Essential Knowledge for Potential Offshore Installation Mangers.pdf

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    Essential KnowledgeFor

    PotentialOffshore

    Installation

    Managers

    Written by

    Tim Allsop & Charlie Bell

    Copyright 2010

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    Table of Contents Author notes 3Introduction 5Installation Design Criteria 8Health Safety & Environment Considerations 13Leadership Qualities 18Training & Standards 21Qualifications & Accident Investigation Processes 30Environmental Considerations 37Emergency Response Procedures & Incident Command Systems 40Distributed Control Systems 43Permit To Work 47Planned Maintenance Systems 52Production, Process & Drilling Operations 53

    Oil Spill Response Principles 79Summary 100

    PREFACE

    This book is the combined efforts of Charles Bell & Tim Allsop originally from different backgrounds, butwho share a common passion and understanding of what it takes to hold the position of Installation Manageron an offshore Production Facility.

    Due to the growing global demand for combustible fuels, and the challenging and demanding environments weare now forced to go looking for these fuels in, the world has taken on a new respect for the environment and

    part of this process is to hold the operators through their managers both responsible and accountable forensuring a safe and reduced risk (as low as practicable) environment and process for the exploration, refiningand delivery of hydrocarbons to us the general public.

    This book is not the be all end all definitive description of what it takes to perform the roles andresponsibilities of an Offshore Installation Manager, but it does touch on enough relevant subjects to allow thereaders to have a better understanding of what it does take to be an Offshore Installation Manager.

    It is important to take into consideration that information gives you knowledge, this is a one dimensionalapproach to the situation and position, what makes a more proficient OIM is the confidence he has to deal withthe daily grind and challenges he will face working in an offshore environment, there is no substitute forexperience, what we are always looking for when assessing and teaching existing & perspective OIMs is theconfidence needed to do the job.

    If that experience is lacking we must assess it through simulation, observation, demonstration, theory, writtenor witnessing forms these are some of the approaches, more recently we are using simulated situations andexperience during these situations where we can to fast track some processes for our perspective managers.

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    During these appointments across the world one thing has remained constant, his ability to adapt, improviseand identify immediate and long term needs of his clients, probably the most valuable skill he was taught in theSF branch. Tim has been instrumental in setting up not less than 7 internationally accredited training centresfor the development and accreditation of Offshore Installation Managers. In support of the physicalinfrastructure he has put in place around the globe, Tim has also developed materials such as his IncidentManagement Software (CIMS) and MOME training simulators, designed CBTA programs which would ensurecomplete development personnel to meet nationalization programs. It is a combination of Sweat ware,Wetware & Shelf ware that ensures a comprehensive model to build upon. Tim currently consults for anumber of his competitor companies around the world, whilst running a training and competency company inMalaysia with his business partner Charlie, in the past 7 years over 500 Offshore Installation Managers have

    passed through their doors from over 12 different countries, and the number is rising each year.

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

    There are a number of very useful published materials available that we have extracted some material from, thefollowing sources;

    Existing Operating Procedures from ABAN, KNOC, TML, JVPC, PROSAFE, BP Existing Oil Spill Response Procedures Industry Guidelines from UKOOA, IDAC, IMO, ICAO Regulatory bodies OPITO (the Oil & Gas Academy), PMA08 Competencies, NFPA & IMCA The Cullen Report (Public inquiry into the Piper Alpha Disaster) The Making & Enforcement of HS Law by Francis W Peebles

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    INTRODUCTION

    The OIM is the most senior management representative of the operating company to be continuously presenton the offshore facility. That facility may be a drilling rig, an FPSO or a production platform.

    Historically.The OIM position had arisen in part from the Inquiry into the 1965 Sea Gem disaster, in which the Sea Gem drilling rig collapsed and sank in the southern sector of the North Sea with a loss of 13 lives. The Inquiry recommended that " ... there ought to be a 'master' or unquestioned authority on these rigs" and that " ... there ought to be the equivalent of a shipmaster's daily round when the 'master' could question those responsible for different aspects of the day to day management of the whole." The recommendations from the Sea Gem Inquiry were formalized in the Mineral Workings (Offshore Installations) Act 1971 which requires a registered OIM to be in charge of each installation.

    This is the background to the position and, certainly in the UKCS, all oil production companies have adheredto this requirement.

    The Job Description.

    The exact requirement from individual oil companies will vary but not by a tremendous amount. The followingis a fairly generic Job Description for an Offshore Installation Manager.

    The OIM shall efficiently manage the health, safety and welfare of all personnel on board the installation.

    He shall ensure that all contractual obligations are satisfied as the company representative.

    He shall ensure compliance with all applicable legislation, guidelines, company policies and procedures.

    Principle Functions of the position.The OIM shall plan and coordinate with the Superintendents all production and maintenance activities, so as toachieve production targets.He shall ensure implementation of the Company Safety Management System, that is, compliance withlegislation, company policies, standards and procedures, monitoring compliance by all other personnel.The OIM shall promote a safety culture where all personnel have an understanding of the Operations

    procedures and Safety studies and operate rigorously in accordance with it.He shall ensure strict implementation of the Permit to Work (PTW) System.He shall ensure all documentation and certification is in order and up to date.The OIM shall facilitate constructive working relationships with all personnel, encouraging opencommunication, both vertically and laterally.He shall promote team building, training and development and ensure that the Company CompetenceAssurance System is progressed.He shall ensure that regular Emergency Response Drills are carried out in compliance with regulations.The OIM shall ensure compliance with obligations laid down in any Collective Bargaining Agreement.

    He shall provide relevant reports to the Concession Owners representative as per their requirements. Academic Achievements.

    Technical training to Higher National Diploma or the equivalent.

    Degree or equivalent in Engineering/Science.

    Vocational Qualifications. Competence Standard, Managing Offshore Installations controlling Emergencies.

    Workplace Assessor D32/D33 or the equivalent.

    Internal Verifier D34 or the equivalent.

    Supervisory Management Level 4.

    Offshore Survival/Firefighting including HUET. Coast guard Search and Rescue.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Gemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Gemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Gemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Gem
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    Familiarity with the plant and systems of the installation to which the OIM is appointed through, for example, involvement in commissioning activities and/or an introduction period offshore with an experienced incumbent.

    This is a very brief overview of what may be required in order to fulfil the basic requirements of an OffshoreInstallation Manager. What does it all mean and how do you get there?

    The OIM shall efficiently manage the health, safety and welfare of all personnel on board the Installation.Men and women all over the World go to work every day and come home again each evening. The Offshoreworker does not.Like a seaman, he goes to work and does not come home until his trip is finished, usually in two orThree weeks.Furthermore, because of the location of his workplace, it is necessary for his employer or hisEmployers client to transport him to and from that workplace.The offshore workplace is usually defined as having the potential to cause Major Accident Hazard.That means that there is risk that personnel could be killed or seriously injured or that severe damage to

    property could occur if those hazards are realized.

    Additionally the Offshore Worker will by necessity be required to not only work in this hazardous environment but also sleep, eat and socialise. Coupled to all of this is the fact that all of this goes on in one of the mostinhospitable environments on earth.

    If you employ five or more people you must, by law, have a written statement of your health and safety policy.This should be your own statement, specific to your firm, setting out your general policy for protecting thehealth and safety of your employees at work and the organization and arrangements for putting that policy into

    practice.The statement is important because it is your basic action plan on health and safety which all your employees

    should read, understand and follow.

    The legal requirement aside, a safety policy statement can bring real benefits. If it is well thought out, has your backing, commands respect and it is thoroughly put into practice, it should lead to better standards of healthand safety. Managers and employees will see the importance of the policy and will be encouraged to co-operate.

    The OIM shall ensure that all contractual obligations are satisfied as the Company Representative.

    In order to state this simply, the OIM must ensure that production targets are achieved.He must understand the work involved in the preparation of the budget for individual installations and the dayto day control of the budget. He must be aware of his signing authority limitations.The OIM must be aware of any sales agreements and gas nomination requirements and how to meet these. Heneeds to understand how these long term agreements are prioritized. These targets will have to be visualizedalongside any planned maintenance routines that have related impacts.

    In order to meet these long term obligations the OIM must be aware of the stable day to day operation of hisfacility, the forecast productivity of the asset reservoir against actual production, any unforeseen water

    breakthrough within the formation and how to control this and the careful monitoring and maintenance of allmetering facilities that provide reporting of the sales product.

    Productivity is related to Reservoir Engineering and Planned Maintenance routines.

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    Reservoir engineering monitors the down hole condition of the reservoir and gives guidance on which wellsshould be flowing at what rates to achieve a healthy and progressive exploitation of the field over the longestand most cost effective period.Planned maintenance routines are drawn from the company computerized maintenance management systemwhich takes information on routine maintenance periods from vendor projections or a planned inspection

    program. These routines may form a compliance program which could drive shut down activities.The OIM shall ensure compliance with all applicable legislation, guidelines, company policies and

    procedures.

    This is a large section, there is no avoiding that. It must be remembered that no individual countrys legislationis applicable to all regions of oil production. Individual oil companies may require their own corporate policiesto be implemented on their facilities within a country where the national legislation does not support these

    policies.Firstly, when building a facility it must meet certain standards.

    DESIGN OF AN INSTALLATION

    The duty holder shall ensure that the designs to which an installation is to be or in the event is constructed aresuch that, so far as is reasonably practicable-(a) It can withstand such forces acting on it as are reasonably foreseeable;(b) Its layout and configuration, including those of its plant, will not prejudice its integrity;(c) Fabrication, transportation, construction, commissioning, operation, modification, maintenance and repairof the installation may proceed without prejudicing its integrity;(d) It may be decommissioned and dismantled safely; and(e) In the event of reasonably foreseeable damage to the installation it will retain sufficient integrity to enableaction to be taken to safeguard the health and safety of persons on or near it.

    The duty holder shall ensure that an installation is composed of materials which are -

    (A) Suitable, having regard to the requirement of the above; and(B) so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficiently proof against or protected from anything liable to prejudiceits integrity.

    Operation of an installation

    (1) The duty holder shall ensure that the installation is not operated in such a way as may prejudice itsintegrity.(2) The duty holder shall ensure that the installation is not operated unless -(a) Appropriate limits within which it is to be operated; and(b) The environmental conditions in which it may safely operate have been recorded.(3) The duty holder shall ensure that a record of the matters described in paragraph (2) is kept on theinstallation, readily available to any person involved in its operation.(4) The duty holder shall ensure that the matters described in paragraph (2) are reviewed as often as may beappropriate.

    Maintenance of integrity

    (1) The duty holder shall ensure that suitable arrangements are in place for maintaining the integrity of theinstallation, including suitable arrangements for-(a) Periodic assessment of its integrity; and

    (b) The carrying out of remedial work in the event of damage or deterioration which may prejudice itsintegrity.

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    Organization of the installation

    1. The layout and configuration of an installation, including its plant, shall be such that risks to persons in it arereduced to the lowest level that is reasonably practicable.2. An installation shall be kept sufficiently clean, with any hazardous substances or deposits removed orcontrolled in order not to endanger the health and safety of persons on the installation.3. Arrangements shall exist for the collection at source and removal, in such a way that persons are not at risk,of harmful substances which could accumulate in the atmosphere.4. Workstations must be designed and constructed with a view to the safety and ease of action of persons atwork, taking into account the need for them to carry out activities there.

    Ventilation of enclosed workplaces5. A supply of fresh or purified air shall be maintained in enclosed workplaces which are sufficient, havingregard to the working methods used and the physical demands placed on the persons at work.6. If a mechanical ventilation system is used, it must be maintained in working order. Any breakdown must beindicated by a control system where this is necessary for the health of persons on the installation.7. If air-conditioning or mechanical ventilation systems are used they must operate in such a way that personsare not exposed to draughts which cause discomfort.8. Any deposit or dirt likely to create an immediate danger to the health of persons by polluting the atmospheremust be removed without delay.

    Room temperature

    9. During working hours, the temperature in enclosed workplaces must be reasonable, having regard to theworking methods being used and the physical demands placed on the persons at work.10. The temperature in rest areas, changing rooms, rooms containing facilities for washing, lavatories, mess-rooms, galleys and sick bays must be appropriate to the particular purpose of such areas.11. Sunlight let into workplaces via any window or skylight shall not be excessive, having regard to the natureof the work and the workplace.

    Floors, walls and ceilings of rooms

    12. The floors of workplaces must have no dangerous bumps, holes or slopes and must be fixed, stable and notmade of material which is or is liable to become slippery.13. Enclosed workplaces must be adequately insulated against heat, bearing in mind the type of undertakinginvolved and the physical activity of the persons at work.14. The surfaces of floors, walls and ceilings in rooms must be such that they can be cleaned or refurbished toan appropriate standard of hygiene.

    Transparent or translucent surfaces

    15. Every window or other transparent or translucent surface in a wall or partition and every transparent or

    translucent surface in a door or gate shall, where necessary for reasons o f health and safety -(a) Be of safety material or be protected against breakage of the transparent or translucent material; and

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    (b) Be appropriately marked or incorporate features so as, in either case, to make it apparent.Roofs

    16. Access to roofs made of materials of insufficient strength must not be permitted unless equipment is provided to ensure that the work can be carried out in a safe manner.17. Every workplace must be provided throughout with lighting capable of supplying illumination sufficient toensure the health and safety of persons therein.18. Workplaces must, as far as possible, receive sufficient natural light and be equipped, taking into accountclimatologically conditions, with artificial lighting adequate for the protection of safety and health.19. Lighting installations in workplaces and in passageways must be placed in such a way that the type oflighting does not present a risk of accident.20. Workplaces in which persons are especially exposes to risks in the event of failure of artificial lightingmust be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity.

    Windows and skylights

    21. Windows, skylights and ventilation devices which are meant to be opened, adjusted or secured must be

    designed so that these operations can be carried out safely. They must not be positioned so as to constitute ahazard when open.22. It must be possible to clean windows and skylights without undue risk.

    Doors and gates

    23. The position, number and dimensions of doors and gates, and the materials used in their construction shall be determined by reference to the nature of and use of the rooms or areas.24. Transparent doors must be appropriately marked at a conspicuous level.25. Swing doors and gates must be transparent or have see-through panels.26. Sliding doors must be fitted with a safety device to prevent them from being derailed and falling over

    unexpectedly.27. Doors and gates opening upwards must be fitted with a mechanism to secure them against falling backunexpectedly.28. Doors for pedestrians must be provided in the immediate vicinity of any gates intended essentially forvehicle traffic, unless it is safe for pedestrians to pass through; such doors must be clearly marked and left

    permanently unobstructed.29. Power-operated doors and gates must function without risk of accident to workers. They must be fitted witheasily identifiable and accessible emergency shutdown devices and, in the event of a power failure, it must be

    possible to operate them by hand.30. When chains or similar devices are used to prevent access at any place, these should be clearly visible andappropriately identified by signs denoting any prohibitions or warning.

    Traffic routes

    31. It must be possible to reach workplaces without danger and leave them quickly and safely in an emergency.32. Traffic routes must be sufficient in number, in suitable positions, and of sufficient size to ensure easy, safeand appropriate access for pedestrians or vehicles in such a way as not to endanger persons at work in thevicinity of these traffic routes, having regard to the number of potential users and the type of undertaking.33. If means of transport are used on traffic routes, a sufficient safety clearance must be provided for

    pedestrians.34. Sufficient clearance must be allowed between vehicle traffic routes and doors, gates, passages for

    pedestrians, corridors and staircases.35. Traffic routes must be clearly identified for the protection of persons.

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    Danger areas

    36. If the workplaces contain danger areas in which, owing to the nature of the work, there are risks includingthat of the worker or objects falling, the places must be equipped, as far as possible, with devices preventingunauthorised workers from entering those areas.

    Room dimensions and air space in rooms - freedom of movement in the workstation

    37. Enclosed workplaces must have sufficient surface area, height and air space to allow workers to performtheir work without risk to their safety, health or welfare.38. The dimensions of the unoccupied area at the workstation must allow workers sufficient freedom ofmovement and enable them to perform their work safely.

    Rest room39. Where the safety or health or workers, in particular because of the type of activity carried out, or the

    presence of more than a certain number of workers, so requires, workers must be provided with an easilyaccessible rest room.40. Paragraph 39 does not apply if the workers are employed in offices or similar workplaces providingequivalent during breaks.41. Rest rooms must be large enough and equipment with an adequate number of tables and seats with backsfor the number of workers.42. If working hours are regularly and frequently interrupted and there is no rest room, other rooms must be

    provided in which workers can stay during such interruptions, wherever this is required for the safety or health

    of workers.43. Appropriate measures should be taken for the protection of non-smokers in the rooms referred to in

    paragraphs 41 and 42 against discomfort caused by tobacco smoke.

    Outdoor workplaces

    44. Workstations, traffic routes and other areas outdoors which are used or occupied by the workers in thecourse of their work must be organised in such a way that pedestrians and vehicles can circulate safely.45. Workplaces outdoors must be adequately lit by artificial lighting if daylight is not adequate.46. When workers are employed at workstations outdoors, such workstations must as far as possible bearranged so that workers -(a) Are protected against inclement weather conditions and, if necessary, against falling objects;(b) Are not exposed to harmful noise levels;(c) Are able to leave their workstations swiftly in the event of danger or are able to be rapidly assisted; and(d) Cannot slip or fall.

    People with disabilities47. The arrangement of an installation shall take due account of the health, safety and welfare of any personswith disabilities who may work on it.

    Sanitary facilities

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    Noise and vibration of plant

    66. (1) Measures shall be taken to ensure that the exposure of a person on an installation to a risk to his healthor safety from noise or vibration of plant shall be prevented or, where that is not reasonably practicable,adequately controlled.(2) The measures required by sub-paragraph (1) shall, so far as is reasonably practicable, be measures otherthan the provision of personal protective equipment.

    Company procedure should compliment these guidelines wherever the facility is installed.Operating procedures should reflect the materials on board the facility and how these materials shall be used.These procedures are an amalgamation of industry best practice, vendor manuals and the practical experienceof relevant company engineers and technical authors. They shall refer to equipment that is actually on thefacility. They shall exactly identify this equipment and its position within the process. They shall containdrawings of the equipment and relevant cause and effects for the operation of this equipment. These proceduresshall leave the operations staff in no doubt as to how this equipment is to be utilized, that is, started, stopped,limits of operability, high and low parameters, trips and maintenance requirements.However it remains the responsibility of the facility OIM to formally accept these procedures as the relevantdocumentation whereby the facility processes will be operated.

    Corporate documentation exists at a level primarily above that of Operating Procedures and is relevant not onlyto individual installations and facilities but throughout the company organization. These are the means bywhich the Company state how they shall meet government guidelines and directives related to their core

    business of oil production. This documentation may have several titles and levels and include an over-ridingcompany policy statement, but will generally be in the form of a Health, Safety and EnvironmentalManagement System. Within this documentation can be found how the Company intends to deal withPollution, Waste Management, Providing a safe place of work and other necessities dictated by government

    legislation.

    HSE POLICYANY OIL COMPANY.

    HEALTH, SAFETY, AND ENVIRONMENT POLICY

    Our demonstrated ability to conduct our activities in a safe and environmentally responsible manner has direct bearing on our people, reputation, operational flexibility, and business success. Consequently, we will work toimprove our capacity in this regard, guided by the following high-level objectives:Provide Safe and Healthy Operations:

    We will strive for continuous improvement in creating a working environment where accidents will notoccur and in which employees, contractors, and the public are not exposed to health and safety hazards.We will achieve this through education, workforce engagement, and effective work planning andsupervision, with a focus on critical risks and behaviours.

    Reduce Our Environmental Impact: We will work to reduce the impact of our activities on the environment. We will achieve this througheducation, effective project planning and execution, careful waste management, and by using energyand other resources as efficiently as practicable.

    Respect the Interests of Neighbours and Other Stakeholders:

    We will communicate openly with those who may be affected by our activities, to promote mutualunderstanding and co-operation. We will participate actively with governments and other stakeholders

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    to resolve health, safety, and environmental issues associated with the Companys development plansand operations.

    Our corporate and regional policies, planning processes, and management systems will support the effectiveimplementation of these objectives across our global operations.We will maintain appropriate measurement and reporting systems to demonstrate our health, safety, andenvironmental performance to Company management, the Board of Directors, and our external stakeholders.Workplace health and safety and environmental protection are responsibilities shared by every member of theTalisman workforce. Our leaders create the capacity for effective individual performance through roleclarification, training, and competency verification, and they are expected to lead by example.

    John MacaroniPresident and Chief Executive OfficerAny Company.

    Plan and coordinate with the Superintendents all production and maintenance activities so as to achieve production targets.

    Where do production targets come from?These are the targets set by Production Managers in accord with Reservoir management teams based on atesting regime designed by them to ascertain the fields productivity index.These targets are modelled from information gained from well testing carried out on the installation and usingthe platform metering systems.These targets assume no down time. That is, these targets are set with the intention that all wells are fully open,flowing with no interference from other wells, there is no substantial change in water cuts and if the field is gasdeficient, that there are no compressor or related equipment, trips.

    Therefore, it can be assumed that these targets can be modified by planned maintenance or breakdown

    maintenance or water breakthrough or sand production.Actually, No.As I have said, these targets assume, no down time. These are targets that have been set to meet tankerallocations, when a tanker will arrive with empty tanks and leave with full tanks or with partially filled tanks toachieve a certain blend or; gas nominations when a country will start up a gas power station because it hasexperienced a weather change.

    Normally the platform shall strive to achieve maximum production, safely. Careful monitoring of equipment isrequired to reach this target. Planned maintenance and inspection may be deferred until a suitable plannedshutdown. Production targets do allow for planned shutdowns.Maintenance activities may be achieved successfully and production targets reached if the facility has a degreeof built in redundancy. By this I mean that to achieve a certain production target, the facility needs to generatea certain amount of injection/lift gas from the compressor trains. This amount of gas can be reached by twocompressor trains and the facility contains three compressor trains. It is quite possible to maintain the requiredamount of lift gas for the production wells from two compressors and carry out a rotating maintenance programon the standby machines.This whole dilemma tends to resemble a two edged sword, in that, the production targets will be related tosomeones KPIs. Key Performance Indicators. This is an incentive, related to a possibly monetary or status

    bonus and an invidious habit that nevertheless is seen in some quarters as good business.

    On the majority of installations operation and maintenance are irreducibly linked. One cannot hope to achievefull production without well maintained equipment. If equipment has reached such a run time that it requires to

    be shut down for the change out of operating parts and the next planned shutdown is in the distant future then acompromise on continuous production may have to be reached.

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    Having said this, it should be remembered that once equipment is shut down, every effort should be made tooptimize the maintenance program. All departments should be involved and all maintenance requirementsdrawn together.A thorough inspection of changed out parts by the company inspection department may, in some cases, allowfor the increase in periodic maintenance in accordance with results found. All results shall be referred to theCompany Computerized Maintenance System for any approved schedule changes.

    An example of a Computer Maintenance Management system.

    Ensure implementation of the Company Safety Management System, that is, compliance with legislation,company policies, standards and procedures and monitor compliance by all other personnel.

    Company Safety Management Systems are the means whereby Companies comply with government legislationthat has been developed through Acts of Parliament or State, Statutory Instruments and from Public Inquiriesthat may have been derived from Industry Incidents. It could be said that this is where we learn the hard way.

    Flixborough-England-July 1974, led to COMAH legislation.Seveso-Italy-July 1976, led to European Community legislation on dioxins.Bhopal-India-December 1984. The largest industrial disaster on record led to directives on corporateresponsibility.Piper Alpha-Scotland-July 1988. The public inquiry produced 106 recommendations for our industry.

    There are perfectly good reasons why you must wear the appropriate eye protection when using a cutting tool.For example.

    This equipment shall be provided by the company to the employee if he is required to carry out this task. It has been proved that wearing eye protection during this task will prevent injuries to the eyes. However, does thistask have to be carried out? Can the task be replaced by different equipment being used? Can the task beengineered differently? Can the procedure be changed?

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    However if it has been found that in order to carry out this task safely, the operator must wear eye protection,how can we ensure that the operator adheres to this requirement?It is workplace legislation.It is company policy.It is part of an operating procedure.It is highlighted on his Permit to Work and part of the Risk Assessment.He has been informed of its requirement in the Tool Box talk.There is appropriate signage at his workplace and throughout the installation.If there is adequate ventilation, at the job, he will not remove the eye protection because of misting.

    Legislation, company policies, standards and procedures are produced for the continuing safety and protectionof the working man/woman and ourselves.

    Promote a safety culture where all personnel have an understanding of the Operations procedures and Safetystudies and operate rigorously in accordance with them.

    1. Leadership. Senior management is committed to safety. They set the example by making safety a key partof all strategic planning efforts and know safety makes for smart business actions. Maintain a safety champion

    and an executive-level owner.

    2. Empowerment. All employees have the right and responsibility to stop work if they see an unsafe situation,even if it compromises timelines or budgets. From day one of joining the team safety is demonstrated by thecompany's leaders.

    3. Training. Safety training is required. New employees complete safety training within 30 days of beinghired. Through numerous training sessions, fairs, and luncheons at individual work sites throughout thecompany work-place accidents can be reduced. The fairs include demonstrations of safety equipment,discussion sessions and lectures on safety issues ranging from fall protection and scaffolding to hazops andwriting safety plans. All workers on the installation as well as in the office attend safety training fairs.

    4. Benchmarks and Goals. Goals and objectivessuch as zero accidents, no lost time, education/training, performance improvement, and attitude and commitmentare set and the team performance is tracked.

    5. Incentives. Recognition programs help to foster performance improvement and loyalty as well as increasethe quality of projects. Employees work hard to maintain a safe environment and they are recognized for theirefforts and results.

    Ensure strict implementation of the Permit to Work (PTW) system.

    A robust Permit to Work system is one of the prime recommendations of the Lord Cullen Public Inquiry intothe Piper Alpha disaster. A permit is not by itself permission to carry out work. The permit is an indication thatthe senior management on the installation have;

    Agreed that the work can be carried out within the restrictions and reservations indicated on the permit to work. By signature.

    Communicated to all related personnel that this work will be carried out at that time by that person. Indicated that the equipment to be worked on has been appropriately prepared with reference to operating

    procedures and that all hazards have been identified and precautions put in place. Ensured that all appropriate documentation relating to the work permit, drawings, vendors manual, risk

    assessment, chemical hazard sheets, job cards have been attached to the Permit. Allocated a time for the work to be carried out.

    Ensure that all possible escalation routes have been identified and alternate plans proposed.

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    All personnel shall be trained and tested in the Permit to Work system at the level appropriate to the individualcandidate and his position within the company. This must be seen as a statutory requirement by everyone,which shall be repeated at two yearly intervals. A Computer based training system is the best means ofcarrying out this requirement. The computer is impartial and it gives a ready reference for the checking of

    personnel who may feel that I did that only last year, I am still in date. Contract personnel will visit manyinstallations as part of their normal work cycle, they need to be reminded that this is the way that this companydoes work.

    A permit is a certificate that prescribes areas of hazard and precautions that need to be taken. It has to berelevant for all activities on the installation and all installations across the company. As such it will not meet allthese requirements. The system needs supporting documentation. First amongst this supporting documentationshall be a risk based job safety analysis wherein all hazards associated with the particular job are identified,

    perhaps from a historical reference, and precautions identified that shall be put in place/utilized. The permitshall refer to this JSA and this shall be used by senior management on the installation to ascertain that the

    proper consideration has been given by the participants to the safety of themselves, others on the installationand to the safety of the installation itself before, during and after the commencement of the proposed work.Further supporting documentation may include installation drawings wherein the exact position of the work totake place is highlighted, any isolations required are annotated, any draining and purging points, entry points,exit points and escape routes identified. The amount and type of supporting documentation can vary accordingto the activity planned, it must however, be sufficiently adequate and relevant that senior management are ableto make informed judgments regarding the approval or otherwise for the commencement of the work.

    Permit to Work audits are the means of ensuring that work is being carried out safely to the requirements of thePermit to Work system. A simple audit off ongoing work shall provide the assurance that personnel arefollowing the restrictions of the permit as designated by JSA and formalized by senior management in signingto approve the work. A monthly audit of completed permits shall ensure that the same standards of safety are

    being sought throughout the installation and by differing crews. An annual audit by onshore seniormanagement shall ensure that corporate policy is being followed by all installations and that a Safe System ofWork is in place.

    Ensure all documentation and certification is in order and up to date.

    It has long been the case that personnel are not allowed to travel offshore without having attained the requiredcertification to do so. The certification guarantees that the personnel have achieved a minimum standard ofcompetence in attendance at a pre-determined series of exercises run by an accreditation centre.

    It is also the case that equipment must be regularly tested, as fit for purpose and certified by accreditedspecialists. This applies significantly to all lifting equipment whether it is lifting gear, as in shackles, strops,containers, tanks or as lifting equipment as in cranes, fixed or travelling. Safety equipment requires regulartesting and maintenance. Life boats, life rafts, fire extinguishers and emergency generators are just some of the

    pieces of equipment that carries an annual or biennial certification requirement.HSE Case will specify how much and how many articles are required to meet identified hazards. For example,water based fire extinguishers in offices and CO2 extinguishers in switch rooms, where differing hazards have

    been identified. However, how many radio operators are required, and of what type, do you need a full timemedic if everyone is a trained first aider.

    These are not questions that require to be answered. You will employ a medic. He may also carry out the dutiesof the Helicopter Landing Officer, Document controller and HSE advisor but, you will employ a medic. This isa slightly disconcerting trend in multi-disciplining. It has also been seen in areas where the crane driver mayalso take the role of radio operator and HLO. This use of personnel can be proved to be erroneous, as in the

    case of emergency management, however it is so engrained into the management psyche now that onlylegislation will alter it.

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    Documentation, yes you will be required to keep all relevant installation Operating Procedures up to date. Thatmeans having a complete library available in hard copy. You will have read and approved all of thisdocumentation and signed for it. You will also have to let Document Control know that you have received allthis information by returning a signed copy of the delivery note.

    This information will be needed by the crew and the simplest way to do this is to update the computer folder onthe installation only drive. An e-mail around the departments will alert personnel to new or updated

    procedures. You will need to ensure that all previous revisions of documents are no longer available as only upto date procedures can be used to support Permit to Work.

    Document control as part of a document management system is driven from onshore. It shall provide the meansof disseminating legislation, policy, procedures and in some cases vendor manuals.

    The Company Computerized Maintenance System shall contain all the required information regarding regularcertification periods of equipment. This system will flag up the need to re-certify equipment as part of a

    planned maintenance routine. Some of the systems currently in use are Maximo and SAP. Installationtechnicians will not generally have the appropriate qualifications to re-certify equipment such as liftingequipment, fire extinguishers, life boats and other safety equipment. Specialist vendors will need to be

    contacted to carry out this certification.

    LEADERSHIP, DEMEANOR & PERSONALITY PROFILING

    Facilitate constructive working relationships with all personnel encouraging open communication, bothvertically and laterally.

    Traditionally leaders were either elected or fought for their position through conflict, the position of OIM is aleadership position it has since the Piper Alpha been a position of Authority & Responsibility, by definitionAuthority is a single voice this is not a democratic society we live in offshore, there has to be a strong structure

    which will not fail, a chain of command and report ability, especially relevant when dealing with emergencysituations offshore, Responsibility means you will be held accountable for the outcomes be then good or poor,having said that we need to ensure harmony amongst the personnel onboard, the best way to explain this is byusing a metaphor, the one I like to use is we must take on the position of the coach of a football team(mentoring position) years ago we were taught to be the captain of the team and physically play the game, it isvital now that we lead from the side line, getting the best from our team is by distancing our selves from themto the side line, the position of the coach still has you on the field but in a more commanding position capableof seeing the big picture and focus on all aspects of the game. We have effectively shared the authority to act

    but retained the responsibility for outcomes obtained. Let me ask you a simple question when did you lastattend a leadership course or program, for some of you never would be the answer, we tend to associate leaderswith personnel from the military, police or fire services, people who work under a rank system, from personalexperience each time I was up for promotion I had to be assessed within my chosen skill (profession) thenattend a leadership program which taught me how I must now react & report to those above me and below me,this course bore more weight than my skills exams, yet in the Oil & Gas industry as with many industries thereis no such leadership program available for managers as they take the giant leap from operator to supervisor

    I am not saying that ex-military or uniformed personnel make better leaders on the contrary they often make poor leaders, what I am saying is as a leader we must know how to delegate, motivate, & most importantlycommunicate. A good communicator will ultimately make a good leader, think about that a while, look atleaders of countries the ones who achieve the most are those who will listen and speak with authority, a strongleader can lead anyone. A good leader can develop a workable strategy and with applied tactics achieve asuitable outcome to any situation, the magic word that will link strategy (planning phase) with tactics (action

    phase) is communications, we are not looking for acceptance or every one to agree with our plan we are

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    looking that they understand why we are doing this way and what their part to play in the plan is, we can this justification.

    Leadership relies on getting things done in a climate of two-way communication and trust. True leadership

    develops ownership in the team and is empowered by directing individual energy towards the common goal.Support of the team by the leader is critical to the success of the teams performance. Team memberssupporting each other will work as a cohesive unit not individuals. The ethos of team support starts frommanagement to leader to team member. A leaders support of the team must be shown by deed and stated whenrequired.

    An effective leader will forge a close relationship between team members and themselves. An effective leaderwill foster an environment of continuous improvement that encourages individuals to perform at their best andstrive to be better. The greatest challenge to any leader is to understand what motivates a particular person. Aleader must aim to create an environment that challenges an individual and the team by establishing

    benchmarks. Once a benchmark has been met the leader must review the performance, provide feedback andestablish a new goal in agreement with the team.

    Effective leadership is recognized as being:

    Future orientated People focused Principle centered Achievement motivated

    An example of a good supervisor is someone that never assumes that his people know that they are doing agood or below average job. When people know that their Supervision or work colleagues will pick them up ontheir at risk behaviour they tend to monitor their behaviour and consequently change how they do things.

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    TRAINING & STANDARDS

    There are a number of courses each person must do before they can proceed offshore to work, many of thesesafety related courses stem from the lessons learnt in 1988 from the Piper Alpha disaster, along with themandatory safety training courses, each person is to be suitably trained and proficient in their trade be itcooking in the galley, erecting scaffolding for painters right through to managing the process machinery andequipment essential to refinement of the product, at the top of the training tree we have the OIM and hiscourses, once again we go back to the Piper Alpha and the identified need for OIM to hold a recognized levelof proficiency in leading teams during an emergency situation on an offshore facility, this course is commonlycalled the MOME (Management of Major Emergency) course where candidates are put through their paces indecision making, working under stressful situations, and planning, this is what Charlie and I have been doingfor most of the super major oil companies around the world for the past 8 years.

    Along with the mandatory safety training such as HUET, BOSIET, Fire Training and now OIM MOMEtraining we are seeing an increase in Legislative training awareness, this is a customized program for offshoremanagers to understand the legal framework of the area they are operating in, we have started conducting thesecourses recently, these programs have been in place in Europe for a number of years but as we are expandingout of Europe to other continents we are seeing legislation courses being developed and presented to managersoffshore they cover a wide range of subjects such as local environmental laws right through to loss of lifewhilst at work and the legal frame work of accountability, these have popped up after the incidents in Americaon onshore refiners were seen to be poorly managed by the onsite managers, it is a program to protect andensure the understanding of managers not to apportion blame, blame is a poor word for a consequence thatresults of a failure in either a system or a person. The following is an insight into some globally recognizedstandards and how they are conducted.

    He shall ensure that regular Emergency Response Drills are carried out in compliance with regulations.

    In 1991, the United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association produced a set of guidelines for offshoreemergency response training (UKOOA, 1991). It states that Offshore Installation Managers and their Deputiesshould:

    Have a good working knowledge of the installation operations. Be well versed in the installations emergency systems and procedures. Be aware, on a day to day basis, of particular operations and special circumstances approved under the permit

    to work system which may affect the ability of the installation to respond to emergencies.

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    Be trained and be able to assess and to control developing emergency situations with the objective of safeguarding personnel and the installation.

    Be able to act as coordinator between the installation and the onshore and offshore responses to the emergency.

    Be able to act as on scene commander where a serious incident occurs on a nearby installation.

    These guidelines are as relevant today as they were then, in the wake of the Piper Alpha enquiry. During theincident, personnel gathered in the accommodation because that is where they had been trained to expectassistance to arrive. Those who used their initiative generally survived those who didnt, do. Nobody ever toldIan MacIntosh (Radio Operator) that he could survive a jump from the helideck, 200 feet above the water. Infact it was perceived wisdom that he would not. (10 days later he was on the Claymore working for me).The regulations state that emergency response exercises shall be carried out every week. I do not consider amuster drill as an adequate emergency response exercise. Once a week is little enough time to spend on whatmay prove to be a life saving exercise. The installation management should generate a series of crediblescenarios that are relevant to their own installation. These scenarios should be carried out on a regular basis totest the response of teams, individual personnel and the understanding of installation alarms and shutdownsystems.

    The offshore oil industry has clearly accepted the recommendations made by Lord Cullen on the need toensure that their offshore managers are competent to handle emergencies. The development of a standard ofcompetence by OPITO on Controlling Emergencies for OIMs has provided a valuable focus for those taskedwith reviewing selection methods, improving training and establishing formal competence assessment

    programs.

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    There is still a need in some organizations to formalize and document procedures of selection and appraisal particularly with respect to emergency command responsibilities. Offshore training organizations andconsultants appear to be working with the industry to refine and develop both selection methods and the qualityof training provision.

    One of the difficulties of defining selection criteria and conducting training needs analysis for the OIM population as a whole is that they manage a wide range of installations with very different operationaldemands. It would seem entirely appropriate that the assessment of their competence to manage an emergencyis based on the type of emergency they are likely to have to manage, that is in relation to the safety case of a

    particular installation .

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    Simulations of emergency exercises can take one of the following formats: Simulations can be conducted offshore, usually orchestrated by external consultants presenting the control

    team members with an unseen emergency scenario. Onshore simulations can be conducted within purpose built premises, with high fidelity equipment to mirror an

    offshore control room or radio room, other key offshore locations, and communications equipment. Onshore table top scenarios are another form of exercise, often conducted in a number of rooms to represent

    different offshore locations, with telephones and portable radios to represent offshore communications

    systems. Onshore simulator: The purpose built simulator contained three rooms; a control room with white boards, telephone, radios, PA,

    platform alarms and fire and gas status information, a radio room with radios and telephones, and A fire team or response team leader's room. The control room is under video surveillance. The trainers can produce a platform alarm, power failure,

    communications breakdown, fire and gas information, sound effects and can control all equipment in the simulated control room.

    The offshore control team can be gathered together to role play their own, or others' offshore positions.

    The simulator can be based on a mythical fixed platform or a real installation, and the POB list, offshorecontact personnel and scenario can be organized to reflect the installation participants usually work on. Theexercise aims to enhance the following skills:Model making (being able to mirror in one's mind what is happening at the scene of the incident),

    Pre-planning skills, information gathering, planning, problem solving, decision-making, delegation, andCommunication skills.

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    The scenarios usually last for up to one hour, run in 'actual time elapsed' in scenario development. That is,although participants are asked to imagine a start time (e.g. 6 a.m.) time elapsed thereafter is at actual pace.After each exercise, a structured feedback session is conducted, with each of the main response groups

    providing constructive comment on other groups' behaviour .

    Onshore table-top:The table-top scenario was located in two separate rooms, with a written emergency scenario for participants to

    follow based on a real platform.Two offshore locations, the control room and scene of the incident were imitated by placing staff in twoseparate rooms. Portable radios and telephones imitated offshore communications systems. Participants werefaced with various unseen written scenarios ranging from a general work situation fire to a major offshore oiland gas emergency.Offshore scenarios were written to match the type of installation the participants worked on, but were not run

    in real time. The offshore control team role played their own and each others posts during theseScenarios. The exercise aimed to provide participants with knowledge of their company's emergency

    procedures, onshore support and the role of the emergency services, and decision making in stressfulsituations.There was no assessment of participants performance by the course trainers but feedback was provided.

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    Each type of scenario presentation has its own merits and weaknesses. The simulator is essentially generic butit can be purpose built to the specifications of a single installation; also it can be adapted for particularinstallations by using their station bills, telephone numbers and their emergency response procedures.It can also provide a convincing degree of realism in simulating the offshore environment which a table top

    presented scenario cannot do.A simulator also does not suffer from the distractions often present in hotel rooms or in the company officesand can therefore usually elicit more realistic responses from participants and generate a more stressfulatmosphere.An advantage of both types of onshore simulation is the opportunity to simulate major offshore emergencies(e.g. blowouts and explosions), and the degree of control the trainers have compared with an offshore location.What both types of onshore exercise lack is practice in using the equipment of the participants' installation, andany advancement of their knowledge of the installation and the responses of crew members apart from theemergency control team. It appears that there are probably merits in using both onshore and offshore exercisesto train OIMs in emergency command.

    The OIM shall ensure compliance with any obligations laid down in the Installation Collective Bargaining Agreement.

    This is a feature of the way that individual countries deal with offshore remuneration packages for theirworkforce. In some countries this will have been achieved through long discussion and possibly arbitration.This may involve how individuals are treated in the offshore environment. Hours worked and rest periods

    being taken into consideration. It may be necessary for the OIM to enter hours worked into the Installation LogBook. This is a function that will definitely vary with location.

    The OIM shall provide relevant reports to the Concession Owners representatives as per their requirements.

    Time is currency. Take time to ensure the information that you present to your company or client is correct.Far reaching decisions will be made based on the figures that are produced from your installation.I asked an OIM of an FPSO recently, why there were no off load meters on board the installation. He

    suggested that the tank dips and the figures from the shuttle tanker would be adequate. I must admit that I washorrified by this level of complacency.

    Today, levels of atmospheric emissions of vent gasses from toilets are monitored so that greenhouse gasemissions are more fully accounted for, for example.

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    In the oil industry there are many vested interests. As an OIM you are not only responsible for the personnel onyour installation you are also responsible to every single share holder in the company that pays your wages. Itis a very rare situation, world-wide, where a single company owns the oil in the ground, the facility producedto, the means of transportation, the refining capacity and the downstream sales outlet.Consider this, a mature oil production platform on the UKCS. Originally owned equally by 4 major companies.The platform is tied into a pipeline to onshore also shared by 4 other facilities one of which is also a partner.The operator decided to carry out some development drilling on a promising block nearby. He looks to theindustry for some venture capital to spread the financial risk. 5 small institutions risk some money in thisenterprise. The field is proven and several wells are developed and tied back to the mother platform. This is aseparate field and requires a facility built on the mother platform to process the hydrocarbon for shipment. It isa prolific find and extends the life of the mother platform considerably. One of the major shareholders decidesto sell out as there are some troubles at home and 10 new shareholders join the club. What do we have now?We have a facility that has a main partner owning about 25% of the production and many small companiesowning as little as 1% of production. In fact some of the small companies may only own the production fromcertain wells.

    Now tell me that you think you will rely on tank dips.As the senior manager on the installation you will know exactly how much your facility can produce on anygiven day. You will be confident that the numbers you divulge to partners will be correct, to two decimal

    places. Your metering will be correct and it will be checked on a regular basis. Your meters will be proved byusing meter provers. Variables that affect these meters shall be monitored and minimized as much as is

    practicable. Water cuts, the amount of water produced from individual wells shall be minimized by separationand disposal. Scale deposits, calcium carbonate from the formation dropped out when pressure drops areexperienced, shall be minimized by the addition of chemical scale inhibitors. Temperature, pressure, densityare all factors that influence meter accuracy. As such compensatory adjustment will be made for these factors.Monitoring of these factors really is the job for an accredited third party.I have already mentioned atmospheric emissions; this has much to do with your carbon footprint. If your poweris generated by thermal engines, not windmills, then you will know how much CO2 they produce when in use.What might not be so obvious is the amount of carbon emission from diesel tank vents for the emergency fire

    pump motors. Someone will require this information on a daily basis.How many people do you have on board? They all require to be fed and looked after. If everyone works for the

    parent company there is not a problem. Do you have contract staff on board? How many and how often? Istheir food and board part of your companys responsibility? Of course it is, but there must be trueaccountability for this. Part of your report.Downtime. There is no allowance within the production targets for downtime. Any planned maintenance thatrequires plant to be taken out of action, off-line, affecting production must be identified as deferred production.This will be acceptable to the specialists onshore who may only see the bottom line. Deferred production isidentified by some companies in one way and by other companies another way. There is no rhyme or reasonfor it but one company will consider oil that is not produced today as lost oil, whereas another company willsay that they can get the production back over an extended period. Find out your companies viewpoint and tryto adhere to it.All installations are subject to the annual shutdown, this may take place every six months or every two years orany period in between. This can be a bit of a head ache for the OIM. You will have lost one of your best menfor several months while he pulls together a shutdown plan with the beach bound planning team. All of those

    jobs that have been deferred to a suitable shut down time will be presented for inclusion. Vendors will putforward modifications to their equipment that must be carried out at this time. Installation modifications mayalso be planned for this period. All of this activity also puts enormous pressure on that most finite of resources,

    bed space. Make sure that part of the plan includes numbers required on the installation in excess of the normalworkforce.

    The future of how we record things and report to people is finally coming in line with how others do it ashoredue to our location and the challenges faced with getting to and from us we are seen as remote, however we

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    have seen the introduction of the VDR (Voyage Data Recorder) on marine vessels, this was initially to be a panic button concept but has evolved into more of a black box down loading vital data pertinent to location,movements, machinery and personnel data to authorities 24/7.

    I have personally designed and registered such a piece of equipment that does this and much more, but due tothe sometimes dinasouric nature of our industry it is too much too early, having said that I am seeing youngerOIM candidates come on line, these are the people who have grown up with using a laptop in school, I live bya famous quote, Simplicity is the art of making the Complex clear going further down the IT highway iswhere we are headed, I have enclosed some pictures of my software that is in use offshore now with some ofmy clients and working as a fit for purpose tool, the goal was to support managers in their processes not tohinder them in any way.

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    c. To demonstrate the positive approach to Safety Management Systemd. To identify accident trends.e. To determine the accident potential for major loss.f. To comply with Statutory Legal Requirements.

    2. ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION PHASES

    2.1 All accidents involving injuries to persons and damage to plant or equipment should be thoroughlyinvestigated so that immediate action can be taken to prevent recurrence. The following may be useful as aguide to the steps to be taken:2.2 The steps of an investigation are as follows:1. Initial Response.2. Establish Facts. 3. Analysis

    4. Short Term Preventive Action. 5. Recommendations.6. Reports. 2.2.1 It is items 2, 3 and 4 that we must concern ourselves with directly. These steps are the ones requiringknowledge and skill for their safe and successful execution.2.2.2 They are inevitably the responsibility of the managers and supervisors carrying out the work and theymust put themselves in a position where they can meet the very serious requirements of their responsibilities.This can only be done if Pre-planning is carried out by all concerned.2.3 Pre-Planning.2.3.1 It is true to say that the first actions in an Accident Investigation take place long before the accidentoccurs. This action is preparing for such an accident.

    Naturally, the company will have carried out the Statutory Risk Assessments and will have done everything to prevent accidents from happening. Nonetheless, mitigation is most important and being prepared is far betterthan attempting to get things right when under the pressures of a real emergency.2.3.2 We may be aware that the Government Enforcing Authority will be arriving and carrying out their owninvestigation. It may be Company Policy that a Head Office Team will carry out Accident Investigations . It isnonetheless vital that the people on the spot carry out those actions that will prevent re-occurrence in the shortterm. Provided we do not contaminate evidence or interfere with their activities, we are fully justified and wiseto conduct our own local investigation.2.3.3 The Manager responsible should establish sufficient Accident Investigation Teams. He should brief eachteam regarding the areas they may be required to carry out investigations in, should there be an accident there.These teams will need to train and rehearse their roles in the event of an accident.2.3.4 Ideally the teams should be made up of a Senior Supervisor from one Department, a less seniorSupervisor from another Department and say three Safety Representatives. The second Supervisor should havea nominated replacement in case the accident occurred in his own department.2.3.5 The Installation Manager should not head up the Investigation Team if at all possible. He should reservehimself for approving or otherwise the team's report and recommendations. After all, the accident will haveoccurred in his area of responsibility and he may not be totally objective during the analysis.2.3.6 For similar reasons, the Safety Advisor or Safety Officer should not be part of the Investigation Team. Heshould be available to give advice to the team and the Manager but should not be lost to the overallinvestigation by getting involved in the detail.2.3.7 Each team will normally be familiar with one another and with those Areas and Departments that they

    might be required to investigate in the event of an accident.

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    2.3.8 Any uncontrolled event is an accident. It may be called an incident in some circles, but if it was notintended then it was accidental. There is no such thing as an unimportant accident. The results of an accidentmay be classified as 'minor' but this in no way means that the accident itself is minor. The 'ripple effect' of anapparently minor accident may have serious consequences if not properly dealt with.E.g. the infection that started from an unreported minor cut may be able to lead to the amputation of a limb.2.3.9 The unreported accident becomes a 'time bomb' waiting to be detonated. The next time, this unimportantevent occurs, the consequences may be disastrous.Incidents, Near misses, Dangerous occurrences or any uncontrolled event is an opportunity. It is an opportunityto:a. Prevent re-occurrence and possible escalation.

    b. Train the Accident Investigation Teams in the various skills they must acquire.2.3.10 getting good at Accident Investigation needs effort and application. Senior Management should makethe resources available to allow these various incidents to be properly investigated. Doing this can change theculture of the work force. In studying Accident Investigation, people become aware of Accident Preventionwhich seems to occur more naturally.

    2.4 Initial Response2.4.1 Whenever an accident occurs, personnel in the vicinity will immediately respond in accordance with theirindividual training. If injury is involved, First Aid and the Medic, Nurse or Doctor will be summoned and theappropriate care administered.2.4.2 The danger is that what has just happened might escalate. So when the expression "secure the site" isused, it means four things:a. Attend to injured persons.

    b. Ensure isolation of equipment and safety of plant.c. Ensure that nothing is disturbed.d. Segregate witnesses to prevent collusion before they make their statements.2.4.3 At this point the Accident Investigation Team should be mobilized; with the plant shut down they will be

    aware that they are required. The team leader should take charge as soon as possible. The person in charge ofthe area should be aware that this is going to happen and hand over to him as appropriate and as soon as

    possible.2.5 Establish the Facts.2.5.1 Facts are established in many ways. It is important that those members of the Accident InvestigationTeam, employed to collect these facts achieve the following:a. Collect ALL the Facts.B. Ensure that those Facts collected are TRUE and not distorted or misleading.c. Do NOT allow themselves to leap to premature conclusions. This will prevent collection of ALL the facts.2.5.2 The methods employed to collect the facts include:a. Inspection of the Site. Photographs, Notes and Sketches.

    b. Interviewing Casualties, being discrete, but gathering as much information as possible.c. Interviewing eyewitnesses. Taking Statements for later analysis.d. Interviewing the Persons in Charge of the Area and the Operation.e. Collecting Samples if applicable.f. Recording Environmental Conditions including Weather, Temperature, Lighting, Surface Wetness,Slipperiness, and Humidity etc.2.5.3 Interviewing is a most important part of Fact Collection. It is very difficult to hit the ideal atmosphereespecially under the tensions that might prevail. The interviewer should consider two important factors:a. NOT to allow the interviewee to lead to an early conclusion.

    b. NOT to antagonise the witness but to be sympathetic and just Collect the Facts.

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    2.5.4 The Police inject one important factor. If a death has occurred, it may still be desirable for preliminaryinvestigation to be achieved by those responsible, but care should be taken not to contaminate evidence.Witnesses should be asked to write statements themselves, without the assistance of interviewers.When this "uncontaminated" statement is completed, it is perfectly all right to interview the witnesses and tofill in the gaps in a separate statement.3. INVESTIGATE PROMPTLY3.1 The sooner the investigation is started the better, provided it is safe to do so.Delay may lead to non-availability of vital witnesses. Witnesses may discuss evidence and be influenced byother interpretations.3.2 Engineers and managers will be anxious to find ways and means of repairing damage, but their first priorityshould be to establish the cause of the accident.Evidence may be disturbed or tampered with.3.3 Safety specialists and supervisors will be concerning themselves solely with the safety implications and

    preventing recurrence but if they do not know the cause they may enhance the risk of a similar accidenthappening.3.4 It is important that the investigation is properly supervised and organised.Extreme care must be taken not to disturb the workplace or machinery until the appropriate authority has given

    permission for the site to be disturbed. Failure to observe this might comprise a serious breach of the law.4. THE INJURED PERSON4.1 Certain basic facts about the injured person(s) have to be recorded. In addition to employer records, thefollowing details are required:a. Full name, sex and age of injured person.

    b. Company Employee Number and Department. b. His or her permanent address.c. Marital Status.d. Job Title or Normal occupation.e. Date and time of accident.f. Date and time of commencing and ceasing work.

    4.2 Interviewing the Injured Person.4.2.1 This should be an early priority; even the briefest description of the accident should suffice initially.4.2.2 The physical and mental state of the injured person will need to be considered and tact and patience may

    be required during the interview. The injured persons should be in a fit state to answer questions coherently.4.2.3 The patient should be encouraged to talk about how the accident happened and it is important that he hasconfidence and trust in the listener. Any hint of a "company cover up" or "self blame" must be strenuouslyavoided.4.2.4 Questioning should not take the form of an interrogation. Someone well known to the injured person islikely to be the best person to communicate with him.Do not be surprised if he did not see anything.5. INTERVIEWING WITNESSES5.1 Tact, patience and skill are required when interviewing. Witnesses should be interviewed as soon as

    possible after the incident, before they talk to others. They should not be isolated for more than five or sominutes before the interview starts. When people talk to others, or when they sleep, they edit theirMemories. Their recollections should be recorded before their memory changes.5.2 Witnesses should be interviewed separately and privately. The witness should be put at ease. If the witnesswishes to say anything or talk about any matter before notes are taken, they should be allowed to do so. Theinterviewer should select a setting that is comfortable to the witness. Walking through theFacility or the site of the incident can sometimes be satisfactory.5.3 There are many methods used when interviewing. Some like to use two interviewers, one conducting theinterview while the other takes notes. This is a bit heavy on resources, especially when there are a lot of

    interviewees and often causes the witness to be a little nervous. One on one is recommended along with the use

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    3. System Cause Human Error means the action or lack of action by an individual person which causes an accident. A humanerror is one where an individual carries out an action which directly causes himself or someone else to have anaccident. If a supervisor fails to tell a worker of a dangerous situation, even though theProcedure states that he should, and then it is possible that this is a human error.Physical Cause is the failure or change in a device, mechanism or component. Many people rate this as aSystem Failure, arguing that devices do not fail if they are subject to a competent maintenance program. This isan acceptable viewpoint but others now argue that complex parts like computers and electronic enginemanagement systems are known to fail despite careful maintenance. Further, it is essential that if there is a riskthat machinery will fail, it must fail safely and not cause further failures or accidents.System Failure includes the lack of or incorrect procedure, working system, training or supervision. This issometimes called a Management Failure.9.10 We have observed that over 80% of causes are due to Management, Physical or System failure and only20% are due to human error. This is an empirical statistic and has no scientific basis. Perhaps it could beargued that the System oversees all activities, so it is more likely that it will be involved in moreErrors than the individuals who carry out the tasks. In our analysis, we must look for ALL causes of theaccident and it is quite likely that we may find all three failures9.11 Ultimately, we are looking to discover the ROOT Causes of the accident.These Root Causes are the ones which underlie all of the more obvious System Failures and if corrected would

    prevent the accident from occurring.There are root Causes of Human Error and they are quite numerous, they include Personal Distress, Conflict,Tiredness, ill Health, and many more.Careful thought should be given before they are included in an Accident Report because they are personal andinevitably will result in blame being allocated, which is not our objective.

    10. ACCIDENT REPORTING. 10.1 Accident report forms may differ from company to company, but the information required on the form isfairly standard. Experience indicates that certain facts need to be established in every accident investigation,

    therefore every report will show:a. Who had the accident?

    b. Where and when did the accident happen?c. What were the direct causes?d. What were the underlying causes?e. How were the direct and underlying causes permitted?f. How can a similar accident be prevented?

    10.2 Apart from the Company Accident Investigation Report there is likely to be a statutory requirement tomake a report to the Governmental Agency through their reporting system.10.3 Company Policy plays a large part in this matter. Some companies insist that the experts at Head Officefill in all the forms. This may be welcomed at the site. It is nonetheless of value if a copy of the written reportand related material is retained at site.10.4 When the Report is written, it will be checked, usually by the Safety Advisor and then signed by theInstallation Manager. They should check that the following are adequately addressed:

    a. Description of the Accident. b. Potential consequences of the Accident.c. Primary Cause(s)d. Secondary Cause(s)E. Immediate Remedial Actions taken.f. Appropriate changes to prevent recurrence.

    10.5 Within the body of the report there should be contained:

    a. A summary of events. b. Evidence gained during the investigation.

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    c. Losses or Injuries resulting from the accident.d. Conclusions.e. Recommendations.F. Witnesses Statements.g. Other Supporting Material.

    It is worth recommending that there is a school of thought that ascribes that the Accident Investigation Teamshould not make any recommendations regarding Corrective Action. They say that this is like telling Linemanagement how to do their jobs. They say that the Team's job is to discover inadequacies and failures and to

    bring these to the notice of Management. The Investigation Team need not possess the in depth technicalknowledge to make long term corrections, neither will the Safety Officer. Management should be left to puttheir own house in order.

    ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

    Thorough understanding of the relevant requirements of the offshore Health Safety and Environmentallegislation of that country with regard to official and industry guidelines concerning Waste Management andPollution Prevention.

    Until fairly recently, not a great deal of attention was paid concerning the effects of pollution caused byExploration and development of the oil industry throughout the oil provinces across the world.From 1988 until 2005 there had been a declining trend in the amount of oil recorded as spilled into the seas. Notwithstanding the very recent events in the Gulf of Mexico: there is a changed climate and a much morerigorous approach is adopted to environmental matters now. Much of the recent legal developments have comeabout through International Conventions leading in turn to new environmental regulations in many areas.In 1982 the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) set out a duty on states to ensure the

    protection and preservation of the marine environment. Pollution from installations and associated hardwarewas specifically addressed. There had already been Conventions related to discharges from ships and which included installations,

    MARPOL 1973 being the most notable, in that rules applicable to ships of over 400 tonnes also applied toinstallations and required the keeping of oil record books and prohibited the discharge of oil or oily mixturesinto the sea.The International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC) 1990requires installations to have approved emergency plans, developed in coordination with the states emergency

    plans.The bulk of detailed regulations, although much influenced by these Conventions, come about through nationalregulations. These are coupled with a government licensing regime using powers contained within local acts and by the use of these two mechanisms, Regulations and Licenses, environmental aspects are addressed.With reference to the Regulations in place some of the requirements that will be submitted for consideration

    prior to any exploration or production shall be:a) A statement of general environment policy

    b) A summary of the management system for implementing the policyc) How the management system will be applied to the proposed work program.

    Oil spill emergency plans.

    This plan must reflect the results of a risk assessment of any possible spill. There can be a joint plan covering pipe lines and groups of installations provided the individual action plan for each installation is clearlyidentified.For new facilities the plan must be produced, at least, 2 months before the facility comes into being, or before

    activities start on the installation.

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    Review and resubmission is required every 5 years, or, where a major change occurs, amendment orsubmission of a new plan within 2 months of the change becoming known.Every person in charge of an installation or pipeline must report any oil spill to (the relevant authority)

    Environmental Assessment.

    A license may be required and can only be granted following the full assessment where the operationscomprise--a) The start or restart of drilling at a well.

    b) The extraction of petroleum if more than 500 tonnes per day or 500,000 metres of gas, or,c) The construction of any structure for the extraction of petroleum.

    Prior consent is also required for a mobile being intended for the same use.

    No consent will generally be granted for a relevant project without an environmental statement containing

    the results of an assessment unless the designated authority decides that the project would not be likely to havea significant effect on the environment.The Designated Authority cannot give a direction for the non- production of an environmental statement wherethe project is for---a) Taking more than 500 tonnes or 500,000 cu metres of oil and gas respectively otherwise than in the courseof the drilling or testing of any well

    b) to the erection of any structure in relation to the scale of the above activities or the construction of a pipelineof 40 km or more and a dia of 800 mm or morec) Or another member state wishes to participate in the procedure in terms of related regulations.

    There are other detailed requirements which need not be examined here.

    Although an environmental statement is not specifically asked for decommissioning any likely effect on theenvironment should be examined in the statement previously submitted.

    An environmental statement must include at least the matters referred to previously.On receipt of the statement the appropriate environmental departments must then be notified by the DesignatedAuthority and other actions need to be taken by him.

    Consent may be refused where there is no comprehensive externally viable Environmental ManagementSystem.Discharge of oilPrimarily this will be the affect of oil discharge from installations.Certain legislation shall apply to discharges into territorial etc waters and discharges into d