“That pressure and resulting stress can only be changed
through innovation and education and I think that’s what
we’re trying to do here. There is more pressure today with
the fluctuating price of oil and the fact that production
must continue, so problems must be solved efficiently.”
Q. Thank you for your open and honest insight in this
interview. Is there anything you would like to add?
“One of the craziest things I’ve experienced in the oil and
gas industry is visual safety. Holding onto a hand rail while
walking down the stairs is a great thing. If a person doesn’t
hold onto the hand rail, they might be given a warning or
stop card, yet the safety critical system that protects the
life of the person holding onto that hand rail doesn’t work
first time every time, and somehow that is acceptable! Why
is that possible? It’s only acceptable because you don’t see
the risk. Until you see it, until there’s another disaster like
the Piper Alpha, people aren’t going to make a change
unless they’re educated properly. Filling out stop cards on
a daily basis or ticking boxes to make up numbers of safety
observations is ludicrous when it comes to the fact that the
safety critical systems on your vessel don’t work first time
every time. What’s more important – filling out a stop card
to make up tally numbers, or ensuring the person filling
out the stop card is safe?
“I truly believe in standards, ISOs, management systems
and safety certifications, but for me personally, I think it is
more important to work towards advancing those cultures.
Being an innovator and an innovating company, we are
actually setting new standards. I’ve got 25 years’ experience
in the industry and have won contracts against highly
qualified companies by setting new standards that go
above and beyond.
“If you are prepared to make a stand and challenge the
norm through safety innovation, you will and you can.
“Doing the right thing today is not always a given in the
oil and gas industry, and with cultural failings along with
the fear of change, you’ll meet obstacles along the way.
“When you innovate today you must factor in all the
negatives even before you solve the problem that you are
looking to engineer a solution for.
“A problem encountered needs to
become a problem solved.
“A lesson learned needs to become a teaching to deliver.
“A solution engineered needs to become a
safety improvement that reduces costs.
“Now is the perfect time to implement safety innovation.
One of the biggest threats, not just to oil and gas
but to any industry, is not having the acceptance. By
implementing innovation and accepting cultural change,
we can improve efficiency and sustain a safe and healthy
working environment, while mitigating the risk of a major
incident happening again.”
For more information and insight, go to www.rigdeluge.com, email
[email protected] or call +44 (0)1224 749420
HSE INTERNATIONAL
47