14 July 2017
Safety made simple: Helping the industry to simplify its safety tools
Over the years, offshore employers in the UK have each developed their own set of safety processes. These individual, bespoke systems had become somewhat of an industry within an industry, often complicating their primary purpose: to create a safe working environment.
Since late 2015, Steve Wilson, Health, Safety and Environment Manager for Engineering & Production Services West, has represented Petrofac as one of 14 industry influencers who share a collective goal to simplify these tools in order to do just that.
The group, which forms part of Step Change in Safety’s (SCiS) Simplification Steering Committee (SSC), has developed and piloted a suite of standardised tools, called ‘Safe Working Essentials’, or the SWE Toolkit.
“We completed a gap analysis of the safety tools currently used throughout the UKCS”, explains Steve. “We then looked at best practice to standardise three basic tools – the Toolbox Talk, the Dynamic Risk Assessment and the Observation Card.
“The decision was taken to package these together in a pocketbook format, ensuring ease-of-use at the point of work. A full guidance document is also provided to increase the likelihood of uptake.”
The SWE Toolkit has been adopted on the Miller platform, for which Petrofac is Duty Holder on behalf of BP. Since implementation, there has been improved participation in Safety Observation, and the offshore team has fully engaged with the Dynamic Risk Assessment.
“Simply by standardising processes, we have reinvigorated safety offshore”, adds Steve. “It is really making the workforce more accountable, prompting them to think about identifying risks prior to starting a job.
“These measures are acting as a springboard for further safety changes, and the development team is currently creating an e-tool to support the SWE Toolkit.”