As safety programs in the oil and gas industry evolve, many companies are realizing they have reached a plateau in their ability to effectively reduce lost time injury rates. Past progress in reducing rates was made primarily by introducing new tools and equipment that made the work place safer. The advent of safety management systems, which provide a structured approach to how companies address safety, brought about the next significant reduction in injury rates.
Even with these significant advancements in safety programs, injuries related to stepping, handling and lifting still account for more than 70% of all injuries recorded in the oilfield service industry. Realizing this, one major oilfield service company, with more than 80,000 employees, is addressing the problem with a systematic approach rather than with individual programs.
This paper shows how the service company's eight-element management system model has been applied to reduce injuries related to stepping, handling and lifting. This systematic approach is built upon training modules designed to educate employees on how to reduce and eliminate the hazards they encounter on a daily basis. By introducing significant change in how injury prevention is addressed at all levels of the organization, the company is effectively moving to the next level in safety management. Practical details of the initiatives undertaken in each element of the management system are given, along with progress to date. The paper concludes by describing how this management system approach affects the company, including strengthening the 24/7 safety culture that was created when this same approach was applied in 1998 to reduce driving risks.
Introduction
Over the past several years, as safety programs in the oil and gas industry have evolved, many companies recognized that they have reached a plateau in their ability to effectively reduce lost time injury rates. Significant progress was made in the past by introducing new tools and equipment that made the work place safer. In addition, the introduction of safety management systems, which provided a structured approach to how companies address safety, brought about the next significant drop in injury rates. The Schlumberger Injury Prevention Program (SIPP) takes safety to the next level. This program, built upon training modules designed to educate employees on how to reduce and eliminate the hazards they encounter on a daily basis, is not just another training program. By introducing significant organizational change in how injury prevention is addressed at all levels of the company, this program is effectively taking Schlumberger to the next level in safety.
Although a risk profile of reported hazards (Fig. 1) indicates that only 35% of reported risks relate to stepping, handling and lifting issues ("Personnel" segment of chart), actual injuries related to stepping, handling and lifting currently account for more than 70% of all serious injuries suffered by Schlumberger employees (Fig. 2). Although there have been initiatives in the past to address this, none have had a significant impact on reducing these injuries. SIPP was developed to address the everyday risks that the Schlumberger workforce sees each time they go to the wellsite. As such, each business segment can modify the program to address the specific risks their employees are facing. SIPP is the first global effort of its kind within Schlumberger, extending to all Schlumberger companies, in all segments, and in all geographical areas.
