Tea Shack News Rebooted - April 2023

TEA SHACK NEWS

WORKFORCE ENGAGEMENT SUPPORT TEAM REBOOTED WEST

There is a lot of weather in the North Sea…

TRIGGERED LIGHTNING

Bristow’s Head of UK Flight Operations, Tim Glasspool, explains: “To a passenger sitting in the Aberdeen terminal, or on an offshore platform, the weather might look pretty decent. On a cold but cloudy day, perhaps with hardly any wind, calm seas and no fog, things might seem good for an on-time departure.

“But in the flight planning room our Met Office weather forecasting system can tell a very different story. Conditions might be calm, but if the forecast shows patches of red on the route, then those areas an absolute no-go. Unless we can chart a safe course well away from these areas, we don’t fly.”

The culprits, which appear as red patches on weather displays, are where weather conditions create positivelycharged areas in clouds. This charge, which is generated by ice crystals forming and moving within the base of a cloud, is one key component of triggered lighting.

The other is a helicopter itself. Put the two together and you have

In fact, the oil and gas fields between the UK and Norway have been described as one of the most hostile working environments on the planet. Winter brings frequent high seas, gales, snow and rain.

But a North Sea winter also brings a very particular, and potentially dangerous, weather condition which wouldn’t even exist if there wasn’t a helicopter nearby. It’s called triggered lightning.

Helicopters like the S-92 operated by Bristow are specifically designed to fly in the North Sea. These incredibly robust machines are strictly maintained, continuously monitored and equipped with the latest safety equipment and mission systems.

But flight crews must still plan routes carefully – or cancel flights entirely – because of difficult weather conditions. And triggered lightning is, perhaps, one of the most difficult of all.

the perfect conditions to actually create – trigger- a lightning strike directly on the aircraft.

Tim explains: “The most common triggering factor is that helicopters naturally generate a negative charge through static electricity, created by friction of the rotor blades with the air. In normal conditions this will be discharged to the ground on landing, but if a negativelycharged helicopter flies through or close to a positively charged area the two will interact and equalise – creating a lightning strike between them.

“Our aircraft are designed to withstand lightning strikes, but they can seriously damage important instruments and navigation systems. So we will always schedule and route our flights to avoid areas of risk.”

Forecasting this unusual phenomenon has improved significantly since its discovery, with the Met Office updating charts every hour, highlighting areas where it is likely to occur.

“Triggered lightning has only been seen in two places – the North Sea and the Sea of Japan,” said Tim. “The amount of helicopter traffic in the North Sea means the Met Office has become the global expert in predicting where triggered lightning might occur and we have incredibly accurate systems in place which take into account temperature, the height of the freezing level and precipitation.

“The forecast refreshes hourly, so triggered lightning risk can mean frustrating changes to flights at shortnotice but safety is, and always will be, Bristow’s first priority for all our flights.”

WELCOME FROM THE WEST TEAM

Welcome to Issue 2 of Tea Shack News Rebooted. We were delighted with the response to Issue 1 in January, with global readers spanning America to Australia. Thank you to everyone who has contacted us with ideas for articles and for all the positive feedback.

Prevention of Major Accidents

Issue 2 focuses on:

Triggered lightning p1

WHAT PART DOES COMPETENCE PLAY IN THE PREVENTION OF PERSONAL INJURY?

Prevention of Personal Injury

The most common cause of workplace injuries In 2022:

• Appreciate how your routine activities interact with barriers which keep us safe

Q2 2023, Prevention of Personal Injury p2

A day in the life of a safety rep p3 Medication and work offshore p4 Green hats – an OIM’s perspective p5

E-Obs/Workforce Engagement p6

• Enhance awareness of personal hazards and the potential for personal injuries

Evacuation Times by TEMPSC p7

• Be better equipped to recognise when a barrier has been impaired and know what action to take to report it

This a reminder that Tea Shack News is the opportunity to have your voice shared with the wider industry so whether you are part of the workforce, leadership, member companies, Unions or the HSE, we want to hear from you!

• Understand how your decisions affect the risk of major accidents

If you have any ideas or stories you’d like to share with the rest of the industry, please get in touch with editor@teashack.news and we will consider them for future issues.

Our quarterly theme topics aim to address the offshore energy sector’s most common safety concerns through collections of resources which can be used by all job roles – everyone has a part to play. To find out more about our 2023 annual themes, visit the Step Change website.

We hope you enjoy the 2nd edition of TSN Rebooted and look forward to continuing to highlight the news that matters to you. Thank you for continuing to

‘PLAY YOUR PART’

The Step Change in Safety Workforce Engagement Support Team (WEST).

• Reinforce the hierarchy of control in reducing personal risk

• Understand how your decisions affect the risk of personal injuries

This is why competence-based strategies for injury control are required, as they cover the knowledge and skills needed for injury prevention, both for the individual and their colleagues.

OPITO’s Minimum Industry Safety Training (MIST) covers a variety of hazard identification methods, for example Control of Work, Risk Assessment, Workplace Hazards, and Personal Safety. By being able to risk assess the environment, individuals can be aware of any hazards, as well as being aware of any new hazards which could occur due to changes in situations.

Whilst training is an important component of establishing competency to prevent personal injury, Competence Assurance Systems should include assessment methods appropriate to any hazards for the tasks being undertaken. Step Change in Safety’s Competence Workgroup has published the guidance, click the link: Competence Management Framework Guidance which outlines the fundamental requirements of a Competency Assurance Framework and an effective Competency Management System (CMS).

It is also important to adopt positive behavioural safety to prevent any potential injuries to yourself as well as others by reporting any potential hazards, acting on them and communicating to prevent further occurrences.

We caught up with Anj Shafiq - CRO/ Lead Production Tech and Safety Rep on the Armada Platform for Harbour Energy. Anj gives us an insight into his safety rep duties and shares how he makes sure that workers’ voices are heard.

“My job role offshore is a Control Room Operator and Production Tech. I became a Safety Rep two years ago. I volunteered to become a safety rep because I care about others’ safety and wanted to provide our workforce with a focal point to discuss any safetyrelated issues. I make sure concerns are properly recorded, collected from the workforce, and then communicated to management. I want to make sure that workers’ voices are heard, and that ultimately, their concerns are listened to and eventually dealt with. I felt I could provide an objective opinion and a confidential ear to discuss any safetyrelated issues. I consider myself a people person and quite approachable and have absolutely no qualms about asking difficult questions.

Safety meetings are held at least every 2-3 weeks with at least two safety reps and OIM present, and I will attend at least one per offshore trip. Every trip we hold a platform safety meeting with the OIM, and time is set aside after this meeting for all constituents to speak to their safety reps without management present. This is a very good opportunity for everyone to voice their concerns

and for us to provide feedback and any relevant information.

Minutes from the meetings are sent to all safety reps. Each attendee would familiarise themselves with the previous minutes and any points raised by our constituents before attending the meetings.

Agenda items discussed include reviewing previous interim and safety committee meetings, outstanding actions, reviewing causes of accidents, dangerous occurrences, and recommendations, upcoming HSE management visits and any projects and activities which impact constituents and individual rep training and activities that are formulated from the Step Change Essential guides. Some of the key current topics we are discussing are the Back to Basics program, manning levels and 2+1 consultations for extra bedding in some cabins.

We also attend the three weekly ESR forum that involves the other ESR members from offshore where each platform will present a safety presentation or lessons learned topic. We then provide feedback, reflect on

encourage the workforce to view our safety notice board that contains the ESR minutes and other safety notices. A VDU screen in the triage locker room will display current safety concerns.

My safety rep duties vary from reviewing observation cards and whether there are any actions I can resolve or consulting with someone who can, and if the workforce brings any issues to myself, I do my best to do research and find solutions.

I am passionate about maintaining a high standard of safety on the platform and ensuring all my colleagues return to their families as healthy as when they arrived. I enjoy the role and I am grateful that the company have supported and developed me with ongoing training. I particularly appreciate the involvement in investigations so I can communicate the causes and corrective actions back to my constituents and fellow Safety Reps to prevent re-occurrences. I feel more valued within Harbour Energy and have more of a voice to challenge the unsafe behaviours of personnel than anywhere

MEDICATION AND WORK OFFSHORE

Dr Stuart Scott, Medical Director, International SOS

Medication that may be appropriate for use onshore is not necessarily acceptable for use offshore. Many GPs are unfamiliar with the offshore environment – particularly those based outwith Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire – and may not realise the safetycritical nature of work offshore. In some parts of the UK, a GP may have only one patient with an offshore role. And the same may apply to some Occupational Health physicians – we did receive one request that the person in question should be given the seat closest to the toilet on the helicopter!

In our Operating Procedures Offshore, our medics have a detailed list of commonly declared medications of concern and the actions they should take in each instance. The medic will review the medication and discuss with Topside and the Medical Advisor for the operator – disembarking somebody because of their medication would be a last resort.

In most cases, when there is an issue with medication offshore, it is because the medication has side effects which are incompatible with the safetycritical offshore environment. In some cases, these side effects may be temporary – there are some antidepressants, for example, that have a very low risk of causing agitation or an increased risk of suicide within the first 14 – 21 days of taking them. Although the risk may be very low, waiting until the 14 – 21 days has passed, and the patient is stabilised on the medication removes that risk completely – and the patient would then be fit to return offshore.

In the case of medication that is not permitted offshore – for example, some painkillers would not be suitable for work offshore – medication can be discussed in advance and your occupational health clinician can advise if an alternative would be appropriate.

If somebody is disembarked after declaring medication, it may not be the medication that is the issue, but rather that they have a new diagnosis that has not previously been declared and the individual would require an appropriate risk assessment before deploying or returning offshore. It is the diagnosis that is the issue, rather than the medication.

For example, this might be because somebody has a new diagnosis of diabetes. People with diabetes can work offshore, but assessments are required to ensure the offshore environment is safe for them - it would be important to ensure their control is good and they are not at risk of having either too low or too high levels of blood sugar. Or possibly somebody may deploy offshore with an EpiPen for a severe allergy, without declaring the diagnosis in advance. We would want to make sure that an appropriate risk assessment had been conducted and that, for example, the medic and the camp boss are made aware in advance and could take any allergies into account to avoid any risk to the individual – particularly in the case of a severe nut allergy. Cardiac medication is usually safe for use offshore, but some cardiac conditions require a risk assessment prior to allowing people to deploy

offshore. If someone were to have a new diagnosis of angina, a risk assessment would be required to ensure it is safe for that individual to be offshore.

The main point to remember is that any new medication or any new diagnosis should be declared at your medical assessment or, if prescribed or diagnosed between assessments, notified as soon as possible to your HR Department, who will ensure the appropriate checks and risk assessments are carried out in time to allow you to return offshore for your next trip.

Further details on restrictions on medication offshore and on the procedures to follow are available in our Medication and Work Offshore leaflet, which is available to download from our website: https://my.internationalsos.com/ medicalassessments

GREEN HATS AN OIM’S PERSPECTIVE

OIM on Claymore

Malky Anderson

“Whilst it’s a widely accepted industry practice that new arrivals to a platform are identified via a Green Hat policy, it’s firmly believed on Claymore that we need to also ensure a clear structured induction is also adopted. Green Hats will always be accompanied at site until the management, supervisor and individuals are satisfied they have adequate knowledge of the site layout and the working standards.

Claymore consistently sees more than 1,000 Green Hats per calendar year arrive at site. These arrivals can be a mix of experienced industry workers, albeit new to our platform or, as is becoming more common these days, new individuals to the industry. Whilst the management of this number brings many challenges, as an OIM, it is vitally important that we ensure there is enough time and resource allocated to ensure the introduction of this personnel is managed in a safe and effective manner.

Whilst delivering the OIM Induction process we consistently emphasise the important part these new arrivals play. They are the “fresh pair of eyes” onboard and I encourage them to raise any points or findings to both me and my team via an open-door policy.

Communication is a huge part of how we deliver success onboard Claymore as we meet the challenges that come with operating with a POB of around 200. Therefore it’s important that we give support and commitment to the Green Hats at site and provide them with the comfort and knowledge that we will be there to support them through the early stages onboard.

FUTURE EVENTS

Communication, collaboration and learning all help to improve safety. The events that Step Change in Safety deliver play a vital role in achieving this.

Through a series of events, forums and webinars, Step Change in Safety provide a platform for networking, learning and sharing knowledge about safety in the oil and gas industry. These events allow the workforce to play their part in improving safety by exchanging ideas and voicing concerns on issues that affect the whole industry.

I have always held a firm view that we should not look upon the mobilisation of new personnel to our sites as a burden, but instead a fantastic opportunity for us to listen and learn from any feedback they provide, and further consider any suggestions they may have seen for improvements, whether this is something they have witnessed on any of our own sister sites or wider operator communities.”

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:

Elected Safety Reps Meeting 2023

Friday 28th April 2023

10:00 – 15:00

Union Kirk - 333 Union Street, Aberdeen

Competence Forum

Step Change in Safety’s Competence Workgroup Q2 Forum

Wed, 28 June 2023, 09:00 – 11:30

Annan House 33-35 Palmerston Road, Aberdeen

For further information visit www.stepchangeinsafety.net/events

www.stepchangeinsafety.net/teashack-news

LESSONS LEARNED

Industry new-starts

Location new-starts

GIVE SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT TO THE GREEN HATS

Step Change in Safety caught up with Ian McKnight & Paul Parkes of Wood, who won the award for Workforce Engagement at the 2022 Offshore Safety Awards.

The annual awards ceremony, organised by OEUK and Step Change in Safety, celebrates the outstanding individuals and companies going above and beyond to improve safety across offshore energy operations. Both were recognised for championing workforce engagement with Step Change in Safety’s e-obs system.

Talking of the system and his role in its successful uptake Ian McKnight says, “Before e-obs, safety card quality required improvement - some cards were paper-based, some were emails (let’s face it, who needs more of those!), some were just discussed verbally & some never made it to the table. “Why submit a card when nothing ever gets done about it?” was the response we often heard. Getting these all aligned into one system was the first step & giving feedback to people & showing them tangible improvements out on the park was the next. As HSEAs, this was an improvement opportunity we wanted to be held accountable for by our peers.

We now have an all-in-one tool that simplifies submitting cards, making & tracking improvement actions & crucially, gives the boots on the ground the feedback & recognition

E-OBS/WORKFORCE ENGAGEMENT CHAMPIONS

they deserve. It’s been great getting to engage with the workforce as part of our e-obs journey.

e-obs is continually improving - the monthly e-obs community practice call,increased participation & alignment with operators, contracting companies, supply chain & others utilising the system, it will only get better.

There was no silver bullet to success. A culmination of factors went into engaging with the workforce in making e-obs a sustainable tool for improving our HSE performance, as well as sharing lessons learned.

These factors include:

• Ensuring SI971 ESRs were shown how to use the system so they could support & engage with their constituents in using e-obs

• Utilising safety meetings to set the teams up in e-obs & coaching them in how to use it, whilst also seeing the feedback on their phone/ tablet/ laptop etc.

• Having the on-hand support of the Step Change team to make improvements to the system & help troubleshoot so our data was accurate & simple to analyse

• Being proactive & having the leadership team allow the utilisation of the Brent Visual Onboarding space at Tullos to engage with peers before they got offshore, to give them an insight into using e-Obs.

We believe one stand-out factor that makes e-obs a success is being visible onsite & engaging in open discussions with the boots on the ground about the cards they submitted. Although feedback goes in electronically within 24-48hrs, you often get a high-quality card & we believe that merits taking time out from behind the desk & going to speak to the card initiator & explain what we are going to do to support making positive safety improvements at site.”

Talking of the e-obs system, fellow colleague Paul Parkes said: “The rollout of the new e-obs system has gone relatively smoothly considering the usual pushback you get when new initiatives are introduced (why change, I’m not using my phone for this, I’m no good on computers so I won’t be putting any more observation cards in). This system is only as good as the users, and thanks to the buy-in from the great team on the Brent Charlie, the system is now working to great effect.

The platform is benefiting from the quality of observations being entered, and the way it allows delegation to relevant departments to deal with them in a safe and efficient manner, also allowing visibility from onshore. The monthly calls with Step Change are great as they listen to the platforms that are using the system, are open to improvement opportunities and seek to having them implemented as soon as possible. This is an ever-evolving tool that can only benefit the industry if used to its full potential.”

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been working with the industry to ensure that installations can demonstrate that all personnel can be evacuated in an emergency via Totally Enclosed Motor Propelled Survival Craft (TEMPSC) according to their Emergency Response Plans (ERP) and that the evacuation times stated in their ERP are realistic and achievable in practice.

TEMPSCs are used as an alternative means of evacuation in the event of a major fire and explosion incident, or if the helideck cannot be used due to listing or structural failure during these circumstances.

Regulatory body OEUK has recently published its guidelines on this with peer reviews undertaken by Step Change in Safety and members of OEUK Health & Safety Operators Technical Group and Escape, Evacuation & Rescue Technical Advisory Group (EERTAG).

The recent legislation and guidance include the consideration that many human reactions to an emergency, and other factors, may slow the TEMPSC loading process, which cannot be replicated during a loading exercise.

The action of people in an emergency has been the subject of countless studies and it is foreseeable that people under stress will act differently in an emergency when compared to a training exercise. Duty holders are being asked to ensure that the outcome of the exercise is realistic and reflects the time it may take to evacuate the installation, and where, for example, the timings differ between exercises the duty holder should adopt a pessimistic approach. Duty holders are also being asked to consider the maximum personnel on board (POB) of the installation and ensure this is reflected in the results of the exercise.

Member companies dedicate specialist resources and technical expertise in providing technical notes in collaboration with OEUK, demonstrating a commitment to continually improving and enhancing the performance of all offshore operations.

For further information and to download OEUK’s recent technical note, please visit https://rb.gy/vgsfz1 or scan the QR code:

All personnel who carry out lifting operations; be they crane lifting or portable lifting operations, know that the potential to hurt yourself and others is ever present. However, there still appears to be a misconception in some sections of our industry that lifting operations are “easy, anyone can do them”. While lifting operations will never be rocket science, if you get them wrong you WILL hurt someone. We need to move away from this cavalier attitude and consider our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others.

The Health and Safety Executive, from their review of lifting incidents, has seen that there is a trend showing more incidents occurring in lifts deemed to be “simple” or “routine”. As humans we will all consider something we have done numerous times without difficulty as being simple and routine, we accept that “it was okay the last time we did it” and neglect to look for new or additional hazards –confirmation bias. Hazards change all the time – environmental hazards such as wind may stop a lifting operation today that was perfectly safe yesterday. Personnel new to the installation or task will need additional supervision. Changes in the worksite such as a new scaffold being erected will introduce new hazards. SIMOPS can change at any time. We need to open our eyes and look for these hazards, and we need to open our mouths and let others know when we spot a new hazard. Never be afraid to ‘Stop the Job’, discuss the new hazard and decide a safe way ahead. Doing this may be the single thing that prevents you or one of your workmates getting hurt. It’s too late when all you can say is “I noticed that but thought it would be ok, so said nothing”.

Kenny Lawtie Wood Head of Lifting / Lifting Technical Authority

LIFTING OPERATIONS AND THE PREVENTION OF PERSONAL INJURY ASSURANCE OF OFFSHORE OIL & GAS EVACUATION TIMES BY TEMPSC

We asked, you voted, and we listened!

A short survey on social media revealed you wanted Sudoku and General knowledge as your regular quiz.

Keep your brain active with your own Sudoku quiz or grab a colleague or two and test your wits against each other in the general knowledge quiz. Over to you!

SUDOKU

FEEDBACK & SUGGESTIONS

What can we do to continuously improve Tea Shack News? We want to hear from you!

Whether you have ideas for future articles which you think would be of interest to the workforce or want to shine a light on a specific matter which is relevant to your working day/shift or trip, we would love to hear from you. This is a publication created for you, so let us know what works and what doesn’t!

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE QUIZ

1. What colour is a giraffe’s tongue?

2. In the film “The Lion King”, what kind of animal is Timon?

3. What do you call a group of jellyfish?

4. What are the names of Harry Potter’s parents?

5. Who plays Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders?

6. How many legs does a lobster have?

7. What’s the best-selling book of all time?

8. What are the four Little Women sisters called?

9. In which century did Leonardo da Vinci paint The Last Supper?

10. Who does Bridget Jones eventually marry?

11. How many Academy Awards did 1994 film Forest Gump win?

12. Hamlet was the Prince of which country?

13. Which French artist, born in 1834 was best known for his paintings of ballet dancers?

14. In 1995, the first ever item sold on eBay went for $14.83, what was it? A cracked fish tank, a broken laser pointer, or a children’s picture Bible without any pictures?

15. In a decathlon, out of the ten events, how many are held on a running track?

16. Which TV detective lives in the village of St Mary Mead?

17. As of May 2020, who played Dr Who?

18. Which Queen of England had the name “Bloody Mary”?

19. Gary and Martin Kemp were in what band?

20. Who sang Unchained Melody?

Answers to the general knowledge quiz can be found by clicking this link or scanning this QR code: No cheating!

Got any interesting ideas or stories you’d like to share with the rest of industry? Anyone you’d like to recognise for being a safety champion?

Please get in touch with editor@teashack.news and we will consider it for future issues. We would also love to hear what you think about Tea Shack News Rebooted; all constructive feedback is welcome!

Insert the numbers one to nine into the grid in such a way that every number appears once in each horizontal line, vertical line, and square.