HSE chair warns against complacency creeping back in the North Sea offshore industry

Date:

23 November 2010

Judith Hackitt, Chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), has warned of the dangers of allowing another cycle of decaying commitment to maintaining the integrity of offshore facilities at a conference organised by the North Sea Offshore Authorities Forum (NSOAF) in Aberdeen today (23 November).

Speaking to senior executives and trades associations of offshore oil & gas companies operating throughout the North Sea, Ms Hackitt stressed both the importance of continuity and leadership throughout the offshore industry, and how member countries can share knowledge and experience through NSOAF:

HSE Chair Judith Hackitt addresses the North Sea Offshore Authorities Forum in Aberdeen

Discussing health and safety standards in the UK offshore industry, Judith Hackitt said:

"I have been greatly encouraged by the leadership I have seen emerging from the industry. There is a strong commitment to training and involvement, to learning and sharing lessons. But this commitment must be sustained in the long term and it must be spread more broadly if we are to ensure that we don't see history repeat itself with another cycle where improved short-term performance leads to complacency and reduced investment.

"But we, as regulators, also have a role to play in ensuring that this cyclical "decay" does not happen. We too need to lead. By setting the standards and explaining clearly what we expect. The more that we can work together to: develop consistency, learn from one another, and promote the sharing of good practice - particularly after Deepwater Horizon - the more effective we will be as leaders and as regulators. This will allow us to demonstrate stronger leadership to the industry as a whole."

Ms Hackitt also touched on new technologies and how asset integrity will remain just as crucial:

HSE Chair Judith Hackitt addresses the North Sea Offshore Authorities Forum in Aberdeen

"The UK Government is clear about the need to adopt new approaches to energy generation. The offshore oil and gas industry has the experience, skills and expertise to make a significant contribution to achieving this especially in the areas of carbon capture and storage and offshore wind farms. But this will require us to all think about new operational practices in the North Sea.

"Life extension and new uses for old equipment are all perfectly possible − provided the equipment is properly maintained and that design integrity is not compromised by new requirements or applications. Many of these decisions and challenges will be easier to address if we pool our knowledge and resources and as far as possible adopt common standards and approaches.

"That is why I believe the work of the North Sea Offshore Authorities Forum is so important - precisely because it provides that collaborative forum."

Notes to editors

1. Originally planned for April, this conference was delayed due to the disruptions caused by the Icelandic Volcano. It is the second conference for offshore industry leaders that NSOAF has organised.
2. Formed in 1999, NSOAF is made up of governmental departments from the eight countries responsible for regulating health and safety in the North Sea. Their goal is to ensure continuous improvement in health, safety and the environment in the offshore activities in the North Sea. Members discuss common issues and learning from incidents and research and agree, where possible, a common approach from the regulator.
3. The representatives of NSOAF are:
   • Norway: Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA)
   • Denmark: Danish Energy Agency
   • Faroe Islands: Ministry of Petroleum
   • Germany: Landesamt für Bergbau, Energie und Geologie (LBEG)
   • Ireland: Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources/Commission for Energy Regulation
   • The Netherlands: State Supervision of Mines
   • Sweden: Svenska Geologiska Undersøkning
   • UK: Health and Safety Executive
4. Further information on HSE's work with NSOAF can be found on the HSE website http://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/liaison.htm

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