CALGARY CORPORATE CHALLENGE
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• AUSTRALIANA • AMERICANA • HEALTH & WELLNESS
path to change
and the The Path for Others to Follow
• MEET FIONA • MEET RIG 653 • THE LAST PAGE • WHAT’S HAPPENING SEPTEMBER 2014
MESSAGE FROM MANAGEMENT
WE WERE PROMISED JET PACKS by Ken Ledger, Corporate Director, Risk Management & Compliance
I
have a vision of the 21st century where we all enjoy the use of personal jet packs, no traffic jams, and we fly safely to wherever we want to go. Perhaps a promise from science fiction movies and stories from my youth. I also have a vision for the 21st century where individuals can go to work everyday and provide for their families without having to risk being injured. Unlike jet packs this is not a vision based in fiction but in fact. Consider that at the start of the 19th century workers died in the thousands to build
“ Do you accept that your children or your children’s children should have to risk injury to earn a living?” railroads; injuries in farming and ranching were common and even expected. At the beginning of the 20th century, workers were routinely expected to take extreme risks at work. Injuries during con-
IN THIS ISSUE: S
THE NEWSLETTER OF SAVANNA ENERGY SERVICES CORP.
FIND US ON:
Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page
2: 4: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 12: 14: 15:
Message from Management The Path to Change Meet Rig 653 Americana Australiana Meet Fiona Health & Wellness What’s Happening Corporate Challenge Update Last Page
Rig-n-Dig is published by Savanna Energy Services Corp. as an information vehicle for our employees and for our community. Suggestions and contributions are welcome and encouraged. Editor & Publisher: Patrick Brooks (403-718-2885, pbrooks@savannaenergy.com) Managing Editor: John Bayko (403-781-9999, jbayko@savannaenergy.com)
ON THE COVER: Safety precautions and PPE are at the heart of HSE’s Path to Follow philosphy.
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Savanna Energy Services Corp. 800, 311–6th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 3H2 P: 403-503-9990 F: 403-267-6749 E: info@savannaenergy.com Savanna Energy Services Corp. is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:SVY). For current stock information, visit tsx.com or savannaenergy.com.
RIG-N-DIG • SEPTEMBER 2014
struction of projects such as the Story Bridge in Brisbane, the Empire State Building in New York City, or the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia were common. Deaths during these projects were few but not unexpected. Now at the beginning of the 21st century injuries are even fewer and deaths are uncommon. Yet we still accept that some number of workers will be injured on the job. Whether you believe my vision of no one getting hurt to earn a living in this century for yourself is perhaps less relevant. The question is: do you accept that your children or your children’s children should have to risk injury to earn a living? If you, like me, believe this expectation to be beyond reason and realize the improvements made by previous generations set an expectation that we, like them, will make the workplace safer for the next generation. Then we accept the challenge of raising the bar of safety in the workplace and the change starts today with you and me. In turn, the next generation will take what we leave them and make it even better, leading us to a time in this century where no one gets hurt earning a living. However, we need to lead the change by stepping up and being better today than we were yesterday. We need to challenge ourselves to put aside any thoughts that safety is a choice or that any injury is acceptable and expect more from ourselves and those on the job with us. While enjoying the use of personal jet packs is perhaps based in fiction. Elimination of workplace injuries in this century is grounded in reality, is achievable, and it starts here. Today. With us. The path for others to follow starts with me. n WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
TAT CONTEST
WE
WANT TO SEE YOUR
TATS
The good, the bad, and the ugly (but not if they’re NSFW...sorry)
For a chance to win a $500 e-store gift certificate, email your tat pics to communications@savannaenergy.com along with your name and the story behind getting it. Entries will be posted on rigndig.com in January 2015 where you can vote for your favourite.
WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
RIG-N-DIG • SEPTEMBER 2014
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THE PATH
“Path” is a small word that packs a big punch in Savanna’s global HSE program, but getting the message out has its challenges. So what is Savanna’s Path philosophy and why is it important?
Theto path change If
you’re wondering what the Challenger disaster has to do with Savanna, it’s simple, really — it represents the worst-case scenario for a safety program. With lives on the line and billions of dollars of technological investment at stake, the space shuttle and those on board paid the ultimate price due to a faulty O-ring that was approved for use. Could the disaster have been averted if the problem was brought to the attention of NASA decision-makers prior to lift-off? Most likely, yes. As a matter of fact, the subsequent investigation into the tragedy uncovered evidence that the O-ring issue was flagged by at least one front-line engineer on the project, but it fell on deaf ears since the risk was deemed “acceptable” and the Challenger launch went ahead as planned. Millions of TV viewers tuned in that day to witness a textbook example of what can go wrong when a safety program breaks down. Kim Benson, an HSE Team Lead based out of Savanna’s Nisku office, uses the Challenger disaster as a discussion point in his training presentations on the importance of compliance in regards to Savanna’s HSE program. 4
RIG-N-DIG • SEPTEMBER 2014
Every policy and procedure must be followed diligently and enforced by everyone at all times. Ambivalence or, worse yet, a complete disregard for safety policy has no place at Savanna. Everyone looks after each other with wrong-doers being held accountable to the point that a whistleblowing option can be exercised if someone is not taking individual accountability for a perceived wrong-doing. As mentioned in the Message from Management this month, workplace injuries and fatalities have historically been common occurrences in certain industries, and oil and gas has, unfortunately, been one of them. But this is changing. Government agencies and
The Path campaign includes a pocket-sized “Passport” that holds tickets, a truncated version of the HSE manual, and a notebook.
industry watchdogs are demanding a crackdown on safety violations, near misses, fatalities, and whatever other factors go into an organization’s TRIF (Total Recordable Incident Frequency) rating. The accuracy of a rig’s TRIF rating can been debated but what’s not in question is the need to put safety first regardless of broader interests. Clients demand it. Workers demand it. Families demand it. The bottom line is, if a company such as Savanna doesn’t have an HSE culture, they have nothing. Employees don’t want to work for you for fear of losing a finger while working on faulty equipment, or the big gas producers don’t want to hire you because incidents and WCB claims will reflect poorly on their operations, not to mention the cost of fines and other penalties associated with unsafe working environments. Savanna has arrived at this safety awareness through years of unsuccessful attempts to reform a corporate culture that was fragmented. An amalgamation of several drilling companies, each with their own HSE policies and, ultimately, their own unique attitudes about work safety presented Savanna with an inconsistent message about WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
THE PATH safety and subsequently inconsistent follow through company-wide. The time had come to improve HSE results and a companywide campaign that was in alignment with Savanna’s Vision and Values was pitched to executive management in 2012. To kickstart a new, all-inclusive attitude towards health, safety, and the environment, a brand slogan was developed called The Path for Others to Follow. It implies that every decision made by a Savanna employee, whether in the field, in management, or in administration, should hinge on what’s safe and in the best ethical interests of the company. Is Savanna well positioned to claim an industry leadership role in matters of safety when many of our rigs’ TRIF ratings clearly show we are not? At the moment, we have work to do in getting our TRIF number down across all jurisdictions we operate in. There are pockets of concern within our two main lines of business, but we’re seeing a measureable shift in our safety culture when many rigs are now reporting multi-year, incidentfree operations. But the Path isn’t specifically about low-
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The Path for Others to Follow The Path initiative involves every Savanna employee leading the way with both their words and actions. The key objectives are: 1) Our HSE results need to improve, 2) HSE underpins all four of our corporate values, 3) An HSE culture is essential for business success, 4) Lead through positive example, 5) We’re all responsible for HSE success, 6) HSE is part of our business DNA in that every decision is premised on the HSE program, 7) An expectation that everyone participates and a cultural shift will follow.
ering statistics, it’s about global acceptance by all Savanna employees to strive for doing what’s right when faced with competing interests, like saving time and money or putting bravado ahead of common sense. As Ken Ledger points out in the Message From Management this month (page 2), making a personal choice to be unsafe (i.e., not wearing hearing protection because it’s my choice), is no longer an option. Compliance is now mandatory. A more significant change worth pursuing, Ledger suggests, is striving to make workplace injuries a thing of the past. Let’s create a legacy of safety for future generations whose workplaces will be absent of injury. At Savanna, there is no hierarchy of command in matters of HSE. Unlike NASA where top brass overruled the opinion of a front line worker resulting in the horrible deaths of seven people, each Savanna employee has an obligation to call out unsafe work being performed or refuse unsafe work regardless of who is delegating. Company rank should never trump safety violations at Savanna. The path for others to follow really does start with each of us. n
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RIG PROFILE
For
the month of September, the HSE department would like to offer recognition to Rig 653. Its rig managers and crew have shown an outstanding commitment in supporting Savanna’s Vision and Values. Here are responses from rig managers Wade Avery and Sean Cooper to a few questions we put forth to give them the opportunity to share their knowledge on what works for them in order to build a healthy working environment on their rig. Q: How does the Texas camp located on site benefit the rig? A: We attribute a great deal of the success of the rig to the Texas camp. It eliminates the most dangerous part of the job being the travel to and from location. The hands are well rested and always on time and significantly reduces wear and tear on their personal vehicles as well. Q: Do you run into any challenges with the crews living in close quarters with each other? A: It is a very tight knit group with very little to no turnover in the upper positions, due to the large amount of time the crews spend together it seems we typically have crews of like-minded people working together which makes it a lot easier. Q: How do you encourage your crews to buy into Savanna’s health and safety culture?
A: The upper positions have bought into the health and safety program 100 per cent, so whenever new personnel join a crew they are immediately submerged into a safety-conscious group. New employees (greenhands) learn this way from the start and as they progress through the ranks, they endorse the health and safety to their understudies. Q: What are your thoughts on coaching and mentoring new as well as existing employees on the rig? A: Whenever you have the opportunity to influence some ones development you want to take advantage of it, when you train your personal in the way you would like things done and they learn that way you feel a lot more confident sending them to a task you know they would do the same way you would.
Q: What have you done to create the safety culture that exists on the rig? A: We give credit to the drillers who take on the duty of crew training and maintaining a safe atmosphere even when the clock is ticking so to speak. Good communication with each other to make sure we are not moving guys ahead too quickly and setting them up to fail. We challenge each person out here to think outside the box, if someone has a suggestion that can improve our operation in the name of safety or efficiency, the floor is open. Q: Is there any other comment either of you would like to add? A: We would like to thank all the hands for the great job they do day in and day out. The personnel out here is responsible for the rig’s success and we appreciate it. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! Back row (L-R): Dan McDonald (Derrickhand), Nick Baron (Floorhand), Jeremy McFarland (Floorhand), Eric Pedigrew (Motors), Wade Avery (Rig Manager), Matt Fudurich (Driller). Front row (L-R): Rylan McDonald (Floorhand), Max Roes (Motors), Brett Veidemamis (Derrickhand), Chad Tresierra (Floorhand), Darren Cooper (Driller). Missing: Sean Cooper (Rig Manager)
HELLO our rig is
653 near
Edson, AB
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RIG-N-DIG • SEPTEMBER 2014
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AMERICANA Congratulations:
Rigs 103 & 105
Please help us in congratulating Rigs 103 and 105 in Savanna Well Servicing U.S. as they have achieved FIVE YEARS recordable free! This shows an unbelievable amount of dedication and teamwork on the part of everyone on these rigs, and the Well Servicing team as a whole. Please continue forward on this path, as you have undoubtedly established “The Path for Others to Follow!”
Rig 612
We want to thank everyone on Rig 612 for setting the standards for an incident free work environment. You continue to set standards for others to follow and you should all be proud of your accomplishment. TWO YEARS without a recordable incident makes a statement that everyone on the rig believes that every task at hand can be done safely and be done without injuring anyone. Please continue to keep up the great job and we want to thank everyone on Rig 612 for their commitment to safety. GREAT JOB GUYS!
Meet & Greet What brought you to Savanna Energy? I heard Savanna had great opportunities in Texas with a chance of advancement. What was your very first job? Carpenter’s Assistant
What excites you about your role at Savanna Energy? Being part of something much bigger than myself, being part of a five-man team that is capable of drilling 12,000 feet into the ground.
What do you do when you are not working? I like to hang out with my wife and kids, play cards, fish, and just chill. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? Machu Picchu because I’ve always seen pictures of it and it looks like a great place to visit.
Jason dimmick floorhand on 645 (near midland, tx)
Rig 648 in Texas that just finished its re-certification in mid-September and rigged up a few days later.
Important Dates to Remember: Annual Enrollment for 2015 Benefits will be from November 10—21. Please watch your mailbox for additional information!
Don’t forget... It’s also flu season, so please consider getting a flu shot to help protect those more vulnerable.
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AUSTRALIANA
RIG 65 CELEBRATES 4 With an outstanding safety record, Well Servicing Rig 65 in Australia has turned four years old. They are really setting the bench mark high with 877 days now LTI free. The crew celebrated with a much-deserved cake fix. The rig is still looking fresh and clean as though it had just started in the field.
Welcome,
Kevin Geddert
Savanna Australia reaches 500 Employees! Kevin Geddert is Australia’s 500th employee! Kevin has come on board from Savanna Canada as an Internal Consultant for Systems and Business Efficiencies. He started with us on the 15th September 2014. Welcome Kevin! 8
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Training Team On Track with New System
Ingrid Van der Woude (Training Manager) and Michael Harvey (Technical Training Supreintendet) review the Australian resource industry training package assessment requirements.
I
n last month’s issue of Rig-n-Dig, we were introduced to Savanna Australia’s redeveloped Drilling and Well Servicing Capability Pathway, meant as a major step towards a new training framework for drilling and well servicing rig crew. This month the training team, headed by Claudia Correa, National HR Manager, has kicked their new training system into high gear not only with the ongoing implementation of the Capability Pathway program but also with the roll-out of a new management training system (Onsite Track Easy), an overhaul of their training records database archive, and a new policy on pay and travel while in training. In the longer term, Onsite Track Easy will allow rig managers, administrators, and even employees access to their own records and reports. Currently, all records for drilling and well-servicing have been loaded into the system and the training team is hard at work getting records for other Savanna divisions loaded in a timely manner.
Until the database is fully populated with official records, access will be limited to the training team until the back end administration and processing of records is completed and fully implemented. To ensure the new system has accurate records, it is important the Training Department has copies of all employee qualifications, trade certifications, statements of attainment, licences, and related documentation. Only verified copies will be included which means employees should be diligent in submitting certificates immediately following a course or workshop. In addition to Claudia, the Savanna Australia training team consists of Ingrid Van der Woude (Training Manager), Jackie Fry (Training Officer), Yvette Webb (Training Officer), Emma Krumins (Training Administrator), Michael Harvey (Technical Training Superintendent); and Brett Crombie, David Meesey, Jack Hastie, and Ian Burkitt (Technical Training Specialists). n WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
EMPLOYEE PROFILE
Another LTI free year for Rig 406
R
ig 406, we would like to extend our congratulations and sincere thanks to each of the crew members for their contribution to a one-year LTI free milestone. Their personal leadership, ownership, and enthusiasm have had a huge impact on their safety performance and culture over this past year. Together you have proven when a team works at its best, anything is possible. Your professionalism and leadership has made a positive impact on Savanna’s business and we are proud that you guys have helped Savanna Australia set the industry standard. Going forward, the challenge is to maintain a culture which supports our continued learning in this area. It is vital that safety lessons are captured and our experiences are shared both within Savanna and also with our contracting partners. When it comes to safety, there will always be work to do but with your continued commitment and support we can go a long way to achieving our goal of zero injuries. We are on a long journey of improvement in health and safety but it is right and proper that you celebrate success and share good practice along the way. We are keenly aware of the challenges we all face, but with the strong team we have represented by all of you in every department, we are sure that we’ll deliver the right message. Savanna Australia, you represent an elite group, you have excelled in providing support and initiatives which have really made a difference. The recognition that an award like this brings is very important to
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FIONA BALLINI health and safety because as we keep saying: health and safety is about creating a culture that is embedded within a company and its employees’ DNA so that the right things are done all of the time. We’ve been impressed but not surprised with all your efforts in helping Rig 406 achieve this milestone. This milestone award presents a wonderful opportunity for Savanna Australia to come together and recognize the accomplishments of all our departments and teams who have dedicated time and effort to ensure a high degree of workplace health and safety. On that note, let us express our appreciation to all of you for supporting Rig 406 and for being part of this important effort to promote a successful safety culture in our company. Rig 406— one year LTI free, 90 wells, and 71,094 metres drilled. Congratulations to you all! n
PM Support (Workover Rigs) based in Toowoomba, Queensland Q: What brought you to Savanna Energy? A: Redundancy from my last work place of nearly 10 years. Q: Where have you worked previously in this industry? A: My previous industry was designing and manufacturing mill relining equipment, which dealt with mineral mines worldwide Q: What was your first job? A: A chemist’s assistant. Q: What do you like to do when you are not working? A: Vodka, family time, vodka, looking after my awesome little dog Max, vodka, breeding budgies, vodka, dancing, vodka, parties, vodka… Q: What is the best book that you have ever read? A: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
This little guy (actual size!) was hanging out on Rig 409 with Todd McNeil (rig manager) in his office. Even the deadliest of spiders wants to be a part of Savanna’s success.
Q: What excites you about your role at Savanna Energy? A: The expectation of growth and development. RIG-N-DIG • SEPTEMBER 2014
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
defy depression starts here
TAKE THE TEST ON
October 9, 2014 National Depression Screening Day Calgary Counselling Centre is providing a short, anonymous, and free depression screening test on October 9th, 2014. The objective is to raise awareness of depression and offer individuals the opportunity to be screened for depression - with complete
anonymity - from any computer or mobile device. The screening does not attempt to offer a diagnosis, but points out to participants the presence or absence of depressive symptoms and offers a referral for further evaluation if needed.
Free, easy and anonymous online test.
www.calgarycounselling.com
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RIG-N-DIG • SEPTEMBER 2014
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
DEFY DEPRESSION STARTS HERE NATIONAL DEPRESSION SCREENING DAY–OCTOBER 9TH 2014 Rates of depression are rising. Every depressed person who does not get treatment affects the lives of at least three other people. This widespread mood disorder is treatable. National Depression Screening Day allows those who are struggling to seek help.
The online test is free, easy and anonymous.
One in 5 people become depressed at some point in their life.
#1
Depression is the
Less than half of
disability worldwide.
those with depression will seek help or treatment.
leading cause of
Most often, depression affects people in their working years, between the ages of
22 •••44
years old
The economic impact of depression in Canada is estimated annually at
$7.9 billion
Join us and take the test on
October 9, 2014 at www.calgarycounselling.com For more information, materials to share with staff, and to become a community or corporate partner, please contact our communications team at 403.691.5905, or via email at communications@calgarycounselling.com. WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
RIG-N-DIG • SEPTEMBER 2014
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WHAT’S HAPPENING
Corey Clark, right, receives his ring from Dale Mohr (Area Operations Manager).
Chris Demoe,left, receives his five-year ring.
Jeff Purcha, right, receives his ring from Darren Smith (Operations Manager).
Steve “Squirrel” Ford, right, receives his ring from Dale Mohr (Area Operations Manager).
Robin Elgie, left, receives his ring.
Chuck Stefan,left, receives his five-year ring from Jeff Purcha (Construction Manager).
Clark Gliddon,right, receives his five-year ring from Ryan Dreger (Field Superintendent).
An anonymous Savanna world traveller sent back these shots of Derek the Derrick enjoying his first African Safari. Good thing that lion already had lunch.
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WHAT’S HAPPENING
YOU’VE SHOWN US YOUR
ride...
Marc Foisy (Senior Fixed Asset Accountant) at Savanna Calgary was the lucky winner of our firsttime blood donor challenge as part of the Clagary Corporate Challenge. Here, Doug Fields (Payroll Administrator) presents him with a blood splattered gift certificate to the e-store. Marc, along with Darryl Ma, were the only donors entered into the contest which was determined by a coin flip.
...now we’re going to post all entries on
rigndig.com where you can vote for your favourite Ride. The winner will be announced in the October issue of Rig-n-Dig.
1954—Rear Window); 1962—Carnival of Souls; 1963—Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster; 1970—Tora, Tora, Tora; 1971—Evel Knievel; 1974—Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat; 1975—Rocky Horror; 1978—Midnight Express; 1982—Koyaanisqatsi; 1983—Eddie and the Cruisers; 1986—Blue Velvet; 1987—Hellraiser; 1988—Dead Ringers; 1993—Boxing Helena; 1994—Shawshank Redemption; 1995—Showgirls; 2002—Bubba Ho-Tep; 2004—Shaun of the Dead; 2006—Jackass Number Two; 2011—Apollo 18
Self-proclaimed chocoholic, Mercedes Seliman (Corporate Accountant) recently celebrated her 10th anniversary with Savanna on September 12, 2014. As a surprise, her 8th floor accounting colleagues in Calgary’s head office adorned her cubicle with announcements and 10 chocolate bars.
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CALGARY CORPORATE CHALLENGE Savanna was well represented in the 2014 Calgary Corporate Challenge!
We had 20 employees entered in 20 events.
For more photos and a full list of event standings, visit rigndig.com
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SEPTEMBER MOVIES
THE LAST PAGE
Match the September movie with its trivia moment below: ____ A poster of Raquel Welch plays a significant role in the film. (1994) ____ It took almost six years to make this film. (1982) ____ …allegedly kept his genitals shaved throughout the production to create a genuine need to scratch that the character demanded. (2004) ____ This film has no musical score. (2011) ____ In the shower, Hitler “accidentally” drops his soap, and urges [the main character] to pick it up. (1974) ____ A severed ear. (1986) ____ On the Dark Side became a Top 10 hit. (1983) ____ Written and directed by David Lynch’s daughter. (1993) ____ The director thought up the idea of the film after driving past the Saltair Amusement Park while traveling through Salt Lake City. (1962) ____ Title is an acronym meaning “lightning attack.” (1970) ____ Real-life paraplegic, Christopher Reeve, starred in the 1998 remake (1954) ____ Set an all-time RAZZIE Award record with 13 nominations (1995) ____ They have Meat Loaf for dinner. (1975) ____ The mummy gives chase to the elderly heroes who lack mobility. (2002) ____ “I go into the arena and I compete against destruction and I win.” (1971) ____ Proposed title was Sadomasochists from Beyond the Grave. (1987) ____ Don’t try these stunts at home, kids. (2006) ____ For the scene, Davis carried a pig’s tongue around in his mouth. (1978) ____ Jeremy Irons should have won his Academy Award for this movie. (1988) ____ Ranked 7th worst movie ever made. (1963)
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Answers on page 13.
How many have you seen? _________ WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM WWW.SAVANNAENERGY.COM
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