In Western Canada, a significant portion of fatalities in the oil field can be related to driving events. A major service company has implemented a multifaceted approach to addressing the hazards associated with driving in the oilfield. A key component of the driving program is the driving simulator. In 2001, this service company purchased its first mobile computerized driving simulators to complement its driving program in the United States. The service company worked with the simulator manufacturer to develop a custom oilfield-specific driving program. The program evolved to include a multitude of scenarios and hazards that drivers are exposed to in field operations. Implementation of these simulators helped to account for a 50% reduction in automobile incidents and a 70% reduction in high-potential automotive incidents. The operations for this service company in Canada took notice and utilized a driving simulator as part of a pre-winter campaign in the fourth quarter of 2003. During Q1 of 2004, Canadian operations realized the lowest crash rate in its history. In 2007, the next generation of driving simulator was purchased for dedicated use in this region. New features include the ability to link student driver stations to simulate convoys, the ability of the instructor to interact independently with either or both students, and an enhanced scenario tool box to allow the instructor to craft custom scenarios. This paper describes evolution in the use of a simulator for driver training in an oilfield environment. Introduction A major service company historically delivers driver training to new recruits in the North American theater of operations via central training schools. For the purposes of this discussion, there are two benefits in particular that can be realized by the centralized training:Consistency in focus of training and the passion of delivery.Ability to allow the students to practice in a complete or comparative risk-free environment with opportunity to practice new found skills until they perform at a desired level of competence. This training provides the foundation for regular scheduled competence assessments to reinforce practical skills and training refreshers to support awareness and communicate expected behaviors at the various field locations. There has been at least one of these facilities in continuous operation since 1975. To help address driving safety with ever-increasing field activity, an initiative was undertaken to employ mobiles teams to deliver both skilled and motivated instructors and the ability to practice skill maneuvers in a risk-free environment to field locations.
Driving continues to be the leading year-on-year cause of fatalities in the oil and gas industry despite the implementation of risk control actions such as driver training, skill assessments and basic journey management controls. An oilfield services company has introduced processes and tools to address the many challenges involved in journey management to improve its driving performance. The company drives approximately 1.5 million miles every day with over 50,000 drivers of varying experience who operate more than 24,000 vehicles of different and challenging sizes and applications that require different driving skills. It is a complex task to validate that the drivers are certified to drive these vehicles in the range of environments related to the locations where they work and the specific journeys to be made. To address this complexity, in 2009 the company introduced a web-based electronic journey management system called "eJourney" to help manage and standardize journey management across its worldwide operations. This paper describes how eJourney has evolved since its introduction and how it has become the centre of a consistent process that is compliant with the company's driving policy and driving standard. Furthermore, the paper looks at how the system supports accountability in the journey management process. It also describes how, over a one-year period, this simple web-based application has supported over 1.3 million trips and how the system has promoted a consistent and standardized process for creating a trip, monitoring the ongoing journey, and finally closing the journey. The paper also demonstrates how the online journey management outputs have become a visible counseling guide and a proactive tool in helping to reduce driving risks; and that this has been reflected in improvement in vehicle accident rates.!
Driving is the highest-risk activity employees undertake in the service end of the Oil and Gas industry. Knowing this, Schlumberger has initiated an aggressive campaign to address the specialized training needs of its drivers in Canada. The program is designed to enhance a driver's ability to recognize and respond early to changing conditions and to deal with emergency situations. A driver's attitude is key to the success of the program. The training is successful when drivers leave with a firm commitment: "I will not have a crash, I will not cause a crash, I will not be a victim." To be successful, training for this environment requires both comprehensive theory and intensive, hands-on training. Classroom sessions, including journey and fatigue management, are interspersed with practical sessions. The training is delivered at a 32 hectare (80 acre) extreme driving maneuvers facility, complete with state-of-the-art innovative training equipment and time-proven training programs. Practical exercises include in-vehicle distractions, wheel-drop response, serpentine maneuvering, animal avoidance, single and complex evasive maneuvers, and backing skills. A remote-controlled vehicle "pop-up" prop is used to simulate a head-on collision, and a remote signaling device is used to reinforce trained eye lead-time, reaction time and vehicle handling. Rear, front, and all-wheel lock-ups are recreated; four-wheel steering vehicles are used to simulate acceleration and deceleration (compression) skids. A driver's competency is then assessed during a series of lengthy, hands-on rural and urban driving tests. This allows the qualified instructor to make a comprehensive evaluation of the driver's ability to implement their training in a proactive manner - to be crash-free while driving in the sometimes extreme driving conditions found in the Canadian operating environment. Introduction There are many factors that make driving the most high-risk activity employees undertake in the service end of the Oil and Gas industry. Training must address the factors that contribute to making driving such a high risk. Some of the more prevalent factors are:The Driver (Attitude)Driving in Western CanadaWeatherActivity LevelsDriver Experience LevelsTerrain and Road ConditionsDriver AlertnessAnimalsLight and Visibility Conditions To be successful, a specialized driver-training program must be focused on the environment that the Canadian driver will be exposed to. Driving in Western Canada Winter driving in Canada is usually without incident; but the variation and combination of winter conditions do create significant risk. Some of the more prevalent factors, listed below, contribute to hazardous driving experiences in the western Canadian "oil patch." Weather Being some distance from the equator, Canada is exposed to the full range of winter driving conditions. Poor visibility and poor traction are two primary concerns. Western Canadian drivers experience weather that typically ranges from –40° to +40°C (–40° to +40°F). What is unique compared to other areas is that this range can be experienced over a dramatically short period of time. Chinook winds cause these sudden and extreme changes in weather, a frequent occurrence during winter months. Conditions can change from bitterly cold to balmy melting temperatures - and back again - within hours or a few days, significantly affecting the driving environment. Driving in freezing winter conditions is hazardous in itself, but near-freezing conditions tend to produce greater risk because traction can vary dramatically with only a slight change in temperature. "Black ice" and periodic freezing rain are two such risks.
Driving is the leading safety risk faced by all who drive or ride in vehicles and contributes to an alarming number of fatalities in the teen years. Parents are challenged to prepare their children for the task of driving; however, not all parents can provide adequate training. Availability and cost are issues; lack of appreciation of the risks involved, and overconfidence in personal ability are issues as well. The passing on of bad driving habits from parent to teen is commonplace. High school and postsecondary students are some of the highest-risk age groups for vehicular fatalities. Teens must be exposed to credible information and examples of good driving practices. Oil and gas (O&G) industry corporations and public service branches are required to deal with driving issues as part of their business. To be responsible and successful, they have had to develop programs that address the hazards of driving. They have developed tools that have been used repeatedly and effectively to reduce risk in sometimes extreme driving environments. Individually the knowledge and experience may be significant, while collectively it is extensive. Over the years they have learned invaluable lessons and ways of communicating these lessons to other drivers. It was this recognition and capability that encouraged BP, Schlumberger, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to make a difference with local high school students and their parents. The three came together with presentations and exercises that would hopefully impact both attitude and ability of young drivers. Lectures were provided on the theory of crash-free driving, the need for unimpaired attention and capability, and the importance of protecting vehicle occupants. Qualified instructors put the students and parents through the same intensive, practical exercises used for employees in the oil and gas industry. Introduction Vehicle crashes kill more people in Canada each year, making driving one of the leading safety risks we face in our lives each day. One of the highest-risked age groups of vehicular fatalities are high school and postsecondary students. As a parent, the responsibility of ensuring that you have made the right choices in ensuring that your child is trained competently can be overwhelming. Releasing a child for their "first" solo drive can be nerve racking enough under ideal conditions, but there are so many "firsts" for a new driver. The first time on wet roads, on ice, on snow, on washboard, on city streets, on rural gravel roads, in vehicle distraction, and the unpredictability of "the other driver." The new driver may have the tendency to push a vehicle to its limits. Has the driver had sufficient training to have the attitude to resist this urge? With these risks in mind, an O&G company, a service company, and the police came together to make a difference with local high school students and their parents. The motivation to participate in the program by the three organizations is based on their current operations in the local community and their desire to give back to that community, along with their goals to reduce driving incidents for their employees and the community. Credibility The three sponsors of the program drive more than 100 million km (62,140,000 miles) in a year in Canada. Driving in all weather conditions and on roads that are almost impassable as part of routine business identified to the students that the company requires their drivers to have a high skill and awareness level. This set the stage for the students to realize that there was something new and challenging being offered. Candidate Selection Rural schools were chosen to participate in this training based on fatality data gathered in Alberta over a 3-year period (January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2002) involving 800 fatal motor vehicle collisions, resulting in the deaths of 968 persons and seriously injuring 486 persons. The data trends identified that:95% of fatal vehicle collisions occur in rural areas48% were unprotected by seat belts23% were alcohol related.
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