Feature 2 | SAFETY Plugging the information gaps


A younger generation of digital-savvy offshore specialists, rising up through the ranks, may be primed to shake up the traditional format for safety document management, according to a survey conducted by Robert Gordon University.


H


ealth and safety (H&S) remains an ongoing concern for the offshore sector, although question


marks hover over the information-sharing process, according to the findings of a report commissioned in early 2011 by Aberdeen Business School, part of the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK, and sponsored by IT solutions provider AVEVA. Formally launched at the Offshore Europe 2011 exhibition, hosted in Aberdeen in September this year, the report paints a picture of a safety-conscious offshore industry, albeit one that feels hampered by a deluge of paper documents and confusion regarding how to best obtain vital H&S information. In the first stage of the research, an online


survey quizzed and gathered the responses of 374 internationally-based individuals, all intimately involved in the offshore sector, and just over 70% of whom identified themselves as having the authority to make H&S decisions for their companies or organisations. Aberdeen Business School calculated that just over 25% of participants came from operating companies; 35.3% from contractors; 17.9% from service companies; and 4.3% from suppliers. Of the total tally of respondents, nearly 30% were drawn from companies conducting oil and gas activities on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf. In the project’s second phase, Aberdeen


Business School conducted in-depth interviews with four companies, comprising an operator, a contractor, a manufacturer and a logistics company. With all responses collated, the report makes for some interesting, if at times troublesome, reading.


A sense of complacency “Just over 80% of respondents said they would describe H&S as being very important in their organisation and department,” Professor Rita Marcella, dean of faculty, Aberdeen Business School, commented at the launch event. “Tat makes for a surprisingly large number


of people who don’t feel it is important. More than 75% felt that the importance of H&S had increased in the last two years, as opposed to 4% who felt it had decreased, but some expressed concerns over what they perceived to be a sense of complacency – as if the offshore sector had reached a plateau, instead of asking what more can be done.” As expected, a significant percentage of


respondents identified the human element as a major stumbling block, with 67.7% opining that offshore companies need to do more to cultivate a culture of personal responsibility, and 64.7% identifying human behaviours as the most pressing challenge to effective H&S management. Lack of resources and limited time in which to adequately train staff also figured in most respondents’ complaints. However, 19.5% blamed poor quality of information, in addition to ‘missing’ safety data, as a growing problem, with 18.8% flagging up a perceived lack of communication and safety information across the supply chain as a cause for concern. Given that over 92% of respondents confirmed that their company had installed an information system to specifically support H&S, these concerns, although representing a comparatively small slice of the pie, do indicate that merely installing such systems is not enough – they must be utilised properly to achieve results. Others explained that, instead of relying on


a streamlined information system, separate work sites each feature their own system, few of which are properly interconnected. Unfortunately, this fragmentation often thwarts offshore companies’ genuine attempts to measure competence and capability. “One respondent told us he would be


surprised if some companies shared H&S info across their own internal departments, let alone with their competitors on the next platform,” Marcella said. “Another replied that, rather than going all out on developing safety management, the industry is hampered


Offshore Marine Technology 4th Quarter 2011


by a ‘cover your backside’ blame culture.” Steven Tongish, VP for marketing at


AVEVA, added: “Tere is a perceived failure to capture and exploit best practice. A large number of older people in the offshore industry have extensive knowledge, but they retain it in their heads – we need to get it out there, to bridge these H&S information gaps.” While veterans of the industry may indeed rely on their gut instincts when tackling safety issues, this can lead to confusion on the part of younger, less experienced personnel, as Tongish highlighted, adding: “Workers even resort to the internet to get the information they require, and, in a crisis situation, that is scary.”


Calls for simplicity Given today’s offshore workloads, the answer would appear to be making these systems as user-friendly as possible. “Our respondents reiterated the message, ‘We need simpler systems, or single systems,” said Marcella. “Some find it difficult to get information from external sources or other departments, and this is contributing towards uncertainty.” And, in addition to providing a single reference source, these information systems must be able to deliver data that is clear and provides relevant answers to the user’s queries. So could younger members of the


offshore sector inspire a shake-up, bringing the lessons learnt from involvement in social networking platforms to the table? Tongish believes they could: “Te younger demographic doesn’t want a flood of text data,” he told delegates. “Tey would prefer the information in more of a dashboard format, so they can access exactly what they need more quickly.” Set against what is certain to be a decade of further time constraints and pressure to demonstrate H&S compliance, information system simplicity could well become a recurring theme in this sector’s discussions. OMT


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