HSElife Magazine No 7 UK by The WAT Group B.V.

7 HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE for Oil & Gas industry

Q3 2012

What’s in it for

you? pagina 2

In this issue:

ACTIVELY STRIVING FOR SAFETY

SAFETY SIGNS

EVENTUALLY REACH ZERO

INTERACTIVE INDUCTION OFFSHORE

PTW AND TRA TRAINING

GOOD TO KNOW

and more...

Foreword

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU? We learn to talk, but do we also learn to communicate. While communicating is more complex, it’s much more than just talk. Even if we remain silent and don’t respond, we communicate. And the other person draws conclusions. So it’s quite important that we realize what we do or don’t do, what we say or don’t say. In short: how do we come across to others.

Why does one message get to us while another goes in one ear and out the other? People really have to benefit from the message, otherwise they move on. What’s in it for me? Why is this interesting for me? The art is to communicate a message in a clear and unambiguous way so that it is remembered. HSE Life Magazine: What’s in it for you? To work in a healthy and safe way and to come home healthy and safe.

On behalf of the THE WAT GROUP

Pier van Spronsen

ACTIVELY STRIVIN FOR

SAFET

TY It’s in our interest and of society to strongly reduce the number of incidents and near misses as a result of careless excavation work,” says Wim van der Veen. He is He is head of the department Onshore Survey Operations of the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM) and is an active member of the Association of Pipeline Owners in The Netherlands (VELIN).

ACTIVELY STRIVING FOR SAFETY

UNACCEPTABLE INCIDENTS and/or near incidents

“The NAM has around 1700 kilometres of pipelines and 810 kilometres of cables in provinces such as Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe, Overijssel and Noord- and Zuid-Holland. That infrastructure is of great importance to us. The pipelines often transport gases and liquids under high pressure. We do not want any damage to these as a result of for instance excavation work, drainage of agricultural land or ground research. This can cause accidents such as explosions and pollution. Moreover as a consequence of this, we have to reduce or shut down production, clean the soil and repair pipelines.” “The KLIC-system has been in use now for a number of years to prevent damage by excavation work. Through a KLIC-notification, at the offices of the land registry, the groundwork contractor or excavator defines the area where he will be digging in a digging polygon. The offices of the land registry then collect all drawings, detailed information and conditions of the relevant transmission system operators and send this to the excavator. The excavator in turn is obligated to observe the said conditions and agreements. Although the making of a KLIC-notification has been made compulsory since the introduction of the Underground Cables and Pipelines Information Exchange Act (WION) of 2008, for mechanical digging work above the cables and pipelines, the number of incidents and near misses has not really decreased. The statistics for 2011 of the VELIN show that in no less than 91 out of the 160 incidents a KLIC-notification was never made. This is simply unacceptable.”

ACTIVELY STRIVING FOR SAFETY

FREE KLIC-NOTIFICATION

“I would like to get rid of the costs that groundwork contractors have to pay for making a KLICnotification. It could be possible that they have difficulties with having to pay this sum. Besides this, an excavator can run into additional costs if he encounters a pipeline that is located a few metres from the position marked on the map. These deviations can occur because of the different ways of digitizing information or the use of less accurate measuring equipment. The WION obligates a groundwork contractor to report such cases, but this will mean additional work. Some contractors charge for these costs, others do not so as not to risk missing out on assignments. Maybe a certain amount of money should be made available to support the groundwork contractors in these cases. I consider this to be a measure that we should all take together. If this cannot be arranged as a part of the WION, then we shall have to arrange this in connection with the VELIN together with other transmission system operators and groundwork contractors.”

“Groundwork contractors should also be better supported in their work by helping them to interpret the vast amount of information from the various parties. Because of difficulties to read drawings it is not always clear where and at what depth the cables and pipelines are located. This can be connected to the expertise of the people in the field but also with the quality of the drawings made available by the transmission system operators. I am in favour of further automation and digitization of the information. Everybody has tablets and smartphones at their disposal these days. KLIC-viewer apps have already been developed, but to be able to use these professionally the groundwork contractor needs to register for paid services. I would like to see these apps becoming freely available to all transmission system operators and groundwork contractors to lower the barriers for all parties concerned.”

ACTIVELY STRIVING FOR SAFETY

COMMUNICATE WELL

“The cause of incidents and near misses can also be found in the communication. Agreements and conditions are sometimes interpreted differently, which can lead to an excavator starting his digging work too early, before we have marked the pipeline in the field. We report such cases to the supervisor, the Radiocommunications Agency. It will be followed up with an official letter and measures can be taken. This could be a warning, but in serious cases we can take legal steps and impose fines. This can become expensive and I have heard rumours that the groundwork contractors are sensitive to this. If it is brought to our attention that in multiple cases a company has assigned a contractor to excavate without following regulations, then this may have consequences for their professional relationship with the NAM. As a transmission system operator you have to take a very proactive approach towards this.” “Through such measures and drawing attention to these issues from companies and contractors there are still quite a few improvements to be made. The WION has been a good first step. Now we are slowly moving in the right direction to further reduce the number of incidents and near misses. Each incident costs a lot of time and energy and this can also damage the reputation of your company. Once, in the 1980s, I have seen how a drainage machine cut right through a pipeline of the NAM. This leads to pollution of the land, shutting down production, excavations and clean-up operations. That is something you do not want to experience. Therefore I would like to take every possibility to draw attention for this subject and together reduce the number of incidents and near misses. That is in the best interest of all of us.”

Wim van der Veen Head of Onshore Survey Operations

FREE

ALSO FOR IPAD

Download the free HSE Life Unio App. Soon also available for iPad. With this app you will have direct access to all the information on the HSE Life Unio website (www.hselifeunio.com), anywhere and anytime. It helps you in performing your work safely, onshore and offshore. Among others, on the website you will find information on hazardous substances, life saving rules, opinions, training and learning techniques and you keep track of the latest developments in “the field” through HSE Life Magazine. Preventing unwanted and unsafe situations is better than having to cure them. Surely that’s our responsibility. www.hselifeunio.com

Follow HSE Life Unio on Twitter: @hselifeunio

SAFE

ETY SIGNS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BLOMSMA Symbols are part of our daily life. For example in traffic we encounter numerous symbols that tell us what we should or shouldn’t do and that warn us against dangerous situations. But what happens when a sign, which indicates a one-way street, would have a different meaning in Amsterdam than it would have in Utrecht? What happens if there wouldn’t be harmonization?

SAFETY SIGNS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

WHICH WAY DO WE GO WHEN IT COMES TO

HARMONISATIION IN OTHER WORDS, SAFETY SIGNS IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY?

‘There’s a considerable potential here and HSE managers really work hard to lift harmonization of safety signs to a higher level for their offshore locations’, says Brian Lenos. ‘Safety signs ensure people’s safety, but are also important for the environment. Lenos is Operations Division Manager at Blomsma Signs & Safety. This company implements safety signs for onshore and offshore locations, project-based, and gives advice.

SAFETY SIGNS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

OF SYMBOLS THE IMPORTANCE OF UNIFORMITY ‘Uniformity of safety signs is vitally important’, says Lenos. ‘Especially if you work at various offshore locations. Let me refer to signs for emergency escape routes, fire prevention equipment, rescue equipment, rules and bans, potentially explosive areas. But I also refer to the labelling of dangerous substances in pipelines and tanks. If these signs would be different everywhere, there would be confusion and potentially unsafe situations. Due to this, accidents happen and man, environment and plants are in danger. So it’s important for everyone to get the same information anywhere.’

INFORMATIVE PURPOSE ‘Signs have an informative purpose. Uniformity,for instance, ensures recognition of the operational process and process safety. For example a standard marking which indicates natural gas or hazardous substances in tanks. Using the same symbols and markings for this, prevents accidents from happening. In addition uniformity plays an important role in case of calamities. Signs provide understanding of emergency escape routes, they inform rescue services and may contribute to acting faster.’

SAFETY SIGNS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

COLLABORATION ‘Six years ago NAM started to set up a technical standard for safety and health signs for its onshore locations. Subsequently Centrica followed this philosophy and used elements to jointly develop an offshore standard with Chevron. Meanwhile other operators also take on this trend and focus on the standardization. Although there’s a structure with underlying laws and regultions, you have to develop standards and turn them into useful documents. This is where companies collaborate and learn from each other, with each other. Even England and Norway have mutual benefits, so they too adopt elements from the standards. These are great developments of course.’

MAINTENANCE ‘Maintenance of safety signs is an issue. If a situation at a location changes, this could mean that an emergency escape route changes and you have to rearrange the signs. Or when changes are made in a specific project, don’t overlook how the signs relate to the changes. So keep giving the right direction to health, safety and environment.’

CONCISE AND CLEAR HARMONIZED INFORMATION Working in the Oil and Gas industry means that you sometimes get to deal with hazardous, flammable and toxic substances or dangerous situations. It’s vital that you know exactly where and when hazardous substances may be released and that you recognize them. But it’s even more important to prevent them from damaging your health and to know what personal protective equipment you need. DIRECT USE IN YOUR WORK On the HSE Life Unio website you can find clear and specific video and onscreen presentations, guidebooks and information on how to deal with hazardous substances. In this way you are informed in a fast, accessible and easy way and you can use the information directly in your work. After all, safety is number one priority. In the third quarter of 2012 we introduce new items: • Flange joints • Hoisting & Lifting • High Pressure • PPEs • Spills • Electrical hazards

HSE guidelines

HIJSEN EN HEFFEN

FLENSVERBINDINGEN

HSE LIFE

THE NATIONAL OIL&GAS INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR PROFESSIONALS

HSE guidelines

HOGE DRUK

HSE LIFE

THE NATIONAL OIL&GAS INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR PROFESSIONALS

HSE guidelines

PBM’s

SPILLS

HSE LIFE

THE NATIONAL OIL&GAS INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR PROFESSIONALS

HSE guidelines

HSE LIFE

THE NATIONAL OIL&GAS INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR PROFESSIONALS

HSE guidelines

GEVAREN DOOR ELEKTRICITEIT HSE LIFE

THE NATIONAL OIL&GAS INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR PROFESSIONALS

These items are added to the topics that were already on the website: • Natural Gas Condensate • Asbestos/Ceramic wool • Benzene • Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S)

HSE guidelines

S mei 2012

AARDGASCONDENSAAT

• NORM/LSA

HSE LIFE THE NATIONAL OIL&GAS INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR PROFESSIONALS

HSE guidelines

mei 2012

ASBEST / KERAMISCH MATERIAAL

HSE LIFE THE NATIONAL OIL&GAS INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR PROFESSIONALS

HSE guidelines

H2S

BENZEEN

ZWAVELWATERSTOF

HSE LIFE

HSE LIFE THE INTERNATIONAL OIL&GAS INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR PROFESSIONALS

HSE guidelines

THE NATIONAL OIL&GAS INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR PROFESSIONALS

S mei 2012

mei 2012

januari 2012

NORM / LSA

(Natural Occurring Radioactive Material / Lage Specifieke Activiteit)

HSE LIFE THE NATIONAL OIL&GAS INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR PROFESSIONALS

SCHEDULE Check the schedule for items that have yet to come. IN NEAR FUTURE We make inquiries and collect information about whether it’s desired to add a questionnaire and a checklist to the information. We will publish the outcome in HSE Life Magazine and on the website of HSE Life Unio.

www.hselifeunio.com

JACK TWIT ON TER Jack THE NORTH SEA COWBOY

It’s a rainy day when I drive up to the Black Swan to meet Jack. The scooter is, as usual, just parked in front of the entrance and I have to squeeze myself to pass. The bartender notices me. I wave to him, in a rather clumsy way. He turns and fills two glasses with beer and puts them on the bar without saying a word. Then he nods in the direction of someone at the bar. I recognize Jack who is concentrating on...writing! I look at him admiringly from a distance to see how he holds his pen between his thumb and ring finger. A pack of yellow sticky notes is in front of him.

I put his beer down and say hello. He doesn’t seem to hear me. His breathing is heavy with the effort he’s making. I can’t help being nosy and peek at what he is writing: ‘Is the fellow behind the bar waiting for a PtW or what? Where the bloody hell is my beer?’ Ah, just the right time to put his beer in front of him. “Well bloody hell, love.” he looks up “You know exactly what Jack wants don’t you, I was getting rather thirsty now.” He takes the glass and gulps it down. He burps, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and says “Aah...that was good.”

“Hey, hey...hear this, doll. Jack is being all modern now.” He holds up the yellow sticky note and says: “I am on Twitter!”

My eyes widen “You’re on what??!! But... how...”

Jack turns his head towards the bartender and yells: “Hey, mister boring. Gives us two more beer will you.” The bartender stays in neutral. I didn’t even touch my first glass and I take a quick sip.

JACK ON TWITTER

“Yeah missy, the guys from that magazine for softies asked me. I didn’t have a clue what they were asking but I thought: I am nobody’s fool I will find out myself. So I asked my son. He said: “Well old man, it’s easy enough. You just write a line and put in on your computer.” So, that’s what I do now. Once in a while I drop a line and when I get home I stick it on my screen and let it work for a night. I feel one coming up right now.” He takes up his pen in that particular way and turns to his sticky note.

I am too amazed to even laugh and consider whether I am the right person to help him with this. I wait till he has written his new ‘tweet’ and already get my phone out. I open the Twitter-app and I start by making a profile for him I reckon; @SjaakDrost

Sjaak Drost aka N.B.

Editorial note: And so Jack is now to be found on Twitter so you can stay in touch with his wisdom whenever you like. His twittername is @SjaakDrost. Does Jack ever follow? What do you think?

GOOD TO KNOW

TWO WEEKS ON, THREE WEEKS OFF AND

THE OCCASIONAL ‘JOB ON THE SIDE’

How does it work with these ‘odd jobs’ when home from the job?

GOOD TO KNOW

In some employment contracts, collective agreements or business agreements there is a specific regulation concerning the additional incomes. In these regulations the employee isn’t allowed to work for another employer without permission of his official employer, not withstanding the fact whether there is an income generated or not. It can also be a partial ban, by reducing the amount of hours or restricting the type of work. Or it can prohibit to work for the concurrent or his costumers.

THIS CAN LEAD TO If the employer finds out an employee has been ‘working a bit on the side’ without permission, this

can lead to immediate dismissal. In assessing the immediate dismissal, all circumstances are taken into account. If the employee can demonstrate that the employer did know it for a longer time or should have known it, the dismissal won’t stand. However, the employment contract will be ended in most cases due to lack of trust.

Also without the specific regulations the employer can prohibit the ‘odd jobs’. The employer expects the employee to take a rest in the weeks at home so that he can turn to work in good shape to work again on the location for weeks in a row. If the employee has tiredness from his other job and causes a dangerous situation on the location, it’s to be doubted whether it’s the employer who is to be held responsible. If the employer hasn’t explicitly prohibited working on the side, then the employee is only allowed to accept jobs that don’t affect his work on the location in a negative way. Being discovered by your employer when doing an odd job isn’t the only risk. Also the tax authorities keep a close watch on you. You are obliged to declare everything you earn. If not, they fine you. And they are always finding better ways to detect fraud. And some people help them in their work, without wanting to do so. On network sites, such as LinkedIn, employees like to show many jobs on the side to broaden their network. Be aware of the fact that these profiles are publicly accessible and so also for the tax authorities and your employers.

GOOD TO KNOW

IMMEDIATE DISMISSAL Still, working a bit on the side isn’t always impossible and it can seem unfair when it’s prohibited by your employer and you end up having too little income. Make sure you have a clear agreements with your employer and declare what you earn so you won’t be surprised in an unpleasant way.

If you would like some more information, send an email to info@thewatgroup.com att. “Maartje”.

mr.

M.A. (Maartje) Ouwehand

Wieringa Advocaten www.wieringa.nl

“If we are able to reduce the number of incidents to zero then we have won as an industry,” says Sander Floore. He is HSEQ manager at Dana Petroleum and chairman of the Health & Safety Committee of Nogepa.

together strive for one goal and eventually reach zero! “Dana Petroleum is an oil- and gas company with great ambitions. In the coming years we want to double production by optimising and expanding the number of production locations. As HSEQ manager, one of my responsibilities is to help create a strong, open and mature safety culture with the final aim to reduce the number of events; incidents and near-misses. We make no distinction between these, since they have the same causes. If you do not address these issues then this will eventually lead to personal injury or material damages.”

“Within the Health & Safety Committee of Nogepa it has been a matter of discussion for some time to harmonize and standardize certain aspects. Good work has been done in this direction, such as the creation of a Safety & Emergency Response training scheme that is uniform for the entire industry. HSElife Unio is the next step in this process. If I speak frankly then I must say that my attitude towards this was sceptical at first. I have seen other, similar initiatives, which started out enthusiastically but still died a silent death. We, however, have become convinced that HSElife Unio will be successful because of the way it is organized and set up and we have therefore decided to join.”

“The success of HSElife Unio is found especially in the involvement of the contractors and the vision that has been laid out by HSElife Unio. In our industry the majority of the work is done by contractors. You should never just tell the contractors how to work, but work together with them. I think a lot can still be gained by listening to them.” “As Dana Petroleum we see a lot of potential in HSElife Unio and shall commit ourselves to the sharing of best practices within the industry. In that field we are not competitors. So why not share this knowledge? After all, there exists no copyright on safety! It is also in our best interest if no incidents occur at other operators. Just have a look at how much impact such events as Piper Alpha and Deepwater Horizon have had.”

PARTICIPATE, TOGETHER STRIVE FOR ONE GOAL AND EVENTUALLY REACH ZERO!

“HSElife Unio documentation is the best means to lay a foundation for the sharing of best practices. This will lead to discussions that will in turn teach us a lot. It goes without saying that we will share our safety systems with other operators. And if other operators do things better, then you must realize that you can make improvements yourself. This can be very confronting, when you think you have done something correctly for years. Then you must confront yourself and see how and where you can learn something.”

There exists no copyright on safety! “Rules are one thing, to do your work correctly is something else. Uniform and clear communication are a crucial part of this. In the first place leadership is important for the safety culture within a company, whether this is the Managing Director or the Offshore Installation Manager. He or she has to specify very clearly what the company stands for and how we work together. The second point of importance is to address somebody about unsafe behaviour and especially to dare and inspect the work of experienced personnel. It is essential for the safety culture that somebody will regard this as something positive.” “I strongly believe in the philosophy that each event can be foreseen and prevented. With that knowledge, and the fact that each event costs money, a good business case can be created to take on this issue together. An event can have a great impact on somebody’s personal life, create damage to the environment or lead to a production stop. Never in my life have I seen an event that actually made money.”

Sander Floore, HSEQ Manager

THE SYNERGIE BETWEEN AND NEW HSE LIFE

LAB

HSE LIFE UNIO WANTS TO ACHIEVE INCIDENT FREE OPERATIONS IN THE COMING YEARS, BUT WHAT WILL OUR INDUSTRY LOOK LIKE BY THE YEAR 2025?

N EXISTING W INFORMATION COMES TO LIFE IN VISION Remote Cooperation Interface AND HOW WILL THE ON- AND OFFSHORE EMPLOYEES OPERATE IN TEN YEARS’ TIME? WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT AND SAFETY FACILITIES WILL THEY HAVE AT THEIR DISPOSAL? THESE AND OTHER QUESTIONS ARE THE FOCAL POINT OF THE BRAND NEW INITIATIVE HSE LIFE UNIO LAB: VISIONARIES GO TO WORK WITH FUTURE VISIONS FOR THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY. Our industry is full of risks. Is it possible to attain completely Incident Free Operations? Yes, provided we keep on developing and implementing trailblazing communication trajectories and apply the most modern technologies to develop new safety concepts for the on- and offshore employees.

CO-OP VISION

VISIONARIES As a part of this strategy, the The WAT Group has founded the HSE Life UNIO LAB. The main goal of this new initiative is to come up with new solutions for the future of the Oil and Gas Industry. In line with HSE Life UNIO, central themes include safety, health, wellbeing and the environment. The subjects taken on by the LAB can originate from own initiatives or from a direct question from the industry. The LAB is a think tank that consists of a number of visionaries who use their knowledge and life experience to come up with new and functional solutions for the Oil and Gas Industry. The participants in the LAB come from the The WAT Group, the Oil and Gas Industry and renowned universities and knowledge institutes. Their specialties lie in the various fields of technology, industrial design and the various diversifications of communication. Their power is to think beyond borders, outside of the box, and to develop new and revolutionary applications using new and existing technologies.

CO-OP VISION The first result from the think tank of the HSE Life UNIO LAB is the development of the system Co-op Vision: a Remote Cooperation Interface based on the 360˚ remote view. Co-op Vision has been developed on the initiative of the HSE Life UNIO LAB as a means to achieve more efficient consultation situations, for example by reducing the number of helicopter flights to offshore locations. In certain cases the reason for these flights can be relatively small, for example to take measurements of a deck to place scaffolding, or to calculate the number of square meters on a platform. All of the technical specifications and the most important details of a location, both on- and offshore, are registered in Co-op Vision. This allows the employees to oversee the complete production platform from any given location. And this is possible from any random point chosen on the ground plan of any deck. The system projects relevant information and technical specifications as an overlay in the image. Furthermore, Co-op Vision serves as a communication system between the operators and the contractors, maintenance, engineering and planning. They can discuss planned work activities or everyday problems and control and plan these long-distance. Co-op Vision is being built now for the CEU platforms.

CO-OP VISION

SEMINARS With Co-op Vision, the HSE Life UNIO LAB has expressed its decisiveness and futuristic way of thinking. By having regular meetings and brainstorm sessions the visionaries in the LAB will deal with diverse subjects and work out trailblazing concepts. Cooperation with the industry is a requirement to test the ideas on their viability. To closely include the operators and the contractors with the subjects dealt with in the LAB and open up possibilities for discussions, the The WAT Group will organize seminars. Furthermore, we shall report on current subjects dealt with in the LAB and the results of the through-developed concepts in HSE Life Magazine.

HSE LIFE

LAB

Unique

I AT

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IL &

GA S

Y INDUSTR STANDARD F

PR O

MULTILANGUAGE VERSION

NL UK

INTERACTIVE INDUCTION OFFSHORE HSE LIFE

What’s the procedure for travelling to your offshore location and what should you pay attention to? What exactly does it mean to work offshore? What are the dangers and risks? Which rules apply to your work? Who is who at an offshore location?

e and complete

about working offshore You’ll find the answers to these questions if you watch the unique DVD Interactive Induction Offshore.

GOAL

The dvd aims at making the effectiveness and efficiency of HSE instructions at an offshore location transparent. The ultimate goal is to provide a safe workplace and to ensure that we all speak the same language. This way you prevent accidents from happening.

CREATE YOUR OWN IDENTITY

The ground rules for working offshore or travelling to an offshore location are the same for the entire industry. But this multifunctional and versatile dvd has been set up in a way that, to some extent, every organization can put in its proprietary information and create its own identity. Each location is different of course.

CLEAR SET UP OF THE DVD

The modules are short, energetic, clear and comprehensible and you easily switch to other parts, at all levels. A voiceover tells you everything about the topic you clicked. A most attractive and easy way to quickly find information and learn. In Dutch and English.

TOPICS

Topics on the dvd are: • Introduction: general information about your organization. • Dangers and risks about working offshore. • Going offshore: all the information about tavelling to an offshore location. • Location specific information: several modules with specific information aim at various employees at a location. For example: “Who is who?” and “Working at the location”. • Accompanying documentation including working with hazardous substances. • 360 remote view (Co-Op vision): this enables consultations attended by several people who are not in the same place and who simultaneously want remote viewing of a specific offshore location. So this represents a considerable reduction in costs. • Test: an interactive questionnaire about the topics on the dvd (with certificate). • Location specific training, Permit to Work and Task Risk Analysis.

SCOOP FOR CENTRICA ENERGY UPSTREAM

The employees of Centrica Energy Upstream are the first to use this dvd. This way they learn all the ins and outs of their offshore locations well. An excellent tool for Incident Free Operations.

Table tennis is one of my favorite games. Just the sight of the green or blue color of the table and the sound of the ball bouncing away really attracts me.

NEN Ramon Roelofs

NEN

Ping-pong, as it is commonly called, can go really, really fast. When I started playing years ago, during a vacation on Ibiza, and found myself against an experienced opponent, I sometimes even couldn’t see the ball coming. Pang! Lost again with 11-2!!! And the two points I gained were often due to a mistake my opponent had made. Nowadays I am more successful fortunately. Table tennis works best for me when I ‘don’t think’. In other words, if I leave myself out of the game. Only then actions seem to happen naturally. The moment I start thinking about whether I should aim at the right side of my opponent because of his bad backhand, I am not one anymore with the game. I am in my mind then. Also when I am 6-1 behind and start to think shit, I am never going to win this game again, I shall definitely lose the game. Of course you can’t start playing ‘mindlessly’ from one moment to the other. It begins with playing a lot and getting to know the techniques. Then you start working on your endurance and alertness that are needed in this fast game. This alertness is the subject I would like to explore a bit further.

With attentive awareness I mean being one with what you do in that moment. Commit to an activity for the full 100%. And that’s hard! In Japan the word nen is used, it means the degree of concentration. A nen is the smallest amount of attentive awareness you can direct. With attentive awareness I mean being one with what you do in that moment. Commit to an activity for the full 100%. And that’s hard! To be one with the action doesn’t have to do with ‘thinking’. On the contrary, the mind can distract you from it. With smallest bit of attention you can direct I mean how quick you can switch your attention. Top athletes like tennis players and soccer players intuitively switch rapidly between the moments and actions. The same goes for gymnasts, golf players and actually for every person performing top sport.

NEN

Fortunately we aren’t all top athletes. And we don’t need to be in order to train our nen. But we do want optimal concentration so that we can function well in our daily life. And that’s what we aim for in our field as well, the oil-and gasindustry. Let’s take a look at an auctioneer, you could say he has a really small nen. The tiniest movements of the bidder are noticed. The same goes for a good coach in a group. The coach when encountering certain circumstances, words and actions of individuals, observes the group in a blink of an eye. Guus Hiddink is someone with an excellent developed nen. Also Roger Federer, who in an interview once told that during a match he sees the balls as if coming in slow motion, has a real small nen. Some balls can have a speed exceeding 200 km/h. As untrained person you hardly see them coming, let alone hit back. You can train your nen in several ways. I sport regularly and practice zen-meditation since years to decrease my nen, or increase if needed. By sitting still in concentrated awareness and focusing my gaze at one point, I learned to observe sounds around me, actions and reactions in my body and mind in a more accurate. Especially breathing is an important key to good concentration. By sitting very still and focusing on the breathing, you can experience moments of flow, which you could describe as commitment. Our intuition at such moments is wide open. Subsequently we can easily adapt in altering situations. And that’s what this fast moving society asks from us! Instead of doing one thing every second, it enables us to do two things in full awareness. Or halve that and fully observing four things. Understandably life gets much more interesting. More intense. More aware and with an alert spirit. And so you’ll enjoy life more because no moment will be the same, but completely unique.

Ramon

Inspiration: ‘Leer denken wat je wil denken’ by Rients Ritskes and my own experience.

Note from the editorial office: Ramon Roelofs has successfully been giving training to arise and raise concentration. In collaboration with The WAT Group Ramon designed a special training for our industry. If you would like more information about such training, please contact the editorial office of the HSELife magazine.

BARRIER BASED RISK MANAGEMENT NETWORK EVENT CGE

Risk Management Solutions

THE WAT GROUP INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN NETWORK EVENT ABOUT MANAGING RISKS AND PREVENTING INCIDENTS

Barrier based thinking on risk management is central on the two-day “Barrier Based Risk Management Network Event”, organized by CGE Risk Management Solutions. The WAT Group has been invited to participate in the event. This network event is meant for all Industries that deal with risks in their primary business process and that want to share their practical experiences and knowledge with each other on methods. Share with us your knowledge, view and best practices on managing risks and preventing incidents.

BARRIER BASED RISK MANAGEMENT NETWORK EVENT

INDUSTRY AWARDS During the event, organizations that have shown a leading approach concerning Risk Management will be rewarded with Industry Awards. Here you’ll find an example in the case studies of the organizations that are nominated.

ENGAGING SPEAKERS Each day engaging speakers will address different and exciting topics. Ronald Pijtak of Centrica Energy is one of the guest speakers. His topic is Tripod Causation paths in BowTie. He talks about an approach to safety aimed at the underlying problems that lead to incidents. The Tripod theory states that the immediate causes (such as human error) do not occur in isolation but are influenced by external factors - predominantly organizational and environmental preconditions. Many of these factors themselves originate from decisions or actions taken by planners, designers or managers that are far away from the scene of the accident - the latent failure. The latent failures will by their nature usually impact on a broad front. Hence, identifying and addressing them will bring wider benefit when compared to the immediate cause of the accident The Tripod theory, and the applications that have developed from it, are the result of research by the Universities of Leiden and Manchester, sponsored by Shell. Topics of other guest speakers are for instance: The day after the disaster, Organisational culture as the groundwork for safety management, Qualitative risks in a quantitative world, Anatomy of a blowout and It’s not the tool, stupid!

Date: Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th of September 2012 Location: Amsterdam More information: www.cgerisk.com/networkevent

BARRIER BASED RISK MANAGEMENT NETWORK EVENT

COMPANIES Among the participating companies, the Oil and Gas industry as well as the Chemical industry is strongly represented. But the event is certainly meant for: • Energy Supply Companies • Maritime • Mining and Natural Resources • Manufacturing • Aviation • Transport • Financials • Commercials Businesses • Government & National Institutions • Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals • IT • Engineering & Construction • Consulting • Telecom & Utilities Join the discussion with companies such as Shell, Centrica Energy, British Airways, Stuart Wright Company, Vodafone, BP, Royal Haskoning DHV, Maersk Drilling, Statoil, TNO.

STRENGTHENING TIES Alongside a strong substansive component, the conference also has a social element. A great moment for strengthening ties. We are looking forward to seeing you and to meet you on September 24th and 25th.

Clear training courses

Permit t Task Risk

to Work (PtW) & k Analysis (TRA) It’s important for everyone’s safety to make proper working arrangements and discuss them together to make sure they’re understood. So everybody knows what to do without misunderstandings and incidents happening. It’s also important to recognize and identify risks so measures can be taken beforehand and risks can be controlled.

INTERACTIVE DVD’s WITH TRAINING COURSES PtW AND TRA

When defining working arrangements and risks, the PtW and TRA come in. A PtW or TRA is more than just a form you fill out and thereby limit the risks at your workplace. The forms were at the base of the development of a clear and accessible DVD with a training course on PtW and TRA. The DVDs provide precise and full information about everything concerning the PtW and TRA. And soon you’ll know how to deal with it and how to complete the forms.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN IN THE PtW AND TRA TRAINING COURSES? You get information on questions like: • What exactly does it involve? • Why is it necessary? • When do you use it? • Who makes it and who fills out what? • For whom is it important? • How to fill it out and what information exactly is in it? • How do you use it? After you’ve followed the interactive training courses, you know how to take measures in order to manage risks, before you start working. In addition you understand what to do and how to perform using the right knowledge to be able to prepare your work properly and subsequently to work safely in particular.

SET UP OF THE DVD’s

On the DVDs a trainer tells you the whole story about the PtW and TRA. After an introduction he takes you along several topics, step by step, and gives information on each topic. At the end of the training an interactive questionnaire is included that the participants must comply with right/wrong. After you’ve finished the last question you see whether you have answered all questions correctly. If not, you see which questions you answered wrongly. These need answering again. You’ll automatically get to the chapter of the corresponding question. Once you’ve reached a 100% score, you can print out your certificate.

SUPPORT

The interactive training courses are stand-alone and anyone can follow them whenever they want. In addition, a trainer, for example, can use them in conjunction with a course he gives or use it as a support.

AWARENESS

What is notecable, is that the training courses create a higher level of awareness on working safely. This benefits the influence on the safety level in companies. Follow the training courses and make sure to minimize unwanted and unexpected incidents before you start working.

for industry, by industry HSE LIFE is a forum for those working in the petroleum and natural gas industry. HSE LIFE focuses particularly on those working wherever HSEW is really an issue or really should be an issue: on the shop floor. HSE LIFE magazine is published by: The WAT Group B.V. P.O. Box 20033 7302 HA Apeldoorn The Netherlands Mobile: +31 (6) 462 95 25 6(7, 8, 9) www.thewatgroup.com On this issue worked Natascha Bruti, Marjou Janse, Marcel van Spronsen, Veselin Raznatovic, Ramon Roelofs, Pier van Spronsen, Stéphanie van Stockum, Janine IJssel de Schepper, Bob Janssen, Marc van Baasbank, Paul Schilperoord and the Members of the HSElife UNIO Steering group: Piet van Dam, Ronald Pijtak, Jan Jager, Sietse Wijnstra, Gerard Burgers, Sander Floore, Rik van der Zee, Felicia Wolting, Edwin Harteveld en Frits van der Wilt. Please e-mail any comments about subjects discussed in this magazine to info@thewatgroup.com attn. Janine Ijssel de Schepper.