109 / 160
March
2017
107
HYDROCARBON
ENGINEERING
O
ne accident is always one too many. According to the Census of
Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), in 2014 alone there were
14 fatalities related to the oil and gas industry. Although it is
difficult to ascertain health and safety related statistics by sector,
the annual offshore statistics and regulatory activity report from the UK
Health and Safety Executive, published in 2015, stated that seven fatalities
had occurred in the UK offshore oil and gas industry in the past 10 years.
Within the downstream sector, however, there have been no fatalities
reported for the same period, despite the fact that the presence of
hazardous gases and ignition sources remains one of the major leading
causes of serious incidents and fatalities.
Operators and contractors continually seek alternative methods of
improving overall processes and efficiencies, including safeguarding the
welfare and safety of all involved. A multitude of risks face those
conducting maintenance work, with health and safety professionals
continuously pursuing new ways of protecting the workforce. One of the
ways that industry professionals make improvements is by exploring new
innovative technology.
What are the challenges?
It is becoming harder for suppliers within the oil and gas sector to meet
industry safety regulations. Some of the largest markets in the world, such
as the UK, US and the Middle East, have complex structures of regulations,
which need to be met. This has had a significant impact on global suppliers
as each government, industry regulator and operator has different safety
standards. In order to effectively abide by market specific requirements,
manufacturers often have no option other than to produce various
versions of the same technology. This can have significant cost implications
for both the client and the manufacturer, and is extremely inefficient.