JOINT HSE AND STEP CHANGE STAND OPENS

HSE press release E170:03 - 2 September 2003

The head of the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Offshore Division Taf Powell opened the joint HSE and Step Change in Safety stand at Offshore Europe Conference and Exhibition this afternoon.

Mr Powell was joined at the opening by Chair of Step Change, Tom Botts; Health and Safety Commissioner Margaret Burns and Graham Tran of AMICUS - the first time that HSE, the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and industry have come together at Offshore Europe. The aim of the joint stand is to reinforce the message of working together to secure the shared target of the UK as the safest sector in the oil and gas industry by 2010.

Taf Powell said: "The industry has adopted the target, supported by Government, for the UKCS to become the safest offshore sector in the world by 2010, whilst maintaining production rates and investment at a high level. This recognises the importance of health and safety in the industrial chain - we are aiming, jointly, for a thriving, safe, environmentally clean industry with a long future."

Margaret Burns of the HSC said: "The Commission places very great value on working with industry, both employers and the workforce, to achieve greater improvements together than can be achieved by working alone, in the respective pigeonholes. Working collaboratively - where this is possible and recognising there are differences in roles between employer, worker and regulator - means identifying and dealing with health and safety risks about which we can all agree. It's about building commitment to improvement programmes that are inclusive and make sense to everyone. It's also about sharing information and best practices and improving our understanding about how accidents happen and how best to prevent them.

"I want to acknowledge the leadership of the offshore industry in embracing partnership with HSC and E and for developing a vision for improving health and safety that will serve as an object lesson for other industrial sectors. I want to emphasise how vital it is to the UK as a whole that important sectors such as the offshore oil and gas industry take a lead in demonstrating that partnership works. "

Mr Powell acknowledged the work of Chair Tom Botts: "Many people have helped the revitalised Step Change team get going, but Tom in particular has shown tremendous leadership and vision in driving the programme to its present state."

Tom Botts said: "We have long recognised that to significantly improve the safety of our workforce all stakeholders needed to effectively work together. Step Change in Safety, the HSE, unions and workforce can be rightfully encouraged that industry and the HSE stand together in partnership, proactively seeking solutions to workplace health and safety issues.

I congratulate Taf Powell for leading the HSE to work closer with industry, the benefits of which are already visible not only at this Offshore Europe combined stand but in a number of ongoing Step Change forums. I am confident this partnered approach will deliver an improved safe workplace for employees in our industry."

Amicus Regional Officer, Graham Tran commented "It certainly makes sense to promote the partnership approach at Offshore Europe by having a joint stand. The progress made in the area of safety over the last 12 months has only been possible by all stakeholders working in partnership over this period. It is important however that we continue the partnership approach for years to come. If the workforce can see that there is not a 'them and us' approach to safety then it hopefully will encourage more people to come forward as safety reps. I will certainly be taking a positive message back to my colleagues on the Inter Union Offshore Oil Committee."

Mr Powell concluded: "The HSE Step Change stand at Offshore Europe will be staffed with people from all parts of the industry who want to demonstrate to visitors just what has and can be, achieved. I hope you can visit us there."

Notes to editors

1. Offshore Europe takes place at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre between 2 and 5 September 2003. The joint HSE Step Change stand is No. 1416 situated in the Blue Zone between aisles 14 and 15 (near to the café).

2. The HSE Step Change stand was officially opened by Taf Powell, Head of HSE's OSD, Tom Botts, Chair of Step Change, Margaret Burns of the Health and Safety Commission and Graham Tran, Regional Officer of Amicus on Tuesday 2 September.

3. All members of the press are invited to the HSE press conference at the press conference centre on Wednesday 3 September starting at 9am sharp.

4. HSE's Offshore Division is made up of five units, two based in Aberdeen and one each in Norwich, Liverpool and London. Three of the units contain a mix of inspection teams and topic specialist teams, whilst the remaining two units are entirely topic specialist-based.

5. Step Change in Safety is a key industry initiative launched in September 1997 to improve health and safety performance, awareness and behaviours throughout the UK oil and gas industry. It is supported by all the sector's major trade associations, the trade unions, Health and Safety Executive and Cogent (the industry's Sector Skills Council). Feedback and input from the workforce is maintained via four networks, for installation managers and supervisors, safety professionals and elected safety representatives and focal points. www.stepchangeinsafety.net

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