|
16 August 2005 - Offshore Health and Safety
Figures Looking Good
Navigation
Provisional statistical figures have today been released by the
Health and Safety Executive (HSE), on the Offshore Safety Statistics for 2004/05
and show a reduction in major injuries and deaths since 2003/04.
The Bulletin is an indicator of how offshore health and safety
is performing, prior to the more detailed analysis due to be published later in
the year.
The more detailed analysis, covering the period 1 April 2004 to
31 March 2005, will provide figures of fatalities, reportable injuries,
occurrences of ill-health and dangerous occurrences reported to the HSE, under
the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR).
The provisional figures within the Offshore Safety Statistics
Bulletin 2004/05 are categorised into four main areas as follows:
-
Fatal And Major Injuries To Offshore Workers.
-
Over- 3- Day Injuries To Offshore Workers.
-
Incidence Of Ill Health To Workers Offshore.
-
Dangerous Occurrences Offshore.
Mr. Taf Powell, Head of HSE's Offshore Division, Commenting on
the statistics, said:
"The annual statistics bulletin is now, in effect, an 'end of
year report' on progress towards the industry ambition to make the UK
continental shelf the world's safest offshore sector by 2010. The statistics
show that we are heading in the right direction, but, in my view, not fast
enough. There is a lot of activity to align industry resources behind the 2010
goal but there are a number of critical challenges.
"We need to secure the active cooperation of all those who
operate and work offshore, at every level from boardroom to deck crew, both
offshore and on the beach. I am not satisfied that this is the case yet,
although there is outstanding leadership in a number of companies, and at all
levels.
"The key issues for the industry in a maturing offshore
province, such as the North Sea, are upgrading ageing facilities and
accommodation, and delivering the high performance technical solutions that
Britain expects. This requires commitment and investment. A large number of
companies, including, encouragingly, smaller independent operators are
demonstrating such commitment and I take this as an indicator that the 2010 goal
is attainable".
Mr. John Taylor, Chairman of the Inter Union Offshore Oil
Committee commented:
"The recent statistics show an overall improvement in safety
offshore, which the trade unions welcome, and this is as a direct result of all
stakeholders working in partnership to achieve a safer working environment.
"This success should bring new focus to ensuring that the
targets the industry agreed can be achieved before 2010. It is our hope that
some of the new initiatives on which, all sides of industry - HSE, trade unions
& employers - have been working closely together, within Step Change and OIAC,
will continue to bring improvements on safety offshore."
Whilst Mr. Gary Luquette, President and Managing Director, Chevron Upstream
Europe and Chairman of Step Change in Safety added:
"Whilst the statistics support the industry's view that safety is
improving, as long as we continue to experience injuries in our industry we
still have more work to do. Step Change in Safety has refocused its strategy
to engage the whole of the workforce, from MDs to the drilling floor, to
accelerate the pace of improvement in offshore safety performance. This new
approach was endorsed by the industry in May 2005 to change behaviours and to
demonstrate our personal ownership for safety throughout the industry.
"There is no room for compromise where safety is concerned and no one
should be afraid to speak up if safety is at risk. We are committed to
achieving our goal to make the UK the safest place to work in the worldwide
oil and gas industry by 2010."
The Offshore Safety Bulletin 2004/05 can be viewed from the HSE webpage by
clicking the following:
HSE - OFFSHORE: Offshore Safety Statistics Bulletin 2004/2005
Step Change in Safety can be viewed by clicking the following:
Step Change in Safety
Article by Alexandra Johnston
 Click Here to
Email This Article To a Friend
|
