| Details: | Responding to the latest oil and gas industry safety performance figures released today by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at this year's Offshore Europe Conference and Exhibition in Aberdeen, Tom Botts, chair of the sector's Step Change in Safety programme, said:
"We can all be encouraged by the significant improvements in safety performance highlighted in the HSE's latest Offshore Safety Statistics Bulletin. The global measures we are also now using in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) to compare ourselves with the industry in other parts of the world show that in 2002, the UK sector improved safety by 42 per cent where the rest of the world improved by 31 per cent, as measured in terms of Lost Time Incident Frequency.
"This is an outstanding 'step change' towards achieving and sustaining our vision to be 'the safest place to work in the worldwide oil and gas industry by 2010'.
"Those that deserve credit for such improvements are the thousands of individuals working in our industry who every minute, of every working day, are actively planning for safety, identifying risks, controlling those risks and intervening in or stopping jobs when they feel something is not quite right or conditions have changed.
"However we are on the first step of a longer journey. We have made significant progress but none of us will be complacent or satisfied while an individual can still sustain an injury as a result of working in our business."
Step Change in Safety is a key industry programme launched in September 1997 to improve health and safety performance, awareness and behaviours throughout the UK oil and gas industry. In October 2002, the initiative was revitalised by the endorsement of its safety vision by PILOT, the influential government industry forum set up to maintain the UKCS as a world class oil and gas centre. In the last 12 months, 40 new companies and organisations have registered their interest in Step Change, bringing the total number now participating in the campaign to 120.
Tom Botts also spoke today of the continuing improvement in engagement with the workforce, reporting healthy attendance and activity in Step Change's workforce networks for Elected Safety Representatives, Offshore Installation Managers & Supervisors and Safety Professionals & Advisers.
New senior leaders have come on board and there is already evidence that they are ensuring that the implementation of key Step Change initiatives occurs within their own organisations. Companies are also actively participating in the new Occupational Illness Reporting scheme and health workshops are scheduled to take place for the workforce later this year.
In the last year, Step Change has also published guidance on a range of safety issues, including titles on leading performance indicators, manriding safety, hand arm vibration syndrome, lifting and mechanical handling, a common induction CD-ROM, a Step Change engagement pack and also the recently released 'Fatality Report' that shared learning from 11 accidents that occurred in the North Sea between 2000 and 2002.
Work is well underway in four new areas: to establish a common emergency number to be used across the industry; to standardise cargo basket design; to review incidents with high potential risk; and to promote personal responsibility for safety. |
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