>VQ R

Kim proves tobe passionateabout safetyP4

TRANSPORTCONCERNSUnions joinforces toreassureworkers P2

WorkforceengagementHow the workforce could bethe most efficient safetybarrier a firm hasFull story, page 2

Shock tacticswhen comingback to workafter a breakP7

TEA SHACK NEWSNEWS ITEMS • STORIES • INFORMATION • YOUR WORDS • QUIZ

Issue 13, April 2017

Minor incidents canlead to major accidents

• Do you always assume someone else hasreported a minor defect?

• Don’t ignore it, report it• Make sure any reported defects by others are

respected and recognised• Try changing your route as you walk through

your plant to see it from a different angle• Talk to others about any concerns and report it

SAFETY MOMENT

Find out more at:www.stepchangeinsafety.net/safer-conversations/safety-alerts

#playyourpart

A corroded tank, apuddle, a vibratingpipe - did anyone

report it?

Issue 13 | April 20172 April 2017 | Issue 13 www.stepchangeinsafety.net/tsn www.stepchangeinsafety.net/tsn 3

Workforce Engagement – Want or Need?It’s a phrase we hear on a regular basis –but what does it mean?

Transport gives cause for concernAs investigations continue into safety improvements tothe EC225 helicopter, unions join forces to ensure thereis no return to service until assurances have been made

Two decades of positive impactsStep Change in Safety celebrates 20 yearsof collaboration to improve safety in UKCS

Les Linklater, executive director, Step Change in Safety

RecentlytheOffshoreHelicopterSafetyLeadershipGroupmet with the CAA and Airbus to discuss advances in theongoing internal investigations into the improvementsbeing made to the EC225 helicopter type.

At Unite the Union and RMT we are acutely aware ofthe ongoing concerns and the lack of confidence the ladsand lassies offshore have in helicopters, not only theEC225s.

As we listened to Airbus and EASA discussingfindings and ongoing work into gearbox types and thefact they are looking to raise the safety standard inhelicopter flight globally – not just fix the problem iden-tifiedafter the interimAAIBreports–wecouldn’thelpbutthink “we’ve been here before, you told us it was safebefore”.

The fact we have had this aircraft type in the sea sixtimessince2009with the lossofmore than30 livesmakesany proposal for a return to service extremely difficult andwill cause considerable concern for workers.

If investigationscontinueandwehavenocertaintyovera root cause, added to the concept of additional checks,which involve intrusive maintenance, any idea of a return

to service becomes an even greater concern to offshoreworkers.

Helicopters remain the highest concern for the offshoreworkforce and we are incredibly aware of that. With thatinmindwewill continue toshowoursupport to thework-force and will not support any return to service until asafety case has been delivered and we feel it is appropriateto do so.

The 20th anniversary is an ideal oppor-tunity to share what Step Change in Safetyhas achieved, its positive impact on the in-dustry, and future plans.

Since 1997, the organisation has workedhard to bring together operators and con-tractors, trade unions, regulators and theonshore and offshore workforce to achieveone important goal – im-prove safety and effectchange in our industrythrough collaboration.

A series of new initia-tives, guidance, tools andevents have been devel-oped and implemented toenhance safety for those onthe frontline of our indus-try. Regardless of the eco-nomic environment and wider challengesthis has been achieved year on year.

Some of the most significant safety-crit-ical initiatives include the introduction ofthe Category-A EBS breathing system in2014 followed by the Common Clothingpolicy and Passenger Size restrictions in2015,whichwasdoneincollaborationwithRobert Gordon University, Oil & Gas UKand SCiS’s Helicopter Safety SteeringGroup (HSSG).

Most recently SCiS’s Asset IntegritySteering Group and the Major AccidentHazard Understanding workgroup

launched Major Accident Hazard (MAH)training aimed to help onshore staff recog-nise their role in making the offshore en-vironment safe.

In addition there was the roll-out of theSafe Working Essentials Tool, the stan-dardisation of common processes – Tool-box Talks, Dynamic Risk Assessment and

O b s e r v a t i o n C a r d s .Through widespreadworkforce engagementand a successful trialphase, the working tool,which is designed to im-prove safety and produc-tivity, is now being deliv-ered across 30 sites.

Les Linklater, executivedirector, said: “It’s an hon-

our to be part of Step Change in Safety asit marks this milestone. We begin our 20thyear in a strong position from the effectivecollaborative working across the industrythroughout the years, not only through theintroduction of initiatives, but the ongoingcommitment from our members who con-tinually demonstrate that safety is at thecore of everything we do.

“Despite challenging times, I’m proud ofwhathasbeenachievedandhavegreatcon-fidence in the future in continuing to worktogether to reach our number one goal ofimproving safety across our industry.”

“Ourmembersdemonstratesafety isatthecore”

Investigations are ongoing into improvements tothe EC225 helicopter

A fully engaged workforce is one of themosteffective safetybarriersagainst in-cidents and accidents for an organisa-tion to have. In practical terms, thismeans creating a workforce culture inwhich everyone feels able to activelyparticipate and free to challenge. As anindustry,wehave improvedgreatly, cre-ating good processes and managingplant conditions but getting the work-force fully involved is the key to makinga real step forward in safety perfor-mance.

Toooften is itassumedthat ‘we’knowwhat the workforce wants, and whenthe workforce is ‘engaged with’ they areconcerned it is a test, something to befeared or even something which couldmean the difference between keepingand losing a job. Well, assumption is al-most certainly the mother of all mis-takes. To assume we know what tens ofthousands of workers in the North Seawant, know or feel would be naive atbest. To assume there is one singularoption, is just completely insane! If youwant to know what the workforcethink, then ask them!

‘Workforce Engagement: a practicalguide’ is part of a toolbox which directsorganisations through a process of do-ing just that. It sets out to positively im-prove engagement behaviours (visibil-ity, communication, involvement,support, challengeandparticipation)atthe worksite.

A continuous improvement cycle ofcreating a desire for change, identifyingstrengths and areas for improvement,

preparing and implementing an actionplan and reviewing the process is out-lined.

Executive director of Step Change inSafety Les Linklater said: “We are soconcerned with ‘engaging’ with theworkforce we can almost forget aboutthe workforce. Time and time again I’mtold theworkforce isn’t engagedandthereality is, it is engaged – you just have tolisten and do something with what youhear. Making assumptions and presum-ing to know what the workforce wantswill only do two things; disengagementand a loss of trust – both incredibly im-portant in communication.”

So why not ask the workforce for itsopinion,andreally listen?Theworkforceengagement online survey maps eachworksite to a maturity model for each ofthe behaviours and benchmarks eachsite against an industry average. Theseresults can be used to identify areas forimprovementandhelpbuildaHSEplanto improve workforce engagement.

The toolkit’s purpose is to provide aframework on which to build, assessand improve, through positive actions,the level of workforce engagement on asite-by-site basis.

The workforce can obviously be con-cerned about why the survey was beingcarriedout.Wasitaploytofindoutwhowas working properly? Was it going toget people into trouble? The answer is –No. It’s completely anonymous and wasdeveloped in partnership with theHealth and Safety Executive and theTrades Unions.

The purpose of the survey is to listento what is being discussed and talkedabout at the coal face regarding safety.It’s a way for the decision-makers togauge and take note of what are con-sidered the real issues for the peopleand how any issues can be improvedupon. Its gets everyone on the samepage!

Beyondthe initial fearsas towhat thesurvey would result in, people weresceptical of how the survey would im-pact their day-to-day life. Would thesurvey really make a difference? Was itanother box-ticking exercise, would thechange happen?

The member organisations of StepChange in Safety which carried out thesurvey found it incredibly beneficialand real changes are being made to im-prove engagement and drive effi-ciency.

HSEQS and Aviation Assets managerAlan Easton, of Total, said the organ-isation introduced the survey to thecompany’s workforce through its Lon-don office. Alan said: “The timing wasperfect as it coincided with the launchof a project to improve the safety cul-ture within the downstream area of To-tal UK.”

Initially they needed to under-standwhatthesafetyculturewas

in the organisation. Headded: “We chose to ad-dress the whole safety cul-ture through targetingworkforce engagementacross our entire organisa-tion,about175peopleacrossthree main locations andhome-based.

“Executive director of Step Change inSafety Les Linklater was happy for us tobe the first downstream organisation touse the workforce engagement surveytool. We found the survey hugely ben-eficial.

“The first thing that impressed uswas the way in which we analyse theresults for each location (includinghome-based workers) separately butthenalsoanalysethecollectiveTotalUKresult. This gave us the opportunity tocompare and contrast the level of en-gagement at each location, rather thanperhaps just end up with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.

“The second impressive thing wasthat the description of attitude and cul-ture at each location very accuratelyreplicated what we believed throughsite visits.”

Alan added that the employeesthroughout the organisation recog-nised the importance of the survey, inorder to improve safety and engage-ment. He said: “We received more thana 90% response rate. Before the launchseveral employees expressed concern atthe thought of their responses being as-sessed by psychologist, but the ability to

recognise each location in the resultssoon quashed any concerns they mayhave had.”

The organisation learned significantlessons. Alan added: “The biggest les-son from the original survey was therealisation via the analysis that man-agement ‘imposed’safetyfromabove, ina prescriptive manner. Turning that onitsheadandworkingcloselywithteamssuch as the site safety committees to de-velop their ideas into safety culture andengagement-related projects resultedinbetterbuy-inandownership,andun-doubtedly we had better results.”

Total Downstream are on an im-provement journey and have alreadyseen their engagement maturity go upacross their worksites. They continue touse the tool and look for good practiceto help them make further improve-ments.

In an industry that is under pressureand a workforce that is rightly con-cerned about the future, surveys like theWEST one are invaluable for both com-pany and employees, in creating a com-mon understanding of the opportuni-ties. Learning from one another andsharing experiences and concerns will

improve safety efficiency anddrive efficacy, while the work-ers will feel motivated, valuedand will put their trust in anorganisation which reallydoes listen.● The WEST survey is avail-able to members of StepChange in Safety. For moreinformation, please contactw e s t @ s t e p c h a n g e i n-safety.net

Tea Shack News is produced by Step Change in Safety –a not-for-profit tripartite organisation involving the unions,regulators and industry. It aims to share industry good practiceand information to help oil and gas industry workers do theirjobs safer. All resources and events are available free to itsmembers.

We’d love to hear your news and stories.Here’s how you can contact us:

www.stepchangeinsafety.net/tsn

[email protected]

#playyourpartRead thepublicationonline

DID YOUKNOW...Simplification’s Safe WorkingEssentials booklet usesFSC papers, which means itis sourced from responsiblymaintained and sustainableforests. It also uses materialsthat are biodegradable and notharmful to the environment.

The design work was by a socialenterprise - Foyer Graphics -a creative design studio whichinvests its profits in AberdeenFoyer - an organisation which workwith people who have been homeless,at risk, or unemployed, to overcomebarriers and make major changes intheir lives.

SIMPLIFICATION

OBS TBT

DRA

SAFE

WORKING

ESSENTIALS

Protecting theEnvironment✓ ✓Giving back to

our communityProtecting theWorkforce✓

Contributors: Charlotte Westwell (Step Change in Safety)Gillian Simpson (Step Change in Safety)Les Linklater (Step Change in Safety)Emma Robertson (Step Change in Safety)Shane Gorman (Step Change in Safety)Emily Taylor (Step Change in Safety)Bob Egan (HSE)Alix Thom (Oil & Gas UK)Jake Molloy (RMT Union)Kimberley Watts (Centrica)Chris Flint (HSE)

6 Rubislaw Terrace LaneAberdeen AB10 1XF

T 01224 562865E [email protected] foyergraphics.com

Foyer Graphics is proud to be working with Step Change in Safety.

We are an experienced design team with competitive rates

and ethical values > our profits support a local charity.

Adesignstudiowithmorebeneaththesurface...

#creatingadifference

Digital/WebWeb styling/skinsInteractive PDFsE-brochuresE-flyersEmail signaturesAnimated GIFs

Designfor PrintPosters, leafletsBrochuresStationeryAnnual reportsNewslettersAdvertsPull up bannersInfographics

Brand/LogoLogo designBrand guidelinesBrand refreshIcon design


Workforce Engagement – Want or Need?It’s a phrase we hear on a regular basis –but what does it mean?

Transport gives cause for concernAs investigations continue into safety improvements tothe EC225 helicopter, unions join forces to ensure thereis no return to service until assurances have been made

Two decades of positive impactsStep Change in Safety celebrates 20 yearsof collaboration to improve safety in UKCS

Les Linklater, executive director, Step Change in Safety

RecentlytheOffshoreHelicopterSafetyLeadershipGroupmet with the CAA and Airbus to discuss advances in theongoing internal investigations into the improvementsbeing made to the EC225 helicopter type.

At Unite the Union and RMT we are acutely aware ofthe ongoing concerns and the lack of confidence the ladsand lassies offshore have in helicopters, not only theEC225s.

As we listened to Airbus and EASA discussingfindings and ongoing work into gearbox types and thefact they are looking to raise the safety standard inhelicopter flight globally – not just fix the problem iden-tifiedafter the interimAAIBreports–wecouldn’thelpbutthink “we’ve been here before, you told us it was safebefore”.

The fact we have had this aircraft type in the sea sixtimessince2009with the lossofmore than30 livesmakesany proposal for a return to service extremely difficult andwill cause considerable concern for workers.

If investigationscontinueandwehavenocertaintyovera root cause, added to the concept of additional checks,which involve intrusive maintenance, any idea of a return

to service becomes an even greater concern to offshoreworkers.

Helicopters remain the highest concern for the offshoreworkforce and we are incredibly aware of that. With thatinmindwewill continue toshowoursupport to thework-force and will not support any return to service until asafety case has been delivered and we feel it is appropriateto do so.

The 20th anniversary is an ideal oppor-tunity to share what Step Change in Safetyhas achieved, its positive impact on the in-dustry, and future plans.

Since 1997, the organisation has workedhard to bring together operators and con-tractors, trade unions, regulators and theonshore and offshore workforce to achieveone important goal – im-prove safety and effectchange in our industrythrough collaboration.

A series of new initia-tives, guidance, tools andevents have been devel-oped and implemented toenhance safety for those onthe frontline of our indus-try. Regardless of the eco-nomic environment and wider challengesthis has been achieved year on year.

Some of the most significant safety-crit-ical initiatives include the introduction ofthe Category-A EBS breathing system in2014 followed by the Common Clothingpolicy and Passenger Size restrictions in2015,whichwasdoneincollaborationwithRobert Gordon University, Oil & Gas UKand SCiS’s Helicopter Safety SteeringGroup (HSSG).

Most recently SCiS’s Asset IntegritySteering Group and the Major AccidentHazard Understanding workgroup

launched Major Accident Hazard (MAH)training aimed to help onshore staff recog-nise their role in making the offshore en-vironment safe.

In addition there was the roll-out of theSafe Working Essentials Tool, the stan-dardisation of common processes – Tool-box Talks, Dynamic Risk Assessment and

O b s e r v a t i o n C a r d s .Through widespreadworkforce engagementand a successful trialphase, the working tool,which is designed to im-prove safety and produc-tivity, is now being deliv-ered across 30 sites.

Les Linklater, executivedirector, said: “It’s an hon-

our to be part of Step Change in Safety asit marks this milestone. We begin our 20thyear in a strong position from the effectivecollaborative working across the industrythroughout the years, not only through theintroduction of initiatives, but the ongoingcommitment from our members who con-tinually demonstrate that safety is at thecore of everything we do.

“Despite challenging times, I’m proud ofwhathasbeenachievedandhavegreatcon-fidence in the future in continuing to worktogether to reach our number one goal ofimproving safety across our industry.”

“Ourmembersdemonstratesafety isatthecore”

Investigations are ongoing into improvements tothe EC225 helicopter

A fully engaged workforce is one of themosteffective safetybarriersagainst in-cidents and accidents for an organisa-tion to have. In practical terms, thismeans creating a workforce culture inwhich everyone feels able to activelyparticipate and free to challenge. As anindustry,wehave improvedgreatly, cre-ating good processes and managingplant conditions but getting the work-force fully involved is the key to makinga real step forward in safety perfor-mance.

Toooften is itassumedthat ‘we’knowwhat the workforce wants, and whenthe workforce is ‘engaged with’ they areconcerned it is a test, something to befeared or even something which couldmean the difference between keepingand losing a job. Well, assumption is al-most certainly the mother of all mis-takes. To assume we know what tens ofthousands of workers in the North Seawant, know or feel would be naive atbest. To assume there is one singularoption, is just completely insane! If youwant to know what the workforcethink, then ask them!

‘Workforce Engagement: a practicalguide’ is part of a toolbox which directsorganisations through a process of do-ing just that. It sets out to positively im-prove engagement behaviours (visibil-ity, communication, involvement,support, challengeandparticipation)atthe worksite.

A continuous improvement cycle ofcreating a desire for change, identifyingstrengths and areas for improvement,

preparing and implementing an actionplan and reviewing the process is out-lined.

Executive director of Step Change inSafety Les Linklater said: “We are soconcerned with ‘engaging’ with theworkforce we can almost forget aboutthe workforce. Time and time again I’mtold theworkforce isn’t engagedandthereality is, it is engaged – you just have tolisten and do something with what youhear. Making assumptions and presum-ing to know what the workforce wantswill only do two things; disengagementand a loss of trust – both incredibly im-portant in communication.”

So why not ask the workforce for itsopinion,andreally listen?Theworkforceengagement online survey maps eachworksite to a maturity model for each ofthe behaviours and benchmarks eachsite against an industry average. Theseresults can be used to identify areas forimprovementandhelpbuildaHSEplanto improve workforce engagement.

The toolkit’s purpose is to provide aframework on which to build, assessand improve, through positive actions,the level of workforce engagement on asite-by-site basis.

The workforce can obviously be con-cerned about why the survey was beingcarriedout.Wasitaploytofindoutwhowas working properly? Was it going toget people into trouble? The answer is –No. It’s completely anonymous and wasdeveloped in partnership with theHealth and Safety Executive and theTrades Unions.

The purpose of the survey is to listento what is being discussed and talkedabout at the coal face regarding safety.It’s a way for the decision-makers togauge and take note of what are con-sidered the real issues for the peopleand how any issues can be improvedupon. Its gets everyone on the samepage!

Beyondthe initial fearsas towhat thesurvey would result in, people weresceptical of how the survey would im-pact their day-to-day life. Would thesurvey really make a difference? Was itanother box-ticking exercise, would thechange happen?

The member organisations of StepChange in Safety which carried out thesurvey found it incredibly beneficialand real changes are being made to im-prove engagement and drive effi-ciency.

HSEQS and Aviation Assets managerAlan Easton, of Total, said the organ-isation introduced the survey to thecompany’s workforce through its Lon-don office. Alan said: “The timing wasperfect as it coincided with the launchof a project to improve the safety cul-ture within the downstream area of To-tal UK.”

Initially they needed to under-standwhatthesafetyculturewas

in the organisation. Headded: “We chose to ad-dress the whole safety cul-ture through targetingworkforce engagementacross our entire organisa-tion,about175peopleacrossthree main locations andhome-based.

“Executive director of Step Change inSafety Les Linklater was happy for us tobe the first downstream organisation touse the workforce engagement surveytool. We found the survey hugely ben-eficial.

“The first thing that impressed uswas the way in which we analyse theresults for each location (includinghome-based workers) separately butthenalsoanalysethecollectiveTotalUKresult. This gave us the opportunity tocompare and contrast the level of en-gagement at each location, rather thanperhaps just end up with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.

“The second impressive thing wasthat the description of attitude and cul-ture at each location very accuratelyreplicated what we believed throughsite visits.”

Alan added that the employeesthroughout the organisation recog-nised the importance of the survey, inorder to improve safety and engage-ment. He said: “We received more thana 90% response rate. Before the launchseveral employees expressed concern atthe thought of their responses being as-sessed by psychologist, but the ability to

recognise each location in the resultssoon quashed any concerns they mayhave had.”

The organisation learned significantlessons. Alan added: “The biggest les-son from the original survey was therealisation via the analysis that man-agement ‘imposed’safetyfromabove, ina prescriptive manner. Turning that onitsheadandworkingcloselywithteamssuch as the site safety committees to de-velop their ideas into safety culture andengagement-related projects resultedinbetterbuy-inandownership,andun-doubtedly we had better results.”

Total Downstream are on an im-provement journey and have alreadyseen their engagement maturity go upacross their worksites. They continue touse the tool and look for good practiceto help them make further improve-ments.

In an industry that is under pressureand a workforce that is rightly con-cerned about the future, surveys like theWEST one are invaluable for both com-pany and employees, in creating a com-mon understanding of the opportuni-ties. Learning from one another andsharing experiences and concerns will

improve safety efficiency anddrive efficacy, while the work-ers will feel motivated, valuedand will put their trust in anorganisation which reallydoes listen.● The WEST survey is avail-able to members of StepChange in Safety. For moreinformation, please contactw e s t @ s t e p c h a n g e i n-safety.net

Tea Shack News is produced by Step Change in Safety –a not-for-profit tripartite organisation involving the unions,regulators and industry. It aims to share industry good practiceand information to help oil and gas industry workers do theirjobs safer. All resources and events are available free to itsmembers.

We’d love to hear your news and stories.Here’s how you can contact us:

www.stepchangeinsafety.net/tsn

[email protected]

#playyourpartRead thepublicationonline

DID YOUKNOW...Simplification’s Safe WorkingEssentials booklet usesFSC papers, which means itis sourced from responsiblymaintained and sustainableforests. It also uses materialsthat are biodegradable and notharmful to the environment.

The design work was by a socialenterprise - Foyer Graphics -a creative design studio whichinvests its profits in AberdeenFoyer - an organisation which workwith people who have been homeless,at risk, or unemployed, to overcomebarriers and make major changes intheir lives.

SIMPLIFICATION

OBS TBT

DRA

SAFE

WORKING

ESSENTIALS

Protecting theEnvironment✓ ✓Giving back to

our communityProtecting theWorkforce✓

Contributors: Charlotte Westwell (Step Change in Safety)Gillian Simpson (Step Change in Safety)Les Linklater (Step Change in Safety)Emma Robertson (Step Change in Safety)Shane Gorman (Step Change in Safety)Emily Taylor (Step Change in Safety)Bob Egan (HSE)Alix Thom (Oil & Gas UK)Jake Molloy (RMT Union)Kimberley Watts (Centrica)Chris Flint (HSE)

6 Rubislaw Terrace LaneAberdeen AB10 1XF

T 01224 562865E [email protected] foyergraphics.com

Foyer Graphics is proud to be working with Step Change in Safety.

We are an experienced design team with competitive rates

and ethical values > our profits support a local charity.

Adesignstudiowithmorebeneaththesurface...

#creatingadifference

Digital/WebWeb styling/skinsInteractive PDFsE-brochuresE-flyersEmail signaturesAnimated GIFs

Designfor PrintPosters, leafletsBrochuresStationeryAnnual reportsNewslettersAdvertsPull up bannersInfographics

Brand/LogoLogo designBrand guidelinesBrand refreshIcon design


The Regulator’s View

How do I raise aconcern withHSE?If you can’tresolve a healthand safetyconcern withyour employer orthrough yoursafetyrepresentative ortrade union youcan raise itonline at the HSEwebsite‘Workplace

health and safety Concerns’ page. If you areraising a concern about health and safety at theplace where you work, then be aware of theprotection that employment law gives you as a‘whistleblower’. You can find out more atwww.gov.uk/whistleblowing.HSE will only take action if the concern relates toa work activity, is sufficiently specific to enableidentification of the issue and the duty holderand/or location.Additionally the issue raised needs to havecaused or have potential to cause significantharm or to constitute a significant breach ofhealth and safety law.HSE?

Union Opinion

Much more than feeling sleepy

Lord Cullen told us!

Passionate about safety at work

The last two years have been turbulent and chal-lenging times for the offshore oil and gas industryand everyone working in it. The industry has hadto change some of its ways of working and addressits high cost base in response to lower commodityprices.

The downturn has inevitably had a significantimpact on the workforce – both on andoffshore. Companies have had to make verydifficult decisions.

There is no doubt that the industry’s efforts toimprove efficiency and reduce its operating costsare helping, but new investment is urgentlyneeded to sustain activity for an industry whichstill supports more than 300,000 jobs throughoutthe UK. Much remains to be done.

An engaged workforce will be vital to deliveringthe greater efficiencies we still strive for.

Leaders need to share with the workforce whysuch actions are being taken, and the importantrole everyone has in helping to boost the North

Sea’s competitiveness – and so a more secure fu-ture for the UK industry.

Industry needs to engage with – and involve –its workforce as it tackles its challenges. And theworkforce – whether they are offshore or on thebeach – needs to believe they have a stake in theindustry’s vision for the future.

Companies are adopting different methods andpractices in fostering better workforce engage-ment. However, I can identify four principleswhich are common to all companies where en-gagement is deemed successful.

These are:● A shared vision – owned by and with the visiblecommitment of the leadership and employees atall levels.● Engaging managers – as they are the key to acompany’s culture and will determine whethertheir companies ‘facilitate and empower’ or ‘com-mand and control’ their workforce.● Voice – there must be a mechanism for theworkforce to give their views. Crucially, they needto know they will be listened to and that theiropinions can make a difference.● Integrity – behaviour within an organisationneeds to be consistent with what the leaders say

and do.Deliveringsustainablechangeinanyindus-try, including our own, requires changes incultureandbehaviours.Thesecanbeasdif-ficult to define as they are to put in place.But there is one certainty among all theuncertainties our sector has had to en-dure. And that is that everyone has a vitalpart to play in helping deliver all that ourindustry needs to recover the billions of

barrels of oil and gas the UK Con-tinental Shelf still holds.

Much remains to be done

Will someone from HSE visit?Generally, we will seek to get your concernresolved by contacting the employer.This may include a site visit either specificallyto investigate your concernor as part of a wider planned inspe-ction.

How long will it take to follow up my concern?We aim to start following-up concerns within24 hours if we assess your concern as aserious risk and within five days if we assess itas a significant risk. However, completing ourenquiries will take lon-ger.Can I raise a concern on someone else’s behalf?If you have seen or experienced the workplaceconcern yourself then you can raise it with us.If you are raising it on someone else’s behalfwe will ask for the person affected to notifyunless they are unable to.Will HSE disclose my name if I raise a concern?We ask for your name and correctcontact details to allow us to follow-upyour concern but we will not discloseyour name to your employer if you don't wantus to. However, depending onthe nature and circumstances ofyour concern it may be possible foryour employer to guess that you notifiedus.

By Chris Flint

CheersVic ’n’ Bob

Confidential reporting, whistleblowing and unannounced visits

By Jake Molloy, RMT

By KimberleyWattsFM & AnomalyCo-ordinator

Playing my part – Aimie ClarkAimie Clark has been HSE co-ordinator forMMO UK at Aker Solutions (Aker) for thelast two and a half years.

She joinedAker in2010asaCADoperatorbefore she was promoted to a close out co-ordinator and then she became interested inhealth and safety when the HSE adviser re-quired help.

Aimie is very passionate about health,

What is your dream job?I always wanted to be a vet and Iwould love to have an old steadingthat I could convert to a pet rescuecentre.Where is your favourite place to travelto?It would be Skye or Inverness, it’s alovely place to go to rent out acottage and take the dogs.What is your favourite programme?I like Dexter and Prison Break, infact I like all the Netflix originals.What are you reading just now?I am reading The Firm which is thebiography of The KraysWhat is your favourite film?Overboard, I used to watch it everynight when I was a youngster.

Kimberley Watts

My current role is an Anomaly/FM Co-ordinatorwhichIamcontractedthroughCANtoCentricaandworkasapartof theAsset Integrity team.

The main focus of my job is the repairof anomalies whether it is a mechanicalrepair or a fabric maintenance repair,through to close out. I also manage largescopes of work during the annual shut-down period.

I have been a safety rep onshore forthree years and am the main focal pointfor the safety rep team; I have always hada keen interest in safety.

Over the past three years I have set upa number of HSE workshop days wheretwo major local companies, Glaxo SmithKline and BAE Systems, have visited theterminals to share best practices and dis-cuss HSE-related issues, during theseworkshops we share our learnings in thedifferent industries.

I am passionate about safety and wantto make a difference in the workplace, Iplaya leadingrole in the terminal’s safetyrep team and have recently done a lot ofwork organising knowledge-sharingworkshops with local businesses to shareexperiences and best practices. It hasbeen advantageous to be able to take the

information gained from the G18 to feed-back and share with both the Centricaonshore and offshore safety reps andmanagement teams. Doing this has as-sisted in embedding the already estab-lished offshore HSE learnings to the on-shore facilities.

It has been a great opportunity to in-terface between the Step Change lead-ership and the onshore workforce, whereat present we are potentially missing outon a lot of useful information and indus-try-wide learnings.

I have contributed by sharing anylessons learned and safety-related mat-ters from the onshore workforce whichmight not reach the offshore environ-ment, also supplying feedback with sug-gestions and improvements from the on-shore workforce and safety reps. Havinga good working relationship with theworkforce has enabled me to gain strongpersonal skills in which I am a bettercommunicator/listener and confidentwithpeople. I feelpassionateaboutsafetyand stand by my beliefs.

Here at Barrow Terminals, the safetyreps get together at bi-weekly safety repmeetings which include the attendanceof higher management.

Eachsafetyrephasregular timeout forsafety with their discipline groups,whether it be contract companies or me-chanical/electrical teams.

We have a great system in place,whereby we go out on the plant and con-duct what is called active monitoring,this is a great way to proactively look forany unsafe condition out on the plant.

When I was asked by TSN to do an opinionpiece around ‘workforce engagement’ Ithought “No”, I’ve been flogging that partic-ular horse for longer than I care to rememberit’s time somebody else had a go.

It was realising how long I’ve beenflogging this issue and why that made me de-cide I would do a bit, or at least I woulduse the words of someone else to explainwhy improving ‘workforce engagement’has and always will be my primary objective.

In the aftermath of the Piper Alpha disasterand the lengthy Inquiry that followed LordCullen produced his findings in November1990. There’s a lot of reading in his report butas a safety rep offshore there was one bit stuckwith me;

“21.74 The representation of the workforcein regard to safety matters is important notmerely forwhat itachievesoninstallationsbutalso for the effect which it has on the morale of

theworkforce– inshowingthat theirviewsaretaken into account and that they are making aworthwhile contribution to their own safety.For this purpose, it is clearly advisable to havestatutory provisions which are well known,universally applied in similar circumstancesand effective in operation.”

For some time now we’ve been hearing fromnumerous sources that morale offshore is at anall-timelow.Thecurrentdownturnisabsolutelydetracting from any concept that workers’views are being taken into account. And whilesomeworkersmaybemakinganeffort, thevastmajority are not interested in making any kindof ‘contribution’. On this basis Lord Cullen’swords become all the more important and to-day we all have a part to play. Workers have got“statutory” rights and can use them. Employershave “statutory” duties and must comply. Thereisa“statutory”regimeinplaceandtheregulatorshould ensure it is complied with.

In this respect it is goodtohear that the longawaited HSE “Workforce Engagement Inspec-tion Guide” is nearing completion and I for

one look forward to seeing it applied. Weneed the HSE to step up and support Lord

Cullen’s vision from 27 years ago be-cause, in my opinion, the statutory pro-visions designed to deliver workforcerepresentation and as a consequence‘workforce engagement’ are not beinguniversally applied in similar circum-stances and are not as effective as theycould, or moreover should be.

As I say we’ve all got a part to play,but the HSE’s part is vital for the others

to engage, and that’s what LordCullen wanted.

By Alix Thom, Oil&Gas UK

Industry insights

safety and environment and especially likesthe people she deals with.

After being brought up in Bankhead,Aimie then moved into Aberdeen city andthen out to Cove. She currently lives in TorrywithherboyfriendJamieandtheir twodogs,a Jack Russell and a collie. When she’s nottaking her dogs out for walks, Aimie is verycrafty and enjoys making jewellery, doescanvas art and has recently taken up cro-cheting.

She is also a keen singer-songwriter andhas written hundreds of songs throughoutthe years and has become a recorded artistwith two albums which she did as a Christ-mas present for her mum.

Aimie is a keen fan of Dexter

We had another great Sunday safety meet-ing on fatigue with offshore and onshoreoil and gas workers (81 offshore and on-shore sites joined in live on March 12) withVic ’n’ Bob, Jake Molloy and Neil Clark,from Integrated Human Factors, support-ing us with his expertise in Human Fac-tors.

When we carry out these webinars welike to ensure people take something awayfrom them. One of the questions was – doyou understand what fatigue is and how doyou deal with it?

How well did you sleep last night? Howlong have you been awake for? How areyou feeling? These simple questions can bethe difference between a major accident,serious injury or an uneventful day atwork. These questions are for everyone off-shore, because everyone carries out safetycritical work on a daily basis.

Learning from what each speakerbrought to the table we saw graphs indicat-ing the effect fatigue can have on workers.

The most startling of those was when itwas identified that fatigue is worse than al-cohol for performance degradation.

Fatigue is nothing to be ashamed orafraid of, people should be able to identifyand acknowledge it without fear. It doesneed to be understood by all, talked aboutand managed as part of our day to dayplanning, TBTs and activities.

Self-assessment isn’t always possiblewhen it comes to fatigue so we rely on ourcolleagues to identify the signs. We need tohelp each other.

The WEST webinar is available onYouTube and from us here at Step Changefor you all to see and use.

We want to hear from you. What wouldyou like the next discussion to be about?These are your meetings and we will coverthe talking points heard at your Tea Shack.


The Regulator’s View

How do I raise aconcern withHSE?If you can’tresolve a healthand safetyconcern withyour employer orthrough yoursafetyrepresentative ortrade union youcan raise itonline at the HSEwebsite‘Workplace

health and safety Concerns’ page. If you areraising a concern about health and safety at theplace where you work, then be aware of theprotection that employment law gives you as a‘whistleblower’. You can find out more atwww.gov.uk/whistleblowing.HSE will only take action if the concern relates toa work activity, is sufficiently specific to enableidentification of the issue and the duty holderand/or location.Additionally the issue raised needs to havecaused or have potential to cause significantharm or to constitute a significant breach ofhealth and safety law.HSE?

Union Opinion

Much more than feeling sleepy

Lord Cullen told us!

Passionate about safety at work

The last two years have been turbulent and chal-lenging times for the offshore oil and gas industryand everyone working in it. The industry has hadto change some of its ways of working and addressits high cost base in response to lower commodityprices.

The downturn has inevitably had a significantimpact on the workforce – both on andoffshore. Companies have had to make verydifficult decisions.

There is no doubt that the industry’s efforts toimprove efficiency and reduce its operating costsare helping, but new investment is urgentlyneeded to sustain activity for an industry whichstill supports more than 300,000 jobs throughoutthe UK. Much remains to be done.

An engaged workforce will be vital to deliveringthe greater efficiencies we still strive for.

Leaders need to share with the workforce whysuch actions are being taken, and the importantrole everyone has in helping to boost the North

Sea’s competitiveness – and so a more secure fu-ture for the UK industry.

Industry needs to engage with – and involve –its workforce as it tackles its challenges. And theworkforce – whether they are offshore or on thebeach – needs to believe they have a stake in theindustry’s vision for the future.

Companies are adopting different methods andpractices in fostering better workforce engage-ment. However, I can identify four principleswhich are common to all companies where en-gagement is deemed successful.

These are:● A shared vision – owned by and with the visiblecommitment of the leadership and employees atall levels.● Engaging managers – as they are the key to acompany’s culture and will determine whethertheir companies ‘facilitate and empower’ or ‘com-mand and control’ their workforce.● Voice – there must be a mechanism for theworkforce to give their views. Crucially, they needto know they will be listened to and that theiropinions can make a difference.● Integrity – behaviour within an organisationneeds to be consistent with what the leaders say

and do.Deliveringsustainablechangeinanyindus-try, including our own, requires changes incultureandbehaviours.Thesecanbeasdif-ficult to define as they are to put in place.But there is one certainty among all theuncertainties our sector has had to en-dure. And that is that everyone has a vitalpart to play in helping deliver all that ourindustry needs to recover the billions of

barrels of oil and gas the UK Con-tinental Shelf still holds.

Much remains to be done

Will someone from HSE visit?Generally, we will seek to get your concernresolved by contacting the employer.This may include a site visit either specificallyto investigate your concernor as part of a wider planned inspe-ction.

How long will it take to follow up my concern?We aim to start following-up concerns within24 hours if we assess your concern as aserious risk and within five days if we assess itas a significant risk. However, completing ourenquiries will take lon-ger.Can I raise a concern on someone else’s behalf?If you have seen or experienced the workplaceconcern yourself then you can raise it with us.If you are raising it on someone else’s behalfwe will ask for the person affected to notifyunless they are unable to.Will HSE disclose my name if I raise a concern?We ask for your name and correctcontact details to allow us to follow-upyour concern but we will not discloseyour name to your employer if you don't wantus to. However, depending onthe nature and circumstances ofyour concern it may be possible foryour employer to guess that you notifiedus.

By Chris Flint

CheersVic ’n’ Bob

Confidential reporting, whistleblowing and unannounced visits

By Jake Molloy, RMT

By KimberleyWattsFM & AnomalyCo-ordinator

Playing my part – Aimie ClarkAimie Clark has been HSE co-ordinator forMMO UK at Aker Solutions (Aker) for thelast two and a half years.

She joinedAker in2010asaCADoperatorbefore she was promoted to a close out co-ordinator and then she became interested inhealth and safety when the HSE adviser re-quired help.

Aimie is very passionate about health,

What is your dream job?I always wanted to be a vet and Iwould love to have an old steadingthat I could convert to a pet rescuecentre.Where is your favourite place to travelto?It would be Skye or Inverness, it’s alovely place to go to rent out acottage and take the dogs.What is your favourite programme?I like Dexter and Prison Break, infact I like all the Netflix originals.What are you reading just now?I am reading The Firm which is thebiography of The KraysWhat is your favourite film?Overboard, I used to watch it everynight when I was a youngster.

Kimberley Watts

My current role is an Anomaly/FM Co-ordinatorwhichIamcontractedthroughCANtoCentricaandworkasapartof theAsset Integrity team.

The main focus of my job is the repairof anomalies whether it is a mechanicalrepair or a fabric maintenance repair,through to close out. I also manage largescopes of work during the annual shut-down period.

I have been a safety rep onshore forthree years and am the main focal pointfor the safety rep team; I have always hada keen interest in safety.

Over the past three years I have set upa number of HSE workshop days wheretwo major local companies, Glaxo SmithKline and BAE Systems, have visited theterminals to share best practices and dis-cuss HSE-related issues, during theseworkshops we share our learnings in thedifferent industries.

I am passionate about safety and wantto make a difference in the workplace, Iplaya leadingrole in the terminal’s safetyrep team and have recently done a lot ofwork organising knowledge-sharingworkshops with local businesses to shareexperiences and best practices. It hasbeen advantageous to be able to take the

information gained from the G18 to feed-back and share with both the Centricaonshore and offshore safety reps andmanagement teams. Doing this has as-sisted in embedding the already estab-lished offshore HSE learnings to the on-shore facilities.

It has been a great opportunity to in-terface between the Step Change lead-ership and the onshore workforce, whereat present we are potentially missing outon a lot of useful information and indus-try-wide learnings.

I have contributed by sharing anylessons learned and safety-related mat-ters from the onshore workforce whichmight not reach the offshore environ-ment, also supplying feedback with sug-gestions and improvements from the on-shore workforce and safety reps. Havinga good working relationship with theworkforce has enabled me to gain strongpersonal skills in which I am a bettercommunicator/listener and confidentwithpeople. I feelpassionateaboutsafetyand stand by my beliefs.

Here at Barrow Terminals, the safetyreps get together at bi-weekly safety repmeetings which include the attendanceof higher management.

Eachsafetyrephasregular timeout forsafety with their discipline groups,whether it be contract companies or me-chanical/electrical teams.

We have a great system in place,whereby we go out on the plant and con-duct what is called active monitoring,this is a great way to proactively look forany unsafe condition out on the plant.

When I was asked by TSN to do an opinionpiece around ‘workforce engagement’ Ithought “No”, I’ve been flogging that partic-ular horse for longer than I care to rememberit’s time somebody else had a go.

It was realising how long I’ve beenflogging this issue and why that made me de-cide I would do a bit, or at least I woulduse the words of someone else to explainwhy improving ‘workforce engagement’has and always will be my primary objective.

In the aftermath of the Piper Alpha disasterand the lengthy Inquiry that followed LordCullen produced his findings in November1990. There’s a lot of reading in his report butas a safety rep offshore there was one bit stuckwith me;

“21.74 The representation of the workforcein regard to safety matters is important notmerely forwhat itachievesoninstallationsbutalso for the effect which it has on the morale of

theworkforce– inshowingthat theirviewsaretaken into account and that they are making aworthwhile contribution to their own safety.For this purpose, it is clearly advisable to havestatutory provisions which are well known,universally applied in similar circumstancesand effective in operation.”

For some time now we’ve been hearing fromnumerous sources that morale offshore is at anall-timelow.Thecurrentdownturnisabsolutelydetracting from any concept that workers’views are being taken into account. And whilesomeworkersmaybemakinganeffort, thevastmajority are not interested in making any kindof ‘contribution’. On this basis Lord Cullen’swords become all the more important and to-day we all have a part to play. Workers have got“statutory” rights and can use them. Employershave “statutory” duties and must comply. Thereisa“statutory”regimeinplaceandtheregulatorshould ensure it is complied with.

In this respect it is goodtohear that the longawaited HSE “Workforce Engagement Inspec-tion Guide” is nearing completion and I for

one look forward to seeing it applied. Weneed the HSE to step up and support Lord

Cullen’s vision from 27 years ago be-cause, in my opinion, the statutory pro-visions designed to deliver workforcerepresentation and as a consequence‘workforce engagement’ are not beinguniversally applied in similar circum-stances and are not as effective as theycould, or moreover should be.

As I say we’ve all got a part to play,but the HSE’s part is vital for the others

to engage, and that’s what LordCullen wanted.

By Alix Thom, Oil&Gas UK

Industry insights

safety and environment and especially likesthe people she deals with.

After being brought up in Bankhead,Aimie then moved into Aberdeen city andthen out to Cove. She currently lives in TorrywithherboyfriendJamieandtheir twodogs,a Jack Russell and a collie. When she’s nottaking her dogs out for walks, Aimie is verycrafty and enjoys making jewellery, doescanvas art and has recently taken up cro-cheting.

She is also a keen singer-songwriter andhas written hundreds of songs throughoutthe years and has become a recorded artistwith two albums which she did as a Christ-mas present for her mum.

Aimie is a keen fan of Dexter

We had another great Sunday safety meet-ing on fatigue with offshore and onshoreoil and gas workers (81 offshore and on-shore sites joined in live on March 12) withVic ’n’ Bob, Jake Molloy and Neil Clark,from Integrated Human Factors, support-ing us with his expertise in Human Fac-tors.

When we carry out these webinars welike to ensure people take something awayfrom them. One of the questions was – doyou understand what fatigue is and how doyou deal with it?

How well did you sleep last night? Howlong have you been awake for? How areyou feeling? These simple questions can bethe difference between a major accident,serious injury or an uneventful day atwork. These questions are for everyone off-shore, because everyone carries out safetycritical work on a daily basis.

Learning from what each speakerbrought to the table we saw graphs indicat-ing the effect fatigue can have on workers.

The most startling of those was when itwas identified that fatigue is worse than al-cohol for performance degradation.

Fatigue is nothing to be ashamed orafraid of, people should be able to identifyand acknowledge it without fear. It doesneed to be understood by all, talked aboutand managed as part of our day to dayplanning, TBTs and activities.

Self-assessment isn’t always possiblewhen it comes to fatigue so we rely on ourcolleagues to identify the signs. We need tohelp each other.

The WEST webinar is available onYouTube and from us here at Step Changefor you all to see and use.

We want to hear from you. What wouldyou like the next discussion to be about?These are your meetings and we will coverthe talking points heard at your Tea Shack.


Building bridges in North Sea safetyConfidence in transforming the offshore culture

A toolkit for ESRs: Incident investigationAre you reading this as an elected safety represen-tative (ESR)? Then you are undoubtedly aware thatour latest charter makes reference to involvement inincident investigations, as follows: We expect to beencouraged to participate in incident investigationsas either a member of the investigation team or in-dependently.

The importance of correctly identifying, recordingand investigating incidents cannot be overstated.

A robust approach to incident investigation willinform and improve overall health and safety per-formance and reduce the risk of major incidents oraccidents at work.

Given the significance of incident investigation, itis crucial that ESRs feel comfortable with the pro-cess and the part they have to play in it. With this inmind, incident investigation specialist Matrix RiskControl has developed a one-day investigator’stoolkit course, specifically for safety representatives.

The course programme starts with an overview ofcurrent legislation in relation to the roles and re-sponsibilities of ESRs and goes on to explore thedefinition of an incident and when one is mostlikely to occur.

Delegates are then introduced to a likely incidentscenario, which is referred to throughout the day, asthey work through topicssuch as scene management,the investigation process, hu-man factors and interviewskills. An overview of RootCause Analysis (RCA) is alsoincluded.

Alan Smith, operations di-rector at Matrix Risk Control,has driven the developmentof the new course. He feelsstrongly about creating apositive culture and ap-proach towards incident in-vestigation and said: “Havingled or overseen numerous

high-profile and tragic incidents over the years, onecommon denominator is that each of these is pre-ceded by a pattern of minor incidents or misde-meanours.

“Typically – and revealingly – the root causes ofthese seemingly minor incidents will be the verysame as those which cause the major real one.

“We appreciate that training involves a time andcost commitment from organisations. For this rea-son, the course content has been condensed into asingle comprehensive training day to specificallymeet the needs of ESRs.”

Founded by senior police investigators in 2009,Matrix Risk Control helps organisations managemany major forms of operational business risk. The

company provides trainingand specialist support ser-vices in the three core areasof incident recording, inci-dent investigation and rootcause analysis. Its team of 14supports clients internation-ally and is headquartered atAberdeen’s Waterloo Quay.

Further information on thenew course can be accessedby e-mailing Matrix RiskControl direct on [email protected] or bytelephoning + 44 (0) 1224937497.

Back to work insafety, using‘shock tactics’By Shane

GormanElected safetyrepresentative

Delegates have heard from many speakers over the years, including Olympians and mountaineers

The event sees an assortment of actors, speakers and stalls highlight the importance of safety at work

On the first working day of everyyear for the past 10 years, the teamat Shell’s Bacton, in North Norfolk,has held a ‘Back to work SafetyDay’.

The objective is to focus everyone’sminds, refresh their safety knowledgeand prepare for the year ahead. Thisyear it was held at the Holiday Inn atNorwich Airport.

The day was organised by the com-pany’s safety team and elected safetyrepresentatives and comprised an as-sortment of actors, guest speakers andseveral market stalls all offering differ-ent activities including a quiz on Ma-jor Accident Hazards, and identifyingif a colleague is having a heart attack,and how to deal with it.

The guest speaker this year was for-mer Olympic cyclist John Norfolk.John spoke in great depth about har-nessing the different qualities withinhis team, understanding individualstrengths and weaknesses, realisingpotential, and how small adjustmentscan improve efficiency.

Previous years have seen many dif-ferent and diverse speakers including

last year when delegates were touchedby the story of a man who wasblinded in an industrial accident dis-cussing how it changed his life.

We have also been introduced to amountaineer affectionately dubbed‘Mr Frostbite’ who had lost the tip ofhis nose, along with several fingersand toes (from frostbite) after beingstranded on a mountain in tempera-tures of -60 for several days. He dis-cussed having to adapt to life after-wards.

One of the reasons for these‘shock tactics’ is to emphasise theimportance of working safely to pre-vent similar life-changing incidentshappening to ourselves and our col-leagues.

It is important to stimulate conver-sation among the audience lettingthem discuss how to deal with thehazards they face on a daily basis. Allthis is done in a very relaxed and con-vivial atmosphere among people fromall trades.

It was a fantastic event – long mayit continue!

Bob Egan – HSE

Who is the Marine Responsible Personon board your installation?You may be surprised to read thatvessels colliding with platforms is notuncommon; 14 collisions or near-collision were reported to the HSE in2013-14.And most of these incidents werevessels that had been invited into thearea around the platform, not errantvessels that had drifted in.A ‘500m safety zone’ surrounds allinstallations; the OIM or a delegate isresponsible for all marine operationsin this zone and vessels must beinvited to enter. Having a ‘marineresponsible person’ communicating

with and monitoring the movements ofthe vessels within this 500m safetyzone is good practice in the preventionof collisions.Step Change in Safety hascollaborated with the Marine SafetyForum to produce the latest Joined-up Thinking pack called ‘MarineOperations: 500m safety zone’.The film describes an incident wherea vessel collided with an installationand is accompanied by a guidancedocument. The packs can bedownloaded fromwww.stepchangeinsafety.net/joined-up-thinking-packs orwww.marinesafetyforum.org

The one-day course is aimed at safety reps

Step Change in Safety kindly askedGary Calder, Glen Sheppard andmyself, of Step Change’s G18 fame,to help facilitate the MD workshop‘Managing Major Accident Hazardsin a Low Oil Price Environment’.

I arrived the previous eveningand was lucky enough to be invitedfor dinner. It didn’t take long beforethe discussion turned to the topicof safety.

During this rich conversation, avery familiar thread started to re-veal itself – the importance of openengagement. We were discussingways to improve on safety culturewith two senior executives fromRolls-Royce and Total who were us-ing slightly different language, but Irecognised the substance of thisconversation from the deck of off-shore installations.

Fast-forward to the followingday’s event and the same thingstarted to happen during the in-credibly interesting and valuable

workshops. Once the ice meltedaway, these senior executives werefully engaged with one another,openly discussing their companypolicies, procedures, controls,strengths and, indeed, weaknesses.

They were engaged in learningfrom one another and in sharingideas, actively questioning andseeking out a spark of inspirationthat might allow safety improve-ments to develop in their own or-ganisations. It was a remarkableand thought-provoking event.

I believe the goal to make every-one leave feeling a little uncomfort-able with a realisation that im-provement was needed but alsopossible, was achieved.

So why did this level of open en-gagement surprise me? I knowthere should be open lines of com-munication from the deck offshoreto the boardroom and vice versa.But I came to realise these lines areassumed to be clear from blockageon both sides…but are they; clearfrom blockage? The boardroomwant the same things as the deckoffshore: less paperwork, simplerprocedures, more transparency,open and honest reporting, a justsafety culture, confident and em-powered safety committees, realand honest engagement in safety

observations and improvements(STOP etc). I could go on…

For me this all proves the desirefor open engagement and a justsafety culture is there. It is not justlip service, it is not a pipedream.

It is a real and achievable goalthat we are all constantly workingon.

These events, along with others Ihave attended, give me confidenceand a real sense of hope and beliefin the transforming culture of ourindustry.

Hearing the conversations andengaging with senior company ex-ecutives in the same manner as Iengage with the roustabouts,roughnecks, riggers, pipefitters,welders, engineers, painters, electri-cians, caterers, chemists, CROs,OIMs and the wealth of personnelwho make up our front line work-force, made me emotional withpride to the point where I now feeleven more driven to bridge the gap;and there is still a gap.

It is clear there are some block-ages in the communication linesbetween the boardroom and thedeck offshore. I think I know wherethese blockages are and more im-portantly, how to clear them.

Once we do that; once we havebarrier-free bridges that anyone

and everyone can cross, we willhave synergy in our industry fromthe decks offshore to the board-rooms in town; and once this is

achieved, we will become the envyof the worldwide oil and gas indus-try for our open and continuouslyimproving just culture of safety.

WE WANT YOUTO JOIN THE G18

Email: [email protected]: www.stepchangeinsafety.netTwitter: @stepchangeinfoFacebook: /stepchangeinsafety

Step Change in Safety is Calling on ElectedSafety Reps to help represent the Workforce.Our G18 Group is in need of more membersto volunteer and help raise any issues, needsand concerns of those working offshore.If you’re interested please contact:

#playyourpart

HUMANFACTORSIN MEDICINE


We are all human - Human Factors affects every singleperson in every single industry. Throughout 2017 these foursessions will look at how human factors is addressed in fourindustries; Medicine, Nuclear, Construction and Transport.

Step Change in Safety along with the Human Factors workgroupwill host a series of cross-industry sharing and learning events.The first of these, which will be held at the AECC on May 16, isHuman Factors in Medicine. The event will see Royal College ofSurgeons - Manoj Kumar - deliver a presentation on the medicalindustry and how patient safety is addressed, how challenges areovercome and some examples about the huge improvementswhich have been made to date.

Places are limited so if you wouldlike to attend the event book now!

Competence& Human Factors

#playyourpart


Building bridges in North Sea safetyConfidence in transforming the offshore culture

A toolkit for ESRs: Incident investigationAre you reading this as an elected safety represen-tative (ESR)? Then you are undoubtedly aware thatour latest charter makes reference to involvement inincident investigations, as follows: We expect to beencouraged to participate in incident investigationsas either a member of the investigation team or in-dependently.

The importance of correctly identifying, recordingand investigating incidents cannot be overstated.

A robust approach to incident investigation willinform and improve overall health and safety per-formance and reduce the risk of major incidents oraccidents at work.

Given the significance of incident investigation, itis crucial that ESRs feel comfortable with the pro-cess and the part they have to play in it. With this inmind, incident investigation specialist Matrix RiskControl has developed a one-day investigator’stoolkit course, specifically for safety representatives.

The course programme starts with an overview ofcurrent legislation in relation to the roles and re-sponsibilities of ESRs and goes on to explore thedefinition of an incident and when one is mostlikely to occur.

Delegates are then introduced to a likely incidentscenario, which is referred to throughout the day, asthey work through topicssuch as scene management,the investigation process, hu-man factors and interviewskills. An overview of RootCause Analysis (RCA) is alsoincluded.

Alan Smith, operations di-rector at Matrix Risk Control,has driven the developmentof the new course. He feelsstrongly about creating apositive culture and ap-proach towards incident in-vestigation and said: “Havingled or overseen numerous

high-profile and tragic incidents over the years, onecommon denominator is that each of these is pre-ceded by a pattern of minor incidents or misde-meanours.

“Typically – and revealingly – the root causes ofthese seemingly minor incidents will be the verysame as those which cause the major real one.

“We appreciate that training involves a time andcost commitment from organisations. For this rea-son, the course content has been condensed into asingle comprehensive training day to specificallymeet the needs of ESRs.”

Founded by senior police investigators in 2009,Matrix Risk Control helps organisations managemany major forms of operational business risk. The

company provides trainingand specialist support ser-vices in the three core areasof incident recording, inci-dent investigation and rootcause analysis. Its team of 14supports clients internation-ally and is headquartered atAberdeen’s Waterloo Quay.

Further information on thenew course can be accessedby e-mailing Matrix RiskControl direct on [email protected] or bytelephoning + 44 (0) 1224937497.

Back to work insafety, using‘shock tactics’By Shane

GormanElected safetyrepresentative

Delegates have heard from many speakers over the years, including Olympians and mountaineers

The event sees an assortment of actors, speakers and stalls highlight the importance of safety at work

On the first working day of everyyear for the past 10 years, the teamat Shell’s Bacton, in North Norfolk,has held a ‘Back to work SafetyDay’.

The objective is to focus everyone’sminds, refresh their safety knowledgeand prepare for the year ahead. Thisyear it was held at the Holiday Inn atNorwich Airport.

The day was organised by the com-pany’s safety team and elected safetyrepresentatives and comprised an as-sortment of actors, guest speakers andseveral market stalls all offering differ-ent activities including a quiz on Ma-jor Accident Hazards, and identifyingif a colleague is having a heart attack,and how to deal with it.

The guest speaker this year was for-mer Olympic cyclist John Norfolk.John spoke in great depth about har-nessing the different qualities withinhis team, understanding individualstrengths and weaknesses, realisingpotential, and how small adjustmentscan improve efficiency.

Previous years have seen many dif-ferent and diverse speakers including

last year when delegates were touchedby the story of a man who wasblinded in an industrial accident dis-cussing how it changed his life.

We have also been introduced to amountaineer affectionately dubbed‘Mr Frostbite’ who had lost the tip ofhis nose, along with several fingersand toes (from frostbite) after beingstranded on a mountain in tempera-tures of -60 for several days. He dis-cussed having to adapt to life after-wards.

One of the reasons for these‘shock tactics’ is to emphasise theimportance of working safely to pre-vent similar life-changing incidentshappening to ourselves and our col-leagues.

It is important to stimulate conver-sation among the audience lettingthem discuss how to deal with thehazards they face on a daily basis. Allthis is done in a very relaxed and con-vivial atmosphere among people fromall trades.

It was a fantastic event – long mayit continue!

Bob Egan – HSE

Who is the Marine Responsible Personon board your installation?You may be surprised to read thatvessels colliding with platforms is notuncommon; 14 collisions or near-collision were reported to the HSE in2013-14.And most of these incidents werevessels that had been invited into thearea around the platform, not errantvessels that had drifted in.A ‘500m safety zone’ surrounds allinstallations; the OIM or a delegate isresponsible for all marine operationsin this zone and vessels must beinvited to enter. Having a ‘marineresponsible person’ communicating

with and monitoring the movements ofthe vessels within this 500m safetyzone is good practice in the preventionof collisions.Step Change in Safety hascollaborated with the Marine SafetyForum to produce the latest Joined-up Thinking pack called ‘MarineOperations: 500m safety zone’.The film describes an incident wherea vessel collided with an installationand is accompanied by a guidancedocument. The packs can bedownloaded fromwww.stepchangeinsafety.net/joined-up-thinking-packs orwww.marinesafetyforum.org

The one-day course is aimed at safety reps

Step Change in Safety kindly askedGary Calder, Glen Sheppard andmyself, of Step Change’s G18 fame,to help facilitate the MD workshop‘Managing Major Accident Hazardsin a Low Oil Price Environment’.

I arrived the previous eveningand was lucky enough to be invitedfor dinner. It didn’t take long beforethe discussion turned to the topicof safety.

During this rich conversation, avery familiar thread started to re-veal itself – the importance of openengagement. We were discussingways to improve on safety culturewith two senior executives fromRolls-Royce and Total who were us-ing slightly different language, but Irecognised the substance of thisconversation from the deck of off-shore installations.

Fast-forward to the followingday’s event and the same thingstarted to happen during the in-credibly interesting and valuable

workshops. Once the ice meltedaway, these senior executives werefully engaged with one another,openly discussing their companypolicies, procedures, controls,strengths and, indeed, weaknesses.

They were engaged in learningfrom one another and in sharingideas, actively questioning andseeking out a spark of inspirationthat might allow safety improve-ments to develop in their own or-ganisations. It was a remarkableand thought-provoking event.

I believe the goal to make every-one leave feeling a little uncomfort-able with a realisation that im-provement was needed but alsopossible, was achieved.

So why did this level of open en-gagement surprise me? I knowthere should be open lines of com-munication from the deck offshoreto the boardroom and vice versa.But I came to realise these lines areassumed to be clear from blockageon both sides…but are they; clearfrom blockage? The boardroomwant the same things as the deckoffshore: less paperwork, simplerprocedures, more transparency,open and honest reporting, a justsafety culture, confident and em-powered safety committees, realand honest engagement in safety

observations and improvements(STOP etc). I could go on…

For me this all proves the desirefor open engagement and a justsafety culture is there. It is not justlip service, it is not a pipedream.

It is a real and achievable goalthat we are all constantly workingon.

These events, along with others Ihave attended, give me confidenceand a real sense of hope and beliefin the transforming culture of ourindustry.

Hearing the conversations andengaging with senior company ex-ecutives in the same manner as Iengage with the roustabouts,roughnecks, riggers, pipefitters,welders, engineers, painters, electri-cians, caterers, chemists, CROs,OIMs and the wealth of personnelwho make up our front line work-force, made me emotional withpride to the point where I now feeleven more driven to bridge the gap;and there is still a gap.

It is clear there are some block-ages in the communication linesbetween the boardroom and thedeck offshore. I think I know wherethese blockages are and more im-portantly, how to clear them.

Once we do that; once we havebarrier-free bridges that anyone

and everyone can cross, we willhave synergy in our industry fromthe decks offshore to the board-rooms in town; and once this is

achieved, we will become the envyof the worldwide oil and gas indus-try for our open and continuouslyimproving just culture of safety.

WE WANT YOUTO JOIN THE G18


Step Change in Safety is Calling on ElectedSafety Reps to help represent the Workforce.Our G18 Group is in need of more membersto volunteer and help raise any issues, needsand concerns of those working offshore.If you’re interested please contact:

#playyourpart

HUMANFACTORSIN MEDICINE


We are all human - Human Factors affects every singleperson in every single industry. Throughout 2017 these foursessions will look at how human factors is addressed in fourindustries; Medicine, Nuclear, Construction and Transport.

Step Change in Safety along with the Human Factors workgroupwill host a series of cross-industry sharing and learning events.The first of these, which will be held at the AECC on May 16, isHuman Factors in Medicine. The event will see Royal College ofSurgeons - Manoj Kumar - deliver a presentation on the medicalindustry and how patient safety is addressed, how challenges areovercome and some examples about the huge improvementswhich have been made to date.

Places are limited so if you wouldlike to attend the event book now!

Competence& Human Factors

#playyourpart

8 April 2017 | Issue 13 www.stepchangeinsafety.net/tsn

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Stories fromthe shackI'm not here to preach to anybody. Ijust say it like I see it. However, I dowonder about this thing we know as‘engagement’.What do you think? Are you engagedby your employer and, moreimportantly, the industry? If youthink you are then maybe you shouldwrite in and let TSN know. I gotasked and being honest – I don'tknow.What is engagement? Who isinvolved with engagement? Does theindustry do it? Do workers do it?Does everybody or anybody? Do weget it?It seems to me that ‘safety’ is thenumber one buzzword, especiallywhen it's about ‘holding the handrail’and that's what numerous others sayto me. So what does safety mean foryou – sitting reading this offshore?You've got a voice, so use it! Don'tjust let your employer engage withyou. Why don't you engage withthem?Personally, I'm not sure about theindustry doing the annual ‘patourselves on the back’ thing – afterall, they have to justify certain thingsto themselves, don’t they? No doubtwe've seen good examples of it – I'vefriends on Nexen platforms who havenothing but praise for theengagement principles shown bythem. However, for every goodexample there's more bad!For some, the engagement thing is ahuman resources exercise to justifyan inflated salary. Like I say, I don'tknow. Is it a genuine driver within theindustry to continuously improve?Or is it just more mumbo jumbo tocondition us to make sure weachieve this M.E.R. they talk abouthere?I'm sure you've an opinion!I may not know what engagement isall about but I know that all thestakeholders (oil companies,regulators and the unions) within theindustry need to empower theworkforce more, listen more andtake into account our thoughts (awhole lot) more – and drop thepersonal agendas too!!To realistically achieve true, genuineengagement, it's not just aboutbuzzwords, it’s about listening,understanding, taking chances andmost importantly coming out of yourcomfort zone for the benefit of all,not just the price of a barrel of oil.Maybe one day when ‘they’ claim tohave carried out everything I havementioned, when they have beenjumped on and it’s not just some piein the sky fable, it’s an actual factualresult. Until that time, you askyourself the question – isengagement an epic failure?

Who do you trust?by LesLinklaterExecutive director,Step Changein SafetyIn an industry thatdoesn’t have its troublesto seek, building a betterrelationship between thefrontline workforce andthose in the boardroomscontinues to be seen asvitally important, tobuild a sustainable fu-ture.

Safety, efficiency andindustrial relations allrely heavily on that rela-tionship, and all the lay-ers inbetween function-ing as well as they can.Everyone has a part toplay in making engage-ment happen.

What does this year’sEdelman Trust Barome-ter say and what might itmean for every one ofus? For the first time inthe 17 years in whichEdelman has been run-ning its survey, morethan 33,000 people haveparticipated from 25countries and it worry-ingly presents a picturethat there are more of uswho distrust the system(government, media,NGOs) than those of uswho trust it.

If the mass populationdon't trust the systemthat has been put inplace to keep us safe,where does that leave us?

Globally more than53% of people believe thesystem doesn't work for

them specifically andthey think leaders won’tfix identified problems.The credibility of theCEO is at an all-time lowand we are as likely totrust a peer, someonelike ourselves, as we area technical expert.

At first glance it’s easyto say ‘so what?’ but justtake a moment to thinkabout this in the contextof safety.

In both offshore andaviation safety, our foun-dations are built on theeffectiveness of govern-ment regulation, en-forced by both theHealth and Safety Execu-tive and the Civil Avia-tion Authority, while be-ing part of the system.

If, as the survey sug-gests, our trust in thesystem is eroding fasterthan the polar ice capthen ask yourself, what

might that mean as weface some challengingquestions? One suchquestion is the possiblereturn to service of theEC225 helicopter. If andwhen the national regu-lators have sufficientconfidence to lift the re-strictions, will our work-force have sufficient trustand confidence that thesystem is working withtheir safety at the fore-front?

Moreover, the findingsindicate that we are un-likely to believe that theright decisions have beenmade, if they are deliv-ered by the CEO, or weare unlikely to challengethe technical expert withthe opinion of, at best,the enthusiastic amateur– at worst someonewielding a metaphoricalaxe with nothing betterto do than amplify their

anxiety and concerns totheir own advantage –what does that mean aswe navigate these bigquestions?

One of the other chal-lenges we face in termsof engagement is that weare now four times morelikely to ignore informa-tion that contradictswhat has already beenput in place. We're justnot as open to change orthe alternate world viewas we once were, and weare less likely to listen tosomeone with whom wedisagree. Think aboutthat poor CEO tellingyou safety is their ‘toppriority’. I don't doubtthey believe it or theircommitment, but I amnot sure that the averageworker shares the samebelief.

So how can each of usplay our part to build

trust and create a newoperating model for en-gagement? We must lis-ten to all stakeholderviews and pay particularattention to issues thatshow a concern for theirsafety or their liveli-hoods. Dialogue is essen-tial and this must be de-livered by peers, at anylevel. Not from the topdown or from a parent toa child point of view butadult to adults, peer topeer. As an industry withElected Safety Reps wealready have the tools inthe toolbox to build dia-logue but we need to em-brace it more fully. ESRscare passionately aboutsafety and their con-stituents. We must sup-port these often unrecog-nised assets better.

Building trust muststart somewhere, this iswhere I'd start.

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