HEALTH & SAFETY
OLD BUT GOLD?
Michal Wozniakowski-Zehenter discusses the role of a well-established personnel tracking system in today’s offshore oil and gas industry safety
The T-Card system could be incorporated into muster lists S
afety and efficiency of operations are the most important things in the offshore oil and gas industry.
The environment is hazardous, full of extreme weather conditions, isolation, and possible high-risk incidents such as blowouts, fires and leaks. Personnel tracking and efficient managing of operations become critical tasks in such an environment. One traditional yet effective method of managing personnel on offshore installations is the T-Card system. This system is not new; it has been in many offshore operations for decades. Like any system, though, there are pros and cons.
UNDERSTANDING THE T-CARD SYSTEM The T-Card system is a simple manual system for tracking personnel on offshore installations. It gets its name from the cards in a T-shape that are used in the system. Each card represents a worker and carries the worker’s name, position, and
34
www.engineerlive.com
other useful information. These cards are slotted into a rack or board, often located in some central and accessible place on the installation. Cards can be moved or marked in some fashion to indicate whether the worker is at work, not at work, at some particular worksite, or engaged with specific tasks. The T-Card system is
appreciated for its simplicity and straightforwardness. It does not require advanced technologies or much infrastructure; hence, it is easy to establish and use. One would just move his or her card to the corresponding slot or appropriate section according to his or her current status. In this case, it allows one at first glance to understand who is on installation, their location, and their current activity. This simplicity makes system a popular choice in an environment where electronic systems may not be reliable or feasible because of technological limitations, harsh environmental conditions, or cost constraints.
ADVANTAGES OF THE T-CARD SYSTEM The main advantage of this system is that it is simple and straightforward. It depends on no electronic gadgets, no internet facility, or any sophisticated software. Hence, under offshore conditions, too, it’s very reliable due to failure resulting from worst weather conditions, faulty equipment, or power failures. The fact that the T-Card System is manual means it doesn’t fall under the increasingly pervasive cyber threats that internet-based systems of the modern age do. Where safety is paramount, such as it needs to be in such an industry, this can be a big plus for a manual system. The other added advantage is the
transparent, on-the-spot picture of personnel during installation. In case of an emergency, such a facility becomes vital for ascertaining the presence and absence of anyone and where they were last seen. This becomes very important in cases of fire, blowout, or abandonment, where every second counts as rapidly
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
