified online at www.ipaf.org/checkpal

The PAL Card (Powered Access Licence) provides proof of training in the use of platforms, while the log book documents operator experience.

The training covers these broad areas: MEWP categories, structural parts and MEWP selection, regulations and standards, pre-use inspections, safe operating methods and hazards, do’s and don’ts, parking, accidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences. A training course usually lasts one to two days and covers both theory and practice, including a written test and a practical test.

Training makes users think more consciously about machine use and safety. It highlights basic do’s and don’ts and safety procedures that should be followed when using various types of MEWPs. For instance, users are instructed not to tie up sliding mid-rails. On boom type platforms (self-propelled booms, trailer push-arounds and vehicle-mounted platforms), it is strongly recommended that operators wear a full body harness with an adjustable lanyard, used to provide work restraint and adjusted to be as short as possible. This prevents the operator from being catapulted out of the basket in the event of an incident. On vertical lifts (scissor lifts and vertical personnel platforms), it is not normally necessary to wear harnesses, other than in exceptional circumstances.

The most important thing to remember is that the need for a fall protection system will be the outcome of a job-specific risk assessment undertaken prior to work commencing and taking into consideration the manufacturer’s operators’ manual. Lanyard damage and abrasion can seriously compromise performance. Ideally, operators should have their own

harnesses for which they take responsibility. Be very careful with the connectors used: karabiners must be oriented longitudinally, not laterally. Do not attach any harness or lanyard to something outside of the basket of the boom.

One of the most common causes of accidents is the ground giving way beneath an outrigger. All MEWPs depend on the condition of the ground they stand on for their stability. Soft or hollow ground may give way when subjected to the loads of MEWP wheels or outriggers, resulting in the machine being out of level and unstable. It is therefore vital to assess the ground conditions before driving, setting up, using or parking a MEWP on any surface. Use spreader pads beneath all outriggers.

Page 50: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

HSE INTERNATIONAL 50

WORKING AT HEIGHT: IPAF

IPAF’s “Spread the load” campaign calls for the proper assessment of ground conditions and the correct use of stabilisers, outriggers and spreader plates(www.ipaf.org/spreaders).

Guidance for managers and operators on how to avoid trapping and crushing injuries, and guidance on the selection of anti-entrapment devices, is available for free download from the Publications section ofwww.ipaf.org

Extra care should be taken when planning and using MEWPs in confined overhead areas. This type of work has increased in recent years and led to a number of accidents. In these incidents, it was reported that operators were pushed onto the platform controls which led to their sustained involuntary operation and the operator becoming trapped, or worse, crushed. Operators are urged to be continually aware of the surroundings and to continually observe – before and during the raising or lowering of the platform – always checking for obstructions above and below, or people. Site managers also need to be aware of specific precautions and procedures when planning and supervising work in confined overhead areas.

Further advice on the safe use of MEWPs can be obtained from the IPAF website www.ipaf.org which has a wealth of resources on safe work at height. The Publications & Films section features technical guidance and videos covering various topics including use of harnesses, exhibiting powered access equipment, familiarisation, ground conditions, rescue plan, and inspections and thorough examinations.

Page 51: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

Book now:T +44(0) 20 8741 1231E [email protected]

www.britsafe.org/galadinner /britishsafetycouncil @britsafe /company/british-safety-council

British Safety Council (Company Limited by Guarantee).

Registered in England and Wales No. 4618713 at

70 Chancellors Road, London, W6 9RS.

Registered Charity No. 1097271 and OSCR No. SC037998

MAE1415

Book your place todayIn addition to collecting a certifi cate and a distinction trophy if successfully achieving a distinction grade, there are a number of sound business reasons to attend the International Safety Awards Gala Dinner even if you didn’t apply for an award.

Why attend?• A key note address by Steve Hails,

Health and Safety Director, Crossrail

• Louise Minchin, broadcaster andjournalist will compére the evening

• The perfect way to reward employees,contractors and business partnersfor their hard work in keeping yourworkplace safe and healthy

• A fi ne dining experience in the opulent,fi ve star elegance of the GrosvenorHouse Hotel, London

• A superb corporate hospitality event forentertaining your customers, clients andbusiness partners

• A great networking opportunity, withhundreds of like-minded organisationsand individuals attending from the UKand overseas

• An ideal way to generate positivemedia coverage for your organisation.

Purchase your tickets by 12 March 2015 and enter the prize draw to win the chance to spend the night of the awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel in a superior room plus breakfast for two and afternoon tea the following day. Terms and conditions apply.

Gala Dinner early bird offer

International Safety AwardsGala Dinner

Media partners:

12March2015

Friday 24 April 2015 Grosvenor House Hotel

Page 52: HSE International Issue 95 March Full Digital Edition

ISSUE 95 MAR 2015 £9.99