Danish Business Unit
Tyra Southeast B in place The new unmanned Tyra Southeast B platform was put in place at the beginning of July and allows the drilling of up to 16 new wells.
Reflections on shutdown
Nobody goes naked to the bakery
1,200 jobs were completed,replacement of two flare towers on Tyra East and West.
Incident-Free is really good. It has completely changed the spirit offshore.
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SafetyNews
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Reflections on shutdown 1,200 jobs were completed, including: the replacement of two 80-metre flare towers on Tyra East and West.
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In this issue Leader
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Tyra southeast B in place
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Investigation of Tyra East incident On the morning of 12th March, a task was being performed to remove an actuator from a valve on the Tyra East A platform.
Reflections on shutdown 9 Making a safety step change
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A facelift to Synergi
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Noble Sam Turner: 16 I expect they all have somebody to be ’safe for’ News in brief 19 Derek Charlton: A drive to be the best
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Investigation of Tyra East incident
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Ambassadors held Incident-Free day
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Working with live wells every day
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5 questions on safety
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The critical magnifier 32
Making a safety step change
Safety is increased, money and time are saved
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Nobody goes naked to the bakery
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The small hole with great impact
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”We HAVE TO reverse the trend. We HAVE TO see improvements. We HAVE TO start now.”
Milestones
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Read on page 12
My safety story
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2 safety news September 2014
Working with live wells every day This year Well Services will be operating with coiled tubing on the platforms for close to 500 working days, and in 2015 they expect 700 coiled tubing working days.
LEaDER
Safety commitment The number of safety incidents has increased significantly in 2014 compared to 2013. They include a major gas release, people falling from height, people getting fingers trapped – the list of incidents is long.
The offshore jobs need to be included in and coordinated through the Integrated Activity Plan, the Construction Plan or the Well Service plan. Once this is done the planning process needs to be followed in a disciplined manner and with a pragmatic approach. This way we can cope and act on unexpected events such as impacts of weather.
These process safety incidents and the increasing personal injury rate are a concern. We need to manage our risks better and thus reduce the number of incidents significantly and move our performance in the direction we want towards an Incident-Free operation. That is why we have introduced the Safety Step Change Project.
Collaborating with contractors Secondly, we are stepping-up our requirements to contractors and our collaboration with contractors, so they fully adopt the Incident-Free way of working.
Below are examples of the actions we are taking under the steer of the project to change the safety performance. Good planning First of all, we are working on improving the planning of the offshore jobs.
This will give more stability and predictability which the offshore crew needs in order to conduct the jobs safely.
Over the past months, members of the Leadership Team have met personally with the top management teams of selected contractor companies and expressed their concern for the increase in incidents, mainly in the construction area. They also reinforced our Incident-Free expectations. In parallel, we have begun a thorough analysis to identify the causes of the climbing injury rate among contractors.
The aim is to identify and follow-through on improvements, so the construction activities can become Incident-Free, and we can take the lessons learned into our operations. Strengthening the offshore production teams Thirdly, we are making more resources available to support the offshore production teams in addition to filling vacant positions. We have to date recruited 9 out of the planned 20 additional production people. Commitment to safety The Incident-Free programme has enabled a sincere commitment to safety. This must continue to evolve to ensure our own and our colleagues’ safety, and the protection of our facilities. Such change is of utmost importance for us and for our partners – and the employees’ support to this begins by living the Maersk Oil Safety Commitments. Lars Seidler Head of Dan-Gorm Asset and leader of the Safety Step Change project
safety news september 2014 3
Tyra Southeast B in place
The new unmanned Tyra Southeast B platform was put in place at the beginning of July and allows the drilling of up to 16 new wells. It is bridge-connected with Tyra Southeast A which is also unmanned. Both platforms are operated from Tyra East. The platform is a jacket of 2,000 tonnes, a topside of 1,100 tonnes and a bridge and other minor elements; a total of about 4,700 tonnes, which have been installed at 40 m water depth. The entire platform has been built in Aalborg at Bladt Industries which won the international tender and got the order in November 2012.
Years of preparation behind the new platform
The first thing that must be done at Tyra Southeast, is that the jacket to the B platform must be put in the water. The cranes on SSCV Hermod can lift 9000 tons and anchors are placed, so that Hermod can find the position and lift the jacket in place.
In the early stages of a project like Tyra Southeast, we investigate different alternatives for the design of the platform and select the optimum solution, so that we have the safest and most functional platform, says Jens Peter Riber, Head of Technical Department.
”At first, we work with several possible solutions, each of which is evaluated - for example, whether transport of the people who shall inspect the platform, shall take place by boat or helicopter, whether the platform shall be bridge-connected, how the bridge, if so, shall face and so on. These are the most general lines which we gradually have in place,” explains Jens Peter Riber and continues: ”Then we turn towards the design itself; that means how the platform shall be built. This job is done in a continued collaboration among production staff, satellite staff, Well Services, Subsurface and Technical Department.
”It is important to prepare things thoroughly so that the work offshore work is minimized. And it involves everything, not just software. Also this is a safety issue.” Jens Peter Riber, Head of Technical Department 6 safety news September 2014
Everything is coordinated by the project team which in this case is managed by Project Manager Glenn Lynge. During the process, we try to draw on as much experiences and knowledge as possible. This also applies by choice of materials, which is extremely important considering the future maintenance work.” 3D and risk analyses
”The more we can minimise maintenance, the fewer visits to the platform. This reduces the safety risk for the people who shall work there,” adds Glenn Lynge and continues: ”During the process we carry out 3D reviews of different solutions to ensure that it will work safely in practice. It is important that we jointly consider thoroughly before we make decisions and take actions. We make various risk analyses such as: HAZID where you try, early in the planning process and by using 3D models, to identify the risks to completely prevent or at least mitigate their impacts as much as possible. HAZOP where you go through the process system and check that safety is in order. ALARP to ensure that the risk which might occur, is as low as reasonably practicable.”
When the jacket is in place, piles are set. They are put in every corner of the jacket, so it is fixed in place. The piles are hammered into the seabed and are filled with concrete. The concrete must harden for a day before the top-side can be placed.
Incorporated safety
”There is also ”the incorporated safety”; that is the safety of the design itself. Naturally, we comply with legislation and international standards. But we also have our own Maersk Oil standards for design and engineering to ensure that we get the standard of quality and safety that we want. It will be thoroughly considered which metal alloy a given valve must be made of, which pressure class various pipes must have and so on. It is part of our design and material safety. In a construction process like this, a number of sub-suppliers are involved. A valve might be cast in India, finished in Italy and shipped to Denmark,” says Jens Peter Riber. Supplier visits
”That is why we spend so much time visiting these suppliers, looking at the materials being used, following the creation process and subsequent tests. We have a list of the parts where we must follow the process to be absolutely sure that what we receive meet our (safety) standards,” says Glenn Lynge. ”This also applies to all the electrical part where 25 km of cables have been run on the new platform. During the process, we have had our own electrical engineers stationed at Bladt during the construction period. We have also done a lot of testing of software to be sure that it can ”talk” to Tyra East. Quite often, the electronics give major challenges - not least when connecting old systems with new ones. And of course, we put nothing into service until we know that the systems interact,” says Jens Peter Riber and adds: safety news september 2014 7
”It is important to prepare things thoroughly so that the work offshore work is minimized. And it involves everything, not just software. Also this is a safety issue.” It must not go wrong
”When all this is in place, we are ready for shipment and installation, which also has been planned down to the last detail so that it can be carried out as safely as possible. People from the company being responsible for the actual installation have spent some time at Bladt during the last phase to ensure that everything is connected correctly; ready for transport and lifts. The lift itself was carried out by the large crane vessel “Hermod” where the crew year round do not do anything else. They are experienced people and although they shall handle 4,700 tonnes in total, it is relatively small lifts,” explains Glenn Lynge. ”Nothing must go wrong,” says Jens Peter Riber and continues: ”That is why the preparations are also incredibly thorough. They begin a half year before the lifts shall be carried out with monthly meetings. And even with this minor task, nobody takes the job easily. Everything has be carefully worked out and planned down to the last detail.” Teaches safety
The cranes on Hermod lift the topside and place it on the jacket. The four corners on the topside fit exactly into the jacket. The topside and the jacket are welded together. The bridge is lifted into position and is put into place. The bridge will also be welded.
”They have a fantastic safety environment on board the crane vessel. Seniority is high, it is a close-knit team in which the individuals know of each other’s skills. They have really good interrelationship and take good care of each other,” adds Jens Peter Riber. ”A representative from the HSE Department was present during the lifting process and the HSE Department had already held meetings with all the persons involved about our views on safety and told about the IncidentFree. This involved also the people at Bladt Industries who were in charge of the construction process,” says Glenn Lynge. By the end of August, the drilling rig Ensco 72 was in place at the platform. It works as accommodation for a few months while hook-up is going on and in November, it will begin to drill 8 wells. The drilling is scheduled to take until mid 2017.
”A representative from the HSE Department was present during the lifting process.” Glenn Lynge, Project Manager 4 safety news September 2014
Shutdown
Reflections on the shutdown 1,200 jobs were completed, including: the replacement of two 80-metre flare towers on Tyra East and West and the installation of a new 100-metre bridge on the latter; the inspection of pressure vessels on Dan and Halfdan; and repairs to the flare drum on Gorm.
2014 We thank the employees, both in the offices and offshore, for their dedication and safety performance during this shutdown; not least for their collaboration, which was nothing less than outstanding. Sikkerhedsnyt september 2014 9
ow n td u h s e h t n o s n o Reflecti After the shutdown During the production start-up, a High Potential process safety incident occurred. The opening of a valve in the gas system on Tyra West and the series of events that followed created an unsafe situation for the employees and caused severe damage to equipment.
Substainable safety change To achieve lasting change, we must work together with dedication – as we did before and during the shutdown. In doing so we will reduce the number of safety incidents, creating a safer and better business where we return safe from work. The Leadership Team of Maersk Oil Danish Business Unit
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2014
utPhoto shoot of the sh dow n at Ty ra West. n Ty ra During the shutdow tower Vest had a new flair the til and a new bridge to flair tower.
safety news september 2014 11
Making a safety step change Following the introduction of Incident-Free in 2010, Maersk Oil Danish Business Unit saw measureable improvement in its safety performance. However in the middle of 2013 a number of setbacks occurred. To reverse and improve the safety performance the Safety Step Change project has been established. ”We HAVE TO reverse the trend. We HAVE TO see improvements. We HAVE TO start now.” These are the clear words of Lars Seidler, Head of Dan-Gorm Asset and the leader of the Safety Step Change project, as he described the safety performance in Maersk Oil Danish Business Unit. The current safety performance is why the business unit has introduced the Safety Step Change project with the objective of improving both the occupational and process safety performance.
related incidents that could have escalated into serious accidents. Then in the second quarter of 2014 we had a significant rise in our Total Recordable Incident Frequency plus we had three potentially serious process safety incidents in a period of four months. This is a trend we have to reverse,” Seidler stated. Causes behind the increase
The project team is working to understand the reasons behind the increase in
safety incidents. Some indications point in the direction of the changed circumstances, not least seen by an increase in activity level, particularly in maintenance and construction. “We have doubled our number of accommodation rigs introducing an extra 400 people. This adds pressure on the offshore crew,” explained Seidler. “Some of the contractors don’t have any significant offshore experience. This draws
Current safety performance
Since the middle of 2013 a number of occupational and process safety incidents have occurred. “Half-way through 2013, the number of Lost Time Incidents and minor events rose, and we experienced process safety 12 safety news September 2014
“We have doubled our number of accommodation rigs introducing an extra 400 people. This adds pressure on the offshore crew.” Lars Seidler, Head of Dan-Gorm Asset
“There seems to be a trend in our incidents - when the employees aren’t on guard and alert during a job the risk of trips, slips and falls increases.”
Maersk Oils Safety Commitments
Lars Seidler, Head of Dan-Gorm Asset
on our experienced people who have to spend time guiding the new people in addition to doing their own tasks. Add to this the recent changes in our safety procedures offshore (OSPs) which have been time-consuming for the offshore people to introduce,” he explained. There are also other indications which point in the direction of human factors. “There seems to be a trend in our incidents - when the employees aren’t on guard and alert during a job the risk of trips, slips and falls increases. Our investigations show that a number of incidents point to this”, he said. Taking action
One of the actions being taken is to add 20 new people to the offshore production teams to add resources to execute and increase quality in the work. There is also action being taken to improve abilities in identifying hazards and risks according to Seidler. “We are making progress in identifying hazards and risks in connection with the
planning and execution of tasks, both routine and non-routine. This we want to improve further, particularly in connection with the control of work activities, risk assessments and toolbox talks”. The Safety Step Change project is about managing and mitigating risks, at all organizational levels. This requires an alert workforce.
I acknowledge that we are all vulnerable.
“The offshore employees need to stay alert when conducting their jobs. There needs to be focus and concentration all the way from the planning to the execution of a job in order to ensure the safety on the platform. A part of this is to be constructively challenging, particularly when we believe that things are not going to plan, or new hazards are emerging,” says Seidler and adds.
I intervene if I see unsafe work.
“It is important that we ask the difficult questions, display the behaviours in accordance with our safety commitments, and intervene whenever we see an unsafe behavior. Incident-Free is embedded in the business and now we need to convert that commitment into results”.
I work with a valid work permit when required.
“The offshore employees need to stay alert when conducting their jobs. There needs to be focus and concentration all the way from the planning to the execution of a job in order to ensure the safety on the platform.” Lars Seidler, Head of Dan-Gorm Asset
! ! I take responsibility for the safety and well-being of myself and my colleagues.
I take responsibility for the safety and well-being of myself and my colleagues.
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!
Safety step change The communication
The initiatives A number of existing activities are being strengthened and a few new initiatives have been started. One example is the recruitment of 20 new people to the offshore production teams where nine people have been hired so far. Another example is an improvement of the planning process linked to the Integrated Activity Plan, Construction Plan and Well Service Plan. Other activities will be matured and unfold to improve the safety performance. Some examples are: A best practice for conducting Tool Box Talks is being developed. It has a greater focus on the hazards that may encounter.
Members of the Leadership Team have paid several visits to the platforms over the past couple of months. They have been and will continue to be backed by the platform supervisors and supervisors who have a key role in engaging with the offshore crew. Furthermore, the Leadership Team has had office walkabouts to share information and seek feedback on the safety performance and change initiatives. A number of meetings and safety focused conversations have been held with the senior management of key contractors and other internal and external stakeholders.
What can YOU do
A more robust approach to Job Safety Analysis and daily task planning.
Safety performance will only improve if everyone takes action and behaves as role models.
Improvements to procedures to ensure they offer the maximum usability to people and are followed.
Do everything we can to keep ourselves and our colleagues safe. Follow the five Safety Commitments and help our colleagues to follow them. We need everyone to help us become safer now.
The project The project is led and driven by the Leadership Team of Maersk Oil’s Danish Business Unit with the support of a dedicated project team. Furthermore, there is full support from senior leaders from Corporate functions, such as Global Operations and Health, Safety & Environment. The project was kicked off in June where a project plan for 2014 and 2015 was drafted. It is, however, expected that the work will continue beyond this as it is a long process which will require systematic, physical, organizational and cultural change.
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A facelift to Synergi During September, an update will give the Synergi system a new and nicer look. It will be a little easier to use, but it will still work in the same way. ”With Synergi, we got a system which made it easier to report, record and collect all relevant information about incidents in one place, combined with the necessary documentation. At that time, about 100 persons – all of whom were to use more than the basic functions in the system - got thorough training. And the introduction in April 2012 took place without difficulties,” says Ole Seberg who continues: ”The main advantage of this system is that Maersk Oil uses exactly the same system globally. It allows you to compare incidents, see trends and underlying causes and draw conclusions on the basis of a large amount of data. This does not apply only to personal injuries, but very
much to process safety. This was not possible with the old system. The system has proved both its effectiveness and its user-friendliness and therefore in September it will be upgraded from the current version 11 to a new enhanced version 12.3. Support for the users
The upgraded version works the same way as version 11, but for users it becomes somewhat easier to use – e.g. it will be easier to see what to enter, ”explains Ole Seberg. For the super-users it will be easier and quicker to assign and change user rights for all users of the system.
Systematically learning
Courses to new Synergi users In connection with the update, new users of the system are offered a half-day course in the use of Synergi. ”We expect to train about 50 persons at the three courses we are planning,” says Ole Seberg, and he adds that the course will be supplemented by an e-learning programme on the website together with some instruction videos. Today, Synergi can be used by about 2,500 employees in Danish Business Unit and on average, we get more than three reports every day - a number which has increased with the introduction of Incident-Free.
The system has proved both its effectiveness and its user-friendliness and therefore in September it will be upgraded from the current version 11 to a new enhanced version 12.3. Ole Seeberg, HSE Analyses Statistics
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NOBLE SAM TURNER, safety seminars on Rømø
I expect they all have somebody else to be ’safe for’ Head of Wells Derek Charlton gave a personal story on safety when he addressed the crew of the Noble Sam Turner.
Kenneth Dielemans, HSE Department, teaches Noble Sam Turner’s crew in Safety Awareness.
”Noble have done it before, and they have done it well. They have a good track record on getting the job done safely, and that is why we chose them.” Derek Charlton, Head of Wells
Business Unit, is telling the gathered crew of Noble Sam Turner his personal story about working in the oil industry – and being in Aberdeen – on the day when Piper Alpha changed everything. He leaves them with one simple message: ”You are out there with 100 colleagues. All of them are taking care of you. And all of them, you should take care of.” Derek Charlton, Head of Wells
”I remember coming into the office that day. I hadn’t heard about it at the time and the whole place was just quiet and sad. You could sense it straight away, something was very wrong. The whole town was like that. Everywhere you went, everyone you met. I remember I had said ‘have a good trip’ to a colleague before he headed offshore – he never made it back.” Derek Charlton, Head of Wells (Drilling and Well Services) at Maersk Oil Danish
It is only the third time he tells his experience to a crowd of colleagues. This time he tells the story at one of the safety sessions at Rømø where the crew gets an insight to Maersk Oil’s views on safety. Despite it being a 25 year old experience, he still chokes up a bit whilst telling it. ”It is very emotional,” he says afterwards: ”That day defined us all. 167 dead – the whole town was depressed. Everybody knew someone who didn’t make it back; and some knew many. Everybody was touched and quiet,” he says. ”I tell the story to make sure that the crew on Noble Sam Turner knows the impact it
had. I expect they all have somebody else to be safe for,” he says. Do it – safely
Derek Charlton is here to state that Maersk Oil expects the crew at Noble Sam Turner to deliver the job safely. ”We have a slogan that says “find it, build it, run it – safely!” That is what we expect them to live by. We don’t want them to hurry. We want them to plan carefully, to intervene, to understand their own vulnerability and to commit whole heartedly to safety,” he says. Derek Charlton also says that Noble Sam Turner was selected on the basis of a good track record both in terms of the operation and the level of safety. ”Noble have done it before, and they have done it well. They have a good track record on getting the job done safely, and that is why we chose them. There is always room for improvement and we don’t expect a scope of this size to happen without incidents. But we do expect it to happen without physical harm, and that is what we want to get across,” Derek Charlton says. safety news september 2014 17
NOBLE SAM TURNER voxpop: What is your approach to safety - and what do you know about Maersk Oil’s safety values?
Jacob Thygesen, 30 Y 4 Y offshore experience. Camp Boss, Sodexo:
At Sodexo, we have a culture where we say: ”If you see it, you own it”. So, take ownership of the safety issues you may see. That is how I feel both at work and in my spare time. When I come to a new place – vacation, conference or something else – the first thing I always do, is to check out where the emergency exits are and where the defibrillator is. Safety is part of the way we work - but also part of the way we take time off. Safety is a strong presence offshore today and Maersk Oil’s safety culture is strong. You can feel that the colleagues are dedicated to safety. Maersk Oil’s culture fits very well with Sodexo’s safety culture.
Sabrina Smart, 26 Y - first trip offshore. Sodexo:
I know safety is a strong focus point – you are very dedicated to safety from all sides. I think my view on safety fits very well into it; I am also very aware of working safely. Maersk Oil is dedicated to safety. The really believe in what they say. You can feel it on a day like today. Today, we have also heard much about our colleagues’ experiences and it is a good way to learn about safety.
Lee Maybury, 40 Y - 4 Y offshore experience. Supervisor, Transocean:
I consider safety as a common task. If I do my part, I also expect that my colleagues do their part. The team spirit is good among us. If I cut corners, everyone cuts corners - and if I run the risk, I do it for everyone else. Therefore, you do not do it! Today, it is accepted that things may take time. It has changed during the four years I have worked offshore: Nobody needs to hurry today. You should take five steps back and use your head - before the accident. We get Maersk Oil’s view on safety as a story, the personal relationship. It is a good way to communicate safety. You can relate to it.
Graeme Turner, 34 Y - first trip offshore. Noble Sam Turner.
I am quite new, so - my view on safety is probably like most others who have just started in the industry. I must say that it has been an eye-opener to see how we are dedicated to safety. Right now, I just take it all and consider what I see. I feel that we are a big family when we are together - and it is a good experience. I am always being told that I should just ask, and they are very good at responding and taking the time so I understand. The feeling is good to have when we come offshore. Maersk Oil seems competent in safety and they are certainly good at communicating what they think about it. There is no doubt after this session.
André Batista, 34 Y – one day of offshore . Rouster:
I have no background in this field but my impression is that it is a safe industry. You take care of each other and work a lot with safety. We have gathered to get to know each other and it is good for safety, because when you do it – you dare ask for help. Maersk Oil seems like a strong company with a clear safety culture. They can teach us a lot - and you know what the company wants.
N ews in brie f
Offshore driving Esbjerg This is a page on facebook where people can write if they are driving to or from Esbjerg airport and can have one or more persons with them. Since more persons drive alone, here’s a good suggestion on how to share the ride.
Platform supervisor on Tyra East Jan Fredborg Sørensen hands over the prizes to the winners of the competitions, Steen Scherffenberg-Møller and Per Armin Kristiansen. .
Winner of photo contest
Funny competitions on Tyra East During the shutdown on Tyra East some funny competitions were started.
Winner of an iPad Frank Christian Hüttmann participated in SafetyNews photo contest in May and won. Frank contributed with photos from Valdemar. On the photo he receives an iPad, that was the contest prize.
One of the competitions was to figure out the weight of the old flare tower. The weight of the flare tower was 105 tons and the winners of the competition can be seen on the picture above. In two similar competitions you had to; Find out the number of meters of wire on the large crane on the craneship Oleg Strashnov. When the new flare came into use after the shutdown.
safety news september 2014 19
Derek Charlton is 51. He has so far spent 30 years in the oil industry, and he is the new head of Wells (Drilling and Well Services) in Maersk Oil.
A drive to be
the best
Derek Charlton was born in Hull, England, and you might actually say that he grew up in the oil industry. His father worked for British Petroleum, first on gas fields off the English coast and later on oil fields off the Scottish coast.
“I didn’t quite know what to study when I finished school, but I was good at sciences and maths and my father seemed to have a good job so I went for Petroleum Engineering at Imperial College in London,” he says.
Lumpur. After a short spell with a consulting company, he joined Maersk Oil’s drilling department in Aberdeen at the start of 2009, from where he moved to Esplanaden in Copenhagen. In May 2014 he was appointed head of Wells.
This university is also known as “Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine” and is one of the top universities in the world.
What you see is what you get
Derek got his degree in the mid 1980’s. At that time, the oil price was low, and so were the job opportunities in the oil industry. However, he did manage to get a job with Halliburton primarily in Aberdeen, but also close to a year’s training on the rig sites in the USA. After five years doing among other things well testing, Derek moved on to becoming a drilling engineer with Arco in England. Five years later, he got a job with Amerada Hess first in Aberdeen and later Oslo, followed by Rio and Kuala 20 safety news September 2014
People around Derek Charlton say that he is a fairly even and steady person who very seldom loses his temper. An open person who is easy to read and one who does not hide his feelings. What you see is what you get. “I do enjoy working. Many people talk about early retirement. Not me. I am not sure I would know what to do with myself if I was to quit my job early. I like to feel that I am achieving something both for others and for myself. My ambition is doing a good job and the right job for those I am working for, hopefully making the right decisions.”
Remember Piper Alpha What is safety to you?
Derek Charlton, Head of Wells
Important to listen
What kind of a leader are you? “It is important that everyone work with a common goal and together as a team. I try to get input and consensus on the things we do, and if at the end of the day I have to make the decision, I certainly will do so. I find it important to listen to the views of other people, and I remember instances in my career where relatively inexperienced people have come up with fantastic ideas. Naturally, you will have to deal with conflicts now and again and I try to be firm and fair, but most of the time I try to create harmony and a good team environment. Also, I try to develop people as they are the future. It is important that the people who take over when I leave, are able to do a great job for the company.”
Naturally, you will have to deal with conflicts now and again and I try to be firm and fair, but most of the time I try to create harmony and a good team environment.
“We all have family and friends, and it would be heartbreaking for any of those people to have to deal with a serious injury or death. We are working in an industry where grave risks are part of the job and it is up to us to make sure that all the people working offshore will make it home safely. It all boils down to a desire to do the right thing for your fellow human,” says Derek Charlton who still vividly remembers coming to the office in Aberdeen the day after Piper Alpha. “Everybody was in shock. I had a very good colleague who just a few days before had popped his head into my office on his way to work on the Piper Alpha, and I said to him: ‘Have a good trip’. He did not make it back… I hope to never see anything like that again,” says Derek Charlton adding: “You have to be always conscious of the dangers around you. When planning operations most things boil down to thoroughness, thinking ahead and not rushing things. If things turn out in a way you had not envisaged, always stop and rethink. Effective toolbox meetings Leaders need to be consistent in their expectations when it comes to safety, and they must communicate those expectations very clearly. Training and effective toolbox meetings as part of the planning are very important. The best meeting takes place where the job is to be carried out. It makes it easier to explain and discuss the potential dangers involved. It
is always a good idea to ask each person to explain his role in the upcoming job and what safety aspects he sees. Doing it this way, the supervisor hears if the person has understood what he is supposed to be doing,” Derek says. What do you see as your key responsibilities as head of Wells? “Health, safety and environment is on the top of the list. Next is to ensure our performance, that we can deliver all the new wells as intended and within budget. Ensure that the old wells have the integrity and safety so that they can continue to produce without creating any dangers. The other side is putting together a top performing team that can continue as such in the future. I would love to see the Wells Department having the reputation of being a fantastic place to work so that people will want to come and work for us. I do expect “my people” to really want to do a good and safe job and to look for opportunities to improve our performance – to have a drive to be the best,” says Derek.
safety news september 2014 21
Investigation of Tyra East incident The topset investigation of the gas release on Tyra East on 12th March 2014 showed improvement areas in the planning, risk assessment, permit to work system and for one of the hardware safety barriers.
On the morning of 12th March, a task was being performed to remove an actuator from a valve on the Tyra East A platform. During the work a part of the valve was incorrectly removed. This led to a large gas release which, if it had ignited, could have seriously impacted the safety of the people and facilities. ”We were lucky, but luck is not a barrier that we can or should rely on to run a safe production. The potential consequences of this incident could have been very
severe,” says Chief Safety Engineer Paul Wilson, Corporate Facilities & Projects, Maersk Oil. Identification of causes
The Topset investigation shows a number of causes for the incident. ”To remove the actuator safely it could have been done when the system was out of service. In that way, the system wouldn’t have contained gas. There was also the possibility to isolate and depres-
”We were lucky, the potential consequences of this incident could have been very severe.” Paul Wilson, Chief Safety Engineer,
Corporate Facilities & Projects
22 safety news September 2014
”Thorough planning of a job and the discipline of following the plan are important. The same goes for the quality of the permit and the Tool Box Talk. These help us to ensure a task can be performed safely.” Walter Baumgartner, Head of Tyra Asset
surize the section of the line where the valve was located. This didn’t happen, nor were the production personnel present which is normal on a live-system task,” Wilson says. As part of this the permit to work system didn’t work as intended in the preparation, review and approval phases. For example, in the preparation phase, the documentation provided as input was understood as showing the system was already out of service. ”The permit was also ambiguous on the pressurization status of the line and did not provide sufficient details on how to safely perform the task. The Tool Box Talk performed was inadequate, and the employees didn’t have the experience to perform the task,” Wilson explains. Recommendations
As a result of the investigation a number of recommendations on the planning, permit to work and Tool Box Talks have been made. ”Thorough planning of a job and the discipline of following the plan are important. The same goes for the quality of the permit and the Tool Box Talk. These help us to ensure a task can be
performed safely,” says Walter Baumgartner, Head of Tyra Asset, Maersk Oil Danish Business Unit. He adds: ”If the employees are in doubt of the tasks to be performed, including the hazards and risks associated with it, then they must ask their supervisor for clarification, and if he is not sure, then he has to ask his supervisor. The employee needs a meaningful answer before he begins the job.” The incident also reinforced the 2014 Safety Day message on the importance of ensuring the integrity of the Safety Critical Barriers. A number of barriers automatically activated as planned to ensure the incident was not able to escalate. ”Good process safety is when facilities are designed properly; the equipment well maintained; and the operation of the equipment is done in the way it was designed. The safety barriers support this; we got an example of and how important they are when we had the Tyra East incident,” concludes Wilson.
Global investigation The investigation highlighted an issue with the blowdown system on Tyra East. There is a three-minute built-in time delay between the gas release being detected and the start of blowdown which resulted in approximately twice the amount of gas being released during the incident. The threeminute time delay increased the potential for ignition and magnitude of fire and/or explosion. The incident has led to a global Maersk Oil investigation of the blowdown time on systems.
Safety Critical Barriers Ignition Control - The gas release did not find an ignition source from any permanently installed equipment on the facility. Fire & Gas System - Immediately following the release, a number of gas detectors on the platform detected the gas release and initiated a shutdown and alarm as planned. Public Address/General Alarm System (PA/GA) - The PA/GA system performed as planned and instructed the personnel to muster. Emergency Shutdown (ESD) System - The ESD system automatically shut down the facilities and closed isolation valves. Blowdown system - The blow down system depressurized the platform gas inventory to the flare.
safety news september 2014 23
Lessons from the Incident Consider the consequences when work is re-scheduled – does it change the risk and what actions should be taken to mitigate?
Further details on the investigation findings, recommendations and actions can be found in Synergi (Case no 22336).
Ensure the employees performing the job have the right competencies for the job. Use toolbox talks to discuss the work to be done and to test understanding of the job.
Make sure that everyone involved in the work has the same clear understanding of what the work and risks involved are.
The figure 1 shows the procedure which should have been followed to allow safe removal of the actuator, and figure 2 shows what happened.
When discussing tasks to be carried out, listen for questions that suggest the job is not clear and intervene when you hear them.
State on the permit when work is taking place on live systems.
What happened
Actuator Removal Figur 1
Figur 2
B – Bolts connecting valve stem and actuator. B – Bolts holding valve stem and actuator together. A - Bolts holding actuator to the valve body.
C – Packing flange nuts incorrectly removed. C- Packing flange holding stem seal in place.
(A) bolts removed followed holding actuator to valve body.
(A) & (B) bolts should have been removed to allow safe removal of actuator from valve.
(A) bolts removed followed by packing flange nuts (C) resulting in gas release.
Legend:
Barrier functioned as intended Barrier functioned partially as intended Barrier failed
Legend: Summary of barriers.
Barrier functioned as intended Barrier functioned partially as intended Barrier failed 24 safety news September 2014
Competency
Tool Box Talk
Review
Preparation
Work Order Planning / Risk Assessment
Learning
Permit to Work System
Emergency Response Team
Mustering
Blowdown System
Emeemrgency Shutdown System
Fire and Gas System
Gas Release
Ignition Control
Supervision
Intervention
Competency
Tool Box Talk
Review
Permit to Work System
Preparation
Work Order Planning / Risk Assessment
Managment of Change
Learning
Figur 3
Public Address / General Alarm
Tyra East Gas Release – 12th March 2014
Managment of Change
The failure of a number of barriers resulted in this incident occurring and the activation of a number of safety critical hardware barriers ensured the incident did not result in more serious consequences. These are shown in the figure below and some of the key ones are described below.
Ambassadors held Incident-Free Day
On a day in May, Halfdan Asset’s Incident-Free Ambassadors conducted a ”mini global safety day” with a good dialogue on safety.
”We still use a lot of energy eliminating the prejudice that we are a finger-wagging corps.” Peter Pedersen, Incident-Free-ambassador, Halfdan.
Halfdan Asset’s Incident-Free Ambassadors were allowed to dedicate 16 May to bring even greater focus on safe work.
”It gave a very good dialogue where many good inputs turned up,” says Deputy Asset Manager Morten Dalgaard:
The day which was launched as a “mini global safety day”, was planned to ensure the best possible dialogue from different relevant parties; the groups were divided according to professional competences to get a broad representation of all groups in each group, and then the groups were asked to relate to two questions;
”Subsequently, we collected the points in a joint list which included a total of 55 items. Some of the points must be handled in the WPA list, others were procedure related and others were very specific. The big gain was that people from different trades had a really good dialogue on safety and had a good debate,” he says.
Where do you see the greatest danger on Halfdan - and where do you see the next injury happen? After answering the questions, the groups exchanged places and now the task was: How will you minimise the risk identified by the previous group?
Here at the end of August, Halfdan B has had no LTIs for more than 2 years and 8 months. Here at the end of August, Halfdan A has had no LTIs for more than 3 years and 6 months. Halfdan A + B have had no recordable incidents in 10 months.
”It is now more than 10 months ago that we last had an incident which required more than a plaster. Having the ambassadors works.” Brian Pagaard Nielsen, Head of Halfdan Asset
safety news september 2014 25
This year Well Services will be operating with coiled tubing on the platforms for close to 500 working days, and in 2015 they expect 700 coiled tubing working days. SafetyNews talked to Well Services Manager Søren H. H. Gregersen, Coiled Tubing Field Service Manager Assem Shamisheva, Schlumberger, and Alejandro Garcia Algora, Senior Well Intervention Engineer, Maersk Oil, about how they go about preventing accidents from happening when working with live wells.
26 safety news September 2014
Working with live wells every day “The main thing is to be aware of the risks and mitigating them to an acceptable level. This is achieved by having the appropriate procedures, having the right equipment and not least having the right people who understand and respect the risk and act accordingly. During all live well intervention you must have your pressure barriers in place. In a coiled tubing intervention it’s the coiled tubing itself and the stripper element (sealing element) that works as an active barrier/dynamic seal against well pressure and fluids together with the riser and the Blow Out Preventer (BOP). There are two sets of independent strippers and BOPs in coiled tubing rig ups according to Maersk Oil standards. All equipment is tested and certified before it is shipped offshore. We test it again when it has been rigged up on the platform or rig and continuously every seven days during operations,” says Assem Shamisheva, Schlumberger, and Søren H. H. Gregersen continues: “A coiled tubing operation typically has many phases. Before mobilization, there are several meetings between the Well Services teams and the service provider. Schlumberger has been the main provider of coil tubing services in the Danish operations for more than 20 years, and some of the people have been working here for just as long giving the teams a great amount of knowledge and experience. On these meetings the job is planned in detail and we try to foresee what to expect from a given well so that
we are well prepared when we get offshore. If it is a more complicated operation, we do an ‘intervene well’ exercise on paper before mobilization thus all the different stages of the operation are talked through making everyone well prepared. The fact that many wells might not have been intervened in depth since their completion can make it difficult to know exactly what to expect. Heavy lifts
The second phase is to establish yourselves and the equipment on the platform including all the heavy lifts, getting all the equipment rigged up, ready and tested. It requires a certain amount of knowledge to identify the interfaces of the process, prepare risk assessment, work permits and well handover and have a proactive interaction with platform management, production, deck crew and construction crew. All this in order to getting your pipework done, completing pressure and leak tests etc.,” he continues.
Occupational safety goes hand in hand with process safety “It is very easy for the people involved in a coiled-tubing operation to understand that their work involves risks. The amount of equipment alone tells that story. We bring on to the platform or rig something like 100 tons involving a number of heavy lifts. The operation engages up to 10 persons per shift. Dealing with live wells, chemicals that are corrosive and abrasive – and pumping these at high pressures and rates. We are also having well fluids coming back under pressure containing sand and other deposits that may erode the surface facilities,” says Well Services Manager Søren H. H. Gregersen. “For people working in this particular environment commitment comes easy. They understand the inherent risk and that is probably why they are so motivated to be on top of these risks at all times, dealing and mitigating with them in a proactive way. The point being: Occupational safety goes hand in hand with process safety,” he says.
“In the third phase, we are operating in the live well, running the coil pipe in and out and typically pumping and flowing in order to clean the well. Any leak on the equipment will probably be either some of the fluid you are pumping under pressure, could be acid or in worst case well fluids like hydrocarbons. Thus, in the intervention phase, there are three dominating risks: The hydrocarbon in the live well, the pressure in the equipment, and the chemicals used. Although not to forget that coiled tubing operations also involve
Coiled tubing made on Halfdan.
safety news september 2014 27
years of education, training and on the job experience. There will always be at least one person with an IWCF certificate present on the wellhead during coiled tubing work,” Søren H. H. Gregersen continues. The critical phase
Have you had any accidents lately? “There has not been any occupational accidents for a long time – maybe 5 or 7 years back, where the last was a person hurting his knee, but fortunately not had anything related to well pressure, chemicals or anything like that for a very long time.
Coiled tubing made on Tyra Southeast
working at heights, working with heavy tools, working round the clock and in all kinds of weather. NORM contamination
The next phase is when having the tool string back on surface. We must establish barriers to the pressure and liquids of the well by closing the valve on the x-mas tree. At the same time we must bleed down the gas and liquid contained in the surface equipment. Then the riser can be opened to enable taking out the tool string. This is one of the few times when we open the equipment in which hydrocarbon and chemicals have been contained so we need to flush them and make sure they are safe before opening them. Also you may risk being exposed to H2S and NORM contaminated debris, so naturally this is checked,” says Søren H. H. Gregersen. Training and education
How do you protect the people working there in this phase? “They are protected by having the right education, having received proper instructions, following guidelines and procedures and wearing the necessary personal protection equipment. Other than this, we have the hand-over procedure from one shift to the next just as we always hold a toolbox meeting before going from one phase to the next, and here we discuss all the risks we need to take into account,” Alejandro Garcia Algora says. How do you qualify to work with coiled tubing? “The Schlumberger employees go through a specialized education in three main stages: 28 safety news September 2014
All new hires get trained for 3 months in our workshop and toolshop by our experienced mechanics and tool specialists, where they learn every aspect of the equipment operation and learn about tools to be used in coiled tubing operations. This training will be followed by on-the-job training where they are taught and mentored by highly experienced supervisors, and continue with refresher training that takes place once every year at Esbjerg base. Once a month we have a service quality and safety meeting for our offshore personnel where we discuss lessons learnt from the past month and consider the ways of improving operationally as well as equipment/tool wise. Technical training takes place in the Kellyville, USA, or in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where they train how to perform the operation in practice, what kind of tools to use – and how to use them, and the design and simulation of the operation. Then there is the QHSE training in how to handle the different operations safely and according to the Schlumberger and API standards,” Assem Shamisheva explains. “To become a coiled tubing supervisor with well control responsibilities takes
That being said, we have had several serious and worrying incidents with leaking coils, equipment and so on. All reminding us, that we are vulnerable and have to take care. It has to be acknowledged and respected that rigging up and rigging down are particularly critical phases in the operation because we are lifting and shifting heavy equipment around in the well area and this calls for extra attention. Rigging down is especially critical. In this phase, you have achieved your objective. The job is done; all there is left is cleaning up and going home. This may cause your focus to turn away from your main task because you might begin thinking ‘home’,” says Søren H. H. Gregersen. Equipment is checked repeatedly
What about your equipment and safety? “The coiled tubing itself has a limited life. After between 50 and 100 runs in the well, or three years age it is taken out of use. The pressure control equipment and the machinery can be maintained, but the metal pipe running in and out of the well is more difficult to examine and thus the relatively rigid rules.” “We check the coil both internally and externally for fatigue, corrosion and age and thus we keep track of the string during its entire life from “birth” until it is discarded. We also scan the coil for internal and external cracks before it is put to use,” Assem Shamisheva says.
”Rigging down is especially critical. The job is done; all there is left is cleaning up and going home. This may cause your focus to turn away from your main task because you might begin thinking ‘home’.” Søren H. H. Gregersen, Well Services Manager
Close cooperation “While performing intervention jobs in live wells, very close cooperation with production on the platform is necessary: When do they close in the well, when do we flow the well, what should they expect, do we expect to see any production upsets etc.,” says Søren H. H. Gregersen. “Scale and other deposits on the tubing wall that come up during the process should only in limited amount go into the production process facilities. When we know that we have deposits coming back from the well, we have well cleaning equipment rigged up as part of the operation. We separate out the deposits from the fluid before we send the fluid on to production. The deposits are treated as waste and sent to shore where it is dealt with according to contents - for instance NORM.
BOP: Blow Out Preventer: a safety valve or a number of safety valves placed on top of a well when performing drilling or workover operations, to be used to prevent a blow out if the well starts to flow uncontrollable. NORM: Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material: a term for the radioactive material which comes up from the underground. X- mas tree: X-mas tree: A valve arrangement on top a well which makes it possible to produce hydro carbons from it and / or to inject gas or produced water to the well. API: IWCF:
American Petroleum Institute International Well Control Forum
QTS: Quick Test Sub BHA: Bottom Hole Assembly
safety news september 2014 29
Havila is a strong
collaborator Havila is a shipping company with a thoroughly healthy safety culture and impressive statistics on LTI’s.
Havila Fanø is without LTI for the 4th year. Before we got Havila Herøy, we had Havila Princess which was without LTI for three years. So Havila delivers what we expect,” says Tonny D. Hansen. Collaboration on safety
”Havila is a quality supplier that we have absolute confidence in and that historically has performed in safety as well as occupational safety at a very high level and to our utmost satisfaction.” So says Head of Vessel and Helicopter Operations and Chartering Manager Tonny D. Hansen about the Norwegian contractor Havila which supplies PSV work (platform supply vessel) to Maersk Oil. The collaboration with Havila goes some years back. When Maersk Oil signed longterm contracts on supply vessels from Havila in 2006, we also got the opportunity to influence the design. ”They were built especially for us based on our desires and requirements for issues such as safety and the environment. They have also done a good job, and we have therefore prolonged the contract on both Havila Herøy and Havila Fanø. Havila Herøy is without LTI for the 5th year; 30 safety News September 2014
In Tonny D. Hansen’s opinion Havila is both a contractor and a partner in working safely. ”We work with a company that is just as good at their work as we are. We consider ourselves to be very professional in transport offshore - and so does other operators; Shell UK for example has recently been here to study operational excellence, among other things also the part related to our relationship with contractors. We have a high level because we work with people who also have a high
level; Esvagt, Maersk Supply and Havila, for example,” says Tonny D. Hansen. One of the things he has noted when collaborating with Havila is that the shipping company has a very high level of education and training and knowledge sharing. ”We can see when we sail with them that their approach to training is fantastic. Their teaching system is really good, and their culture is strong. They are open to suggestions, and they are very active in providing feedback on the things we do. They are also very aware that the good experience they get from their other customers in the North Sea and the rest of the world, will always be communicated. We have learned a lot from them and I feel that we both develop from the collaboration,” says Tonny D. Hansen.
”Havila’s safety as well as occupational safety is at a very high level and they work to our utmost satisfaction.” Tonny D. Hansen, Head of Vessel and Helicopter Operations and Chartering Manager
5
Questions on safety
”Both Maersk Oil and Havila are known for their safety attitude, belief, perception and values that employees share in relation to safety and the constant focus on improvement.” Harald Stenersen, HSEQ Manager, Havila Shipping ASA
1 How do you work with HSE in Havila? Havila Shipping ASA operates a management system certified by DnV. The process and methods used for identification of safety risks towards ISM and quality towards ISO 9001 is based on the total operation pattern in our fleet. By involving both administration and the fleet, all relevant risks and quality processes are identified. Methods used are both common ‘Work Shops’ and Ship/Management Reviews. In addition the identification is based on several year ships management on safe operation and Customers relationship and cooperation towards good quality Charter Party (C/P) performances. The functional elements of the Company’s Total Management System (TMS) are:
achieve alignment and are similar in focus:
Risk assessment and permit systems
Care of our fellow colleagues
A culture for being aware that we are vulnerable
An effective and usable stop the job-policy
Distributed monthly analysis of accidents and near accidents
4 How would you characterize the safety culture in Havila - and how it differs from Maersk Oil?
A Drug and Alcohol Policy
I do not think that the safety culture in Havila and Maersk Oil differs. Both Maersk Oil and Havila are known for their safety attitude, belief, perception and values that employees share in relation to safety and the constant focus on improvement.
An Ethical Policy
Our key focus for our safety culture:
A Quality, Health, Safety and Environment Protection Policy
Procedures to identify, evaluate and minimise all risks that may lead to hazardous situations whether towards human or environmental aspects, errors and incidents. Instructions and procedures to ensure the safe operation of vessels and protection of the environment in compliance with relevant international and Flag State legislation. Empowerment to all personnel to stop the job if not satisfied with the mitigations to avoid incidents. Defined levels of authority and lines of communication between shore management and vessels. Procedures for reporting accidents/near accidents and non-conformances within the provisions of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code and ISO9001/14001 standards. Procedures to prepare for, and respond to all relevant emergency situations.
2
3 We believe that the Incident-Free and zero incident goals
Leadership - Officers and senior managers involved and visible in safety as a core value of the organisation Staff attitude - “buy into” company policies and systems and understand that prevention is better than cure by taking personal responsibility for safety and systems
Commitment - all staff are empowered to take decisions that impact safety Competency - is encouraged and rewarded Policies and systems - encourage effective achievement of safety and include reporting and corrective measures
What is your best advice on safety for the individual and the entire Maersk Oil? An important part of the safety culture is the adaptation of CHRONIC UNEASE : CHRONIC UNEASE means: Being sensitive to the risks and accidents that could happen.
Undertake scheduled internal audits, technical Inspections and investigations. How do you perceive the interaction between Havila’s HSE and Incident-Free, and have you adapted your HSE based on our Incident-Free?
We need to change from saying: “We haven’t had an incident, we are doing so well.”
Havila Shipping’s objective is outlined in the company Total Management System (TMS) as zero incidents and there has been a heavy focus on achieving this goal.
To saying: “We haven’t had an incident, what are we overlooking and what else do we need to do?”
Avoid failure of not picking up on weak signals.
safety news september 2014 31
The critical magnifier Companies are investigated and must meet a range of requirements before they can be approved as suppliers to Maersk Oil.
How do you ensure that companies providing goods and services to Maersk Oil ”behave properly”? That they for example follow the basic human rights, are not involved in corruption, work actively to ensure their own employees’ safety and health - and that they take environment into consideration as much as possible? It sounds like an almost impossible task in a world where e.g. 2.3 million people die each year as a result of occupational injuries, where 337 million people are injured at work and where an estimate of 1.5 trillion USD are paid as bribery each year. For years, A.P. Møller - Mærsk has tried to solve the problem through a proprietary database where the suppliers of the group are registered. The database was
32 safety news September 2014
established in 2009 when A.P. Møller Mærsk joined the United Nations Global Compact. You can read more on the intranet: http://group.apmoller.net/gf/gsu/ Pages/default.aspx. That is how we do it
Every time a new company is added, it will be asked to provide a number of factual information about itself and the information is recorded in the database. ”At the same time, we ask the supplier to share a range of information with us, typically employee handbooks and written policies in the five areas on which we place greatest emphasis, namely:
Anti-corruption Health and safety Human rights Human rights and the right to be union member Environment Which requirements the company places on its sub-suppliers
We also want to know how the company meets the standards and norms in its daily practice and thus takes care of its employees and others in the areas stated,” says Lasse Ørnskov who is responsible for evaluating/reviewing the individual supplier. Enslavement exists today
But why this big work? ”One thing is to make money; another thing is the way you make money. And the culture in this company is that the way is just as important as making money. It is not just about ”orderliness”, but also about reducing the risk to be lumped with suppliers who e.g. keep their employees in slave-like conditions,” says Lasse Ørnskov. And even if it may sound distant, it is the case for 20 million people, one of the world’s oldest human rights organisations ”Anti-Slavery International” estimates. The companies are given grades on a scale from A to D within the five areas. And the grades may be different. As an example, you can get the top grade A for anti-corruption, but a B for environment. If you get a D, you have failed. If you get a
”One thing is to make money; another thing is the way you make money. And the culture in this company is that the way is just as important as making money. ” Lasse Ørnskov, Procurement
C, you must improve, and you cannot be approved until you have at least B in all areas.
are safe, that fire-retardant protective clothing is actually fire-retardant and so on.
The data are stored on an internal website so that all employees at A.P. Møller - Mærsk can see whether a given supplier has been approved or not.
Own research
Is this work important to safety at all? Yes, very much, for one of the sub-points which we review, is about ”product liability”. Among other things, this means that the supplier has obligation to ensure that the products that they manufacture or process further, have a sufficiently high quality. For example, that safety shoes
Do you rely solely on the information you get from the companies themselves? ”No, we also make independent research. Naturally, not of all companies, but of some of them; depending on the amount of the commerce, geographical location and other criteria. There are also databases on the internet where you can see which risks you have to especially aware of in the respective countries - corruption, child labour or something else.
Our own contractors in house have a thorough knowledge of their suppliers and have quite often visited the companies. I can also draw on that knowledge in my work when mapping the individual supplier. And our database is not static. We review the companies again regularly due to constant changes. Finally, we also use external consultants to make actual audits at major suppliers to be as sure as possible that the information we have gathered is in line with reality, although you can never cover yourself 100 percent,” says Lasse Ørnskov.
- Mærsk is a member of United Nations Global Compact. You can read more on the intranet: http://group.apmoller.net/gf/gsu/ Pages/default.aspx.
safety news september 2014 33
Safety is increased, money and time are saved It was a long process, but in spring 2014, Gorm was given permission to use IR-curing when painting in the open air. It gives many advantages.
On Gorm and several other places in the North Sea, they are now using infrared (IR) curing in connection with painting. It can also be used in process areas and without pressure tents. There are many advantages such as:
It speeds up the curing process significantly, thus saving a lot of time. Escape routes are barred only for hours and not days. You get a much harder surface which lasts longer and therefore shall be re-painted fewer times. With the faster curing, you avoid that the painted objects emit chemical vapours for several days. A big advantage, especially when working inside the modules.
34 safety news September 2014
But it was hard work and required many hours of work to find the appropriate documentation before permission was given. Good for safety
”When replacing old gratings on gangways they must be treated with epoxy paint. Usually, this means that you cannot use the gangways and escape routes in question for five to six days, while the paint dries and hardens,” explains Tim Pedersen who is painter foreman on Gorm. ”But when we use infrared curing, we can handle the entire replacement including application and curing during the same shift. The curing itself does not take more than about an hour. Not only is it of importance to safety because the escape routes are barred only for a short time, you also save a lot of time and thus much money. It makes a huge difference,” says Tim and he continues:
”At present, we are carrying out a very comprehensive paint programme. One example is that all the pipe bridges on Gorm have to be painted. It also means that all of the several hundred support clamps around the pipes must be dismantled, sandblasted, painted and reassembled. And instead of taking six days per unit, we can do the job in just one day. A huge reduction in time”. ”Gascatalytic infrared curing works a little like a terrace heater or a large, advanced toaster, which gives off a high heat,” continues Tim who has fought for permission to use IR for years. Fire hazard
When you say ”toaster”, I think of fire and explosion hazards. ”Yes, it was exactly what the production supervisors and many other people offshore thought. That is why until recently we could use IR curing only in pressure tents. And then it gives very limited advantages,” says Tim, who has worked offshore with minor breaks since February 1995 and continuously since 2001 – the last 10 years on Gorm. He is a stubborn chap who does not give up easily. He spoke with people on the other platforms and together with the production supervisor Steffen Gerner Hansen he sought - and found – documentation that there was no risk of using IR-curing in the open air, even in process areas, as only radiant heat is emitted.
Longer durability ”Practically, it is about some elements which are approx. 60x40 cm. They include some electric heaters and a gas regulator and can be mounted, for example on a scaffold pipe for easy removal. They are connected to 220 volts and in 10 minutes, the heating elements are ready. Ordinary LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) is connected and within a short time the temperature is increased from about 120 to about 400 degrees inside the panel and the curing process takes place really fast with this radiant heat,” explains Tim. When working with two-component epoxy paint, a chemical bond process takes place. In ideal conditions - which there almost never are offshore - with low humidity and 20 degree heat in the steel being painted, the epoxy coating cures in about eight hours. If using IR curing, it takes an hour and moreover the bond is much better. The result is that you get a much harder surface and significantly longer durability even with a smaller thickness of paint.
”Together with telecom, we have tested our IR instruments in relation to all detectors on Gorm and none of them responded. If you put a piece of paper on the object, absolutely nothing happens and the equipment has been Ex-approved.” Long and tough fight
Originally, Jonathan Madden got the idea that you could also use IR curing outside of vessels and pressure tents. But no one would give permission. Everyone was nervous because it was about heat and gas. After a long and tough fight, permission was given to use the IR with a yellow work permit, but it required many inhibitions. In spring 2014, the decisive breakthrough came with the permission from the platform supervisor on Gorm that it can now be used in the process areas on an ordinary blue permit. As all the documentation was in place, the other fields followed so that the method can now be used over the entire North Sea.
”The curing means a lot to safety because the escape routes are barred only for a short time.” Tim Pedersen, foreman at Gorm safety news september 2014 35
Nobody goes Three tough trips
We have several accommodation rigs and many new people working on the North Sea now. It really costs a lot of time and effort from the experienced employees to acquaint the new employees with the job, with safety - and with the conditions offshore in general. Many employees have passed an adult vocational training (AMU course) as the only professional foundation and without offshore experience.
Incident-Free is really good. It has completely changed the spirit offshore. Tim Pedersen, foreman on Gorm
”Previously, the attitude offshore was primarily that if you could not stand the heat, you had to find another job. Now people are seriously listened to. Increased emphasis is placed on social values and it is noticed how the employees act as people,” says paint foreman on Gorm Tim Pedersen and continues: ”During our morning meetings, we talk naturally about the day’s work, but I also watch whether there are some of the employees who are particularly silent or do not behave exactly as they use to. And then I have a word with him/her afterwards in private, so that I can be sure that everything is OK. It is important for safety that you can focus fully on the work and that thoughts and attention are not elsewhere, because of something that may be wrong at home or because you are afraid of losing your job. 36 safety news September 2014
The last three trips have been tough, but now it starts to look good” says Tim who manages 18 men in the process of painting on Gorm. 90 percent are people with very little or no offshore experience. ”But they are making good progress. And then it is all worth it. At the same time, it is a great and exciting challenge to be able to teach, so you can see that people constantly grow, become better and can work safely.
It is just a habit that you always use your personal protective equipment. Just as you would hardly go naked to the bakery for bread, you must be dressed correctly when working offshore. Naked to the bakery
They must learn some good routines, e.g. that you always check your equipment thoroughly before beginning e.g. sandblasting or high-pressure cleaning. Also, that you always use your personal protective equipment - suit, mask, gloves and so
on; according to which type of job you are going to carry out. It is just a habit and it should be a good habit. Just as you would hardly go naked to the bakery for bread, you must be dressed correctly when working offshore. When it comes to personal protective equipment, I do not have much patience. It must be in order, otherwise he/she cannot not be on my team. If you do not want to take care of yourself, you will probably not take care of your colleagues and then you should not be here,” says Tim who has been a foreman since 2008. Demanding jobs
“As a foreman you spend a lot of time coordinating the various jobs with the other foremen, so that all work can be carried out as efficiently and smoothly as possible. Many reports have to be written. Inspections have to be made, materials have to be ordered, meetings have to be held with people; both the regular morning meetings and toolbox meetings. We have to spend time on check rounds, watch safety, protective equipment, chemicals - and just talk to people and answer questions. Naturally, safety is the most important issue but the other things are a strong presence. There is a lot of paperwork, especially after we have got the new OSP 012. We could use more electronic solutions. All work permits are written by hand. For my part, a lot of them are generally speaking ”copy-paste”. Whether we are painting a pipe at one end of the platform or the other, the precautions are the same. I have to, however, start over again every time. We could gain a lot of time if we have an electronic solution,” says Tim Pedersen.
naked to the bakery The small hole with great impact ”I am painting some pipes when my painter supervisor, Tim Pedersen, stops by to see how it is going. This is my 10th trip offshore in the North Sea and my first on Gorm.
Tim stops, looks and points at my protective suit. It is a paper suit and a small hole has been torn in the suit. It happens easily when it sticks in something. The hole is approx. 10x10 cm at the hip, but I have sealed it carefully with gaffer tape,” says painter Allan Jensen and continues: Tim points at the patching and says: ”There is a hole in your suit. You have to change it.” I answer: ”It is nothing to talk about. It is just a small hole and I have sealed it.”
rules. I take my hat off to this”, Allan says, who changed his suit. In the days before this little incident, Tim and Allan have had a good talk, says Allan and Tim’s clear attitude showed him that safety must be taken seriously. ”I like Tim. He is clear and straightforward. If he sees something which is not as it should be, you are being told. Right on the spot. He is very much dedicated to safety. And just like he can give us a piece of his mind, he also has the ability and the courage to speak plainly with the managers when necessary. ”Just” is not good
As Danes, we have a tendency to think, ”It is going to be okay. It’s only a small thing, we’re “just” doing this and that …” I do not think like that after the incident with Tim. And shortly afterwards, the incident was reinforced by a seminar in Incident-Free. Mostly, “it goes well,” even if you bend the safety rules a bit.
But when you comply with them, you know that it goes well. This is the great and important difference.” Allan says that he has started reading the OSPs which are relevant for his work. ”I do not study for hours, but read regularly. Also at home. However, it is heavy going. A little difficult to read and understand – and not least to remember. But I push forward,” Allan says, who thinks that it is important that everyone read the OSPs. He says that he has now started to think much more about safety than he did before. And he has become more aware that it is often only small things which can cause serious harm. ”The thought of working safely buzzes in my head and I am excited about my next trip. It is hard to break habits - even the bad ones, but I am very keen on working 100 percent safely - all the time,” says Allan Jensen.
Tim looks at me and then he says: ”You can choose to change the suit or you can pack your bag.” The serious smile
”He says it with a smile on his face, so it does not seem quite as hard, but I am not a second in doubt that it was said in earnest. And to me it is a clear message that here we comply with the safety
”As Danes, we have a tendency to think, ”It is going to be okay. It’s only a small thing, we’re “just” doing this and that …” I do not think like that after the incident with Tim.” Allan Jensen, painter on Gorm
safety news september 2014 37
M I L estones
31 Juli 2014 Mærsk Frontier celebrated 6 years without LTI’s. 31 August 2014 Havila Fanø celebrated 4 years without LTI’s. 9 September 2014 Esvagt Preventer celebrated 13 years without LTI’s.
Energy Enhancer two years without LTI’s On 1 July 2014 Energy Enhancer celebrated two years without LTI’s. Derek Charlton, Head of Wells, handed over the plaque to the crew.
Ensco 71 four years without LTI’s On 30th June 2014 Ensco 71 celebrated four years without LTI’s. This picture is from the handover ceremony. Derek Charlton, Head of Wells, presented the plaque to the OIM of E71, David Goldspink.
Deadline on the next number of SafetyNews is 20th November 2014.
38 safety news September 2014
M I L estones
• Ensco 71 30.06.14 4 Y • Energy Enhancer 01.07.14 2 Y • Ensco 72 06.07.14 3 Y • Dan B 16.07.14 9 Y • Mærsk Frontier 31.07.14 6 Y • Tyra Vest 06.08.14 1 Y • Havila Fanø 31.08.14 4 Y • Esvagt Preventer 09.09.14 13 Y
Ensco 72 three years without LTI’s On 6th July 2014 Ensco 72 celebrated three years without LTI’s. Derek Charlton, Head of Wells, presented the plaque to the Ensco 72 OIM Paul Rudd. Ensco 72 is currently working as accommodation rig at Tyra Southeast.
The columns show the year-to-date frequency (Number pr 1 mill workhours) of Lost Time Injuries (LTI), restricted work day cases (RWDC) and medical treatment cases (MTC) respectively. The top of the three columns show the frequencies of the total number of accidents (TRIF).
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YTD TRIF - Danish Business Unit
RWDC frequency
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Published by: HSEQ, Esbjerg
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Editor: Jonathan Smith Editorial staff: Conny Villadsen Kenneth Dielemans
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Layout: Marianne Friis Nielsen
safety news september 2014 39
MY safety story
Physical abilities and competence are not the same I felt the words of the headline the hard way when I was mountain biking with my cycling club in Sdr. Plantage near Varde.
fastened to the spine board and had a neck collar around my neck. Apparently, I had landed directly on my head and passed out. Then I was also more or less run over by a teammate who was unable to evade me.
I have been riding mountain bike since February 2014 and am gradually getting in good shape. I was also fit on Sunday, 15 June, when 10 men from Bramming cycling club cycled to Sdr. Plantage to grapple with the terrain.
Realise your limitations
The trip to the forest went swimmingly just like the first hour in the area where it went over hedge and ditch without getting off the bike too often. Since I am a decidedly competitive person, I think it was great to be in the lead and I could keep up with the good bike riders. When I at that time thought ”Cool!” I did not consider that my club mates had several years of experience on a mountain bike. The ambulance is on the way
After that, I do not actually remember much when I involuntarily got off the bike. The next thing I remember is that I was lying on the ground and looking up at Jørgen from the club; He said that I had had a fall which I could not recall. ”You have hurt your head and your leg, but an ambulance is on its way. Now just lie still ”or something like that is what I remember, until I was lying in the ambulance. It was not until I was in the ambulance that I realised the seriousness as I could move neither my legs, nor my body or head. I was
SafetyNews
At Sydvestjysk Sygehus, the doctors could, to my GREAT relief, tell me that nothing was fractured. I guess that it made me shed a tear or two. I got off lightly with a large hole on the shinbone, which could be sutured with some internal stitches and 15 external stitches; and a small piece was knocked off the shinbone. With this short story, I want to tell you: KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS. This applies both to leisure activities and to your work. At present, there are many new people on our offshore installations, and it is extremely important to understand that you must not compare yourself and your skills with people who have been employed for half a lifetime. Not even though you are fiercely competitive!
”It was not until I was in the ambulance that I realised the seriousness of the situation.” Chris Harding Hansen, Production Assistant, Tyra West
If you or your loved ones have a story you would like to share and believe there is a learning experience for us all, we invite you to contact us. Any story with the topic of personal relationship to Incident-Free and our safety commitments will be much appreciated. We will have a prize for the colleague whose story we bring.