Wireline Issue 48 - Summer 2020

Above: GE Group prepare new routines for safe return to work, including socially distanced fire drills, temperature checks, and a Return to Work equipment pack for staff.

to support the preventative measures. These packs, combined with both daily self-declaration forms and temperature checks, are among the adaptations GEG and others have initiated into working practices. For much of the energy sector, the focus for the foreseeable future will now turn to safety and sustainability. While the past few months have seen many projects and work scopes shelved, some have accelerated — not least the roll out and adoption of new ways of working and collaborating remotely (see more on page 38). With many now seeing the benefits of these technologies, business may feel empowered to stick with the changes, or become even greater adopters. It has also seen business and their staff engage with their communities in ways they may never have considered before, both locally and nationally.Whether that has been seen in donations, volunteering time, or simply providing greater flexibility with regards to caring for children or family, the hope is that this too might continue. Certainly, plenty of hard work and hard decisions lie ahead. However, as the outlook stabilises, all should strive to ensure that the industry that emerges from lockdown has learnt from this period and stands more ready than ever to embrace new technologies, new strategies for transition and a brighter future.

management techniques like mindfulness. For other staff, the downtime of lockdown could be an opportunity to consolidate skills and learning. Training provider MINTRA Group has made a suite of its oil and gas e-learning courses available for free to workers who have been made redundant or furloughed. Available via Training Portal, the material includes 10 hours of online learning for energy sector workers, and 90 days free access to 15 of its most popular health, safety and environmental compliance courses used regularly by energy sector employers. Users can register and access courses at trainingportal.com/ skilledworkers. Looking to the future At the time of writing in early June, much of the UK is moving cautiously towards reopening many shuttered businesses and services. Although the threat of the virus remains, some public buildings, schools and businesses have established new routines such as one- way systems or social distancing measures to allow staff and clients to return. In the case of companies like GEG, that has included an e-learning module for all staff which now forms part of new mandatory safety procedures, as well as a Return to Work pack containing a range of items

w ire lin e | S u mm e r 2 02 0 | 3 1