Targeting a 'Step Change' in Offshore Safety Performance

Abstract

A North Sea industry-wide initiative has set out a framework to target a 'step change' in offshore safety performance, broadly defined as a 15% year-to-year improvement. To achieve this, one major operator and alliance partners have focused on behavioral and cultural issues, underpinned by an innovative training program. This step change is being pursued in an environment of strong industry growth and high personnel mobility and turnover, adding to the challenge. Initial training goals are to: train individuals to stop any operation because of uncertainty or safety concerns; institute open, low-level incident reporting and communication; and instill personal ownership of individual and colleague safety. A number of 'tools' have been put in place to promote these behavioral changes, with supervisors trained to provide better communication and counseling on safety matters. There are four main elements to supervisor training. Safety Leadership comes first. This session is reinforced by three other courses: Risk Assessment, Auditing in Safety, and Accident/Incident Investigation. Supervisor training is conducted with a 'diagonal slice', from senior onshore to frontline rig management, with a side benefit of improved interpersonal understanding and communications. One training innovation uses actors role-playing a scene offshore subsequent to an accident. Those being trained have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, both interpersonal and investigative, to manage the situation and discover root causes. 'Freeze the action', 'living playback' and behavioral coaching of actors allow participants a learning experience not found in the real world: 'If only I had a chance to do that again.' This paper presents a summary of the strategy, tools, obstacles and results to date.