Health and Safety Report 2019

HEALTH & SAFETY REPORT 2019

1. Foreword

W elcome to OGUK’s 2019 Health & Safety Report , which provides an overview of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) offshore oil and gas industry’s health and safety performance in 2018, as well as a summary of the work undertaken by various OGUK groups to continuously improve performance and protect the people who work in our industry. In last year’s report, OGUK highlighted the concerns raised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about industry’s hydrocarbon release record and described the actions initiated to ensure that these concerns were addressed. At the time, it was acknowledged that while the overall trend was of improvement, the number of major releases had plateaued to around two per year. In 2018, the number of confirmed major releases increased to four; if left unaddressed, this situation could change from progress stalled to progress reversed. Industry is addressing this problem. OGUK’s plan defines clear next steps to ensure that preventing hydrocarbon releases remains at the top of the agenda, including industry endorsement of a set of principles in process safety leadership. This report details the actions industry has taken and those planned for the coming months, along with a description of the intense cross-industry collaboration and co-operation in reducing hydrocarbon releases. 2018 was the second consecutive year without a fatality and the longer-term rolling reportable non-fatal injury rate continues to fall. Although 2018 remains one of the best periods on record for personal safety, the over- seven-day and specified injury rates both, however, saw year-on-year increases. Across UKCS helicopter operations, the fatal accident rate per 100,000 flying hours dropped to zero for the first time since 2001, and the all-accident rate halved, falling to 0.26. These are welcome results and reflect the amount of work being undertaken in the areas of operational effectiveness, reliability and the introduction of new technology and equipment. OGUK’s Aviation Seminar brought together industry aviation experts including helicopter operators, oil and gas operators, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and many others. The keynote address by the Civil Aviation Authority’s group director for safety and airspace regulation stated that North Sea helicopter operations benefited from some of the highest professional standards anywhere in the world. As well as safety, OGUK members work to ensure that the health of the workforce is maintained or improved, and this year mental health and wellbeing has been a priority area. A review of good practice, based on a survey of members, showed that industry is making progress in providing employment conditions conducive to health and wellbeing. The number of medical evacuations occurring offshore has seen a small increase, although it is unclear what the underlying causes for this might be. In this regard, OGUK is undertaking a detailed review and update of its medical examination guidelines to reflect current thinking and practice. The aim is to ensure that stakeholders have greater confidence in the general level of fitness in the offshore workforce and that a consistent approach is adopted by industry.

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