HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE for Oil & Gas industry

and more...

In this issue:

SAFETYDEVELOPMENTS

THE HUMAN FACE OF SAFETY

1612

SAFETY CENTREIN GRONINGEN

34

2015 / 2016

HOW STABLEIS SAFETY?

4

WINTER EDITION

PUTTING A FACETO SAFETY

18LOADSECURING

22

SAFE ANDSOUNDBACK HOME, ALSO IN THE NEW YEAR!

2

MORE VOTESFOR HARMONISATION

OF SAFETY

Foreword

Safety, too, has the status of a “great good” in Maslow’s universal hierarchy of needs. Humanity is constantly seeking safety. Not only at a personal level. In the workplace, too, safety is vital. That, too, is not “automatic”. Thus, we must spare no effort and keep our shoulders to the wheel. Every voice that contributes safe working practices adds weight to this. The harmonisation of rules and regulations is an essential foundation. Accordingly, we are proud that we can also hear the voice of the Contractors. By means of the Contractor Forum that has been established, they are now taking an active part in developing and implementing HSElife UNIO. After all, why should we independently reinvent the wheel ten times over when, working together, we can achieve this in one go? This is particularly true in the present climate, when we have to keep a close eye on costs! Under the catchphrase “less is more”, we communicate information powerfully and clearly.I get a lot of positive feedback from Contractors, including a wealth of ideas on how to share knowledge. Knowledge is the only commodity that actually increases as you share it. Which is where HSElife UNIO comes in. This is a platform where we can cooperate on harmonisation, and ultimately all speak the same language.

The majority rules? The more voices the better. More voices means more democracy for harmonisation and safety. I think that’s obvious! What do you think?

On behalf of THE WAT GROUPPier van Spronsen

In recent years, how many people around the world have

spoken out for democracy? The voice of the people, calling

for freedom, peace and justice. Things that are not “automatic”.

3

4

Cost reductionand its impact

on safety

is SAFETY?

HoW

stabLE

5

What is happening with safety within the Oil and Gas

Industry now that cost reduction is part of everyday life?

We will approach this issue from different angles.

Four professionals offer their opinion.

“If everyone involved in HSE spoke the same language, we’d be able to work more safely, while at the same time cutting costs – certainly within the oil and gas industry. This is why State Supervision of Mines considers it vital for HSElife UNIO to implement the harmonisation initiative.”

Roel van de LintHead Operations of State Supervision of Mines

6

The Contractor“Cost reduction plans don’t result in halting certain safety

measures or cutting back on safety. Cost reduction means

considering how to work more efficiently within a safety

department in order to cut the costs but I don’t see

organizations curtailing on safety.”

Level of knowledge

When personnel is being reduced due to cost reduction, you often see that the organization loses know-

how and experience, Peter Vinke says. “Well, you may lose the know-how but still, in these cases it’s not my

impression that organizations cut back on the necessary training facilities in order to get and keep personnel at

the right level of know-how concerning safety and working safely.”

The impact of cost reduction on harmonization

The differences in safety rules are among the most difficult aspects for Contractors, Vinke says. “In my opinion,

cost reduction could actually have a positive impact on the harmonization of rules and regulations. Keep in

mind that in many cases, industry standards exist. However, some organizations still make their own rules and

regulations. To Contractors, this can be confusing. Therefore, if these specific company rules would slowly

vanish and we would subsequently comply more with the industry standards, Contractors would have a more

unambiguous way of working which would make it safer.”

Peter VinkeCASOS Chairman /

Corporate HSSEQ Manager at Stork

7

“Cutting back on safety know-how...

Intrinsic motivation

“Cost awareness and cost reduction don’t compete with safety. Perhaps you would expect the focus on safety

to lessen but this is not the case. One thing that strikes me though is the fact that safety performance within

the Oil and Gas Industry is not improving as much as one would hope and expect. At this moment, a trend

is becoming visible of companies trying to understand the reason for this and what the next step should be

in order to get this horizontal line to drop with fewer incidents. For example by looking for ways to get their

people intrinsically motivated to work safely.”

“Cost awareness andcost reduction don’t compete

with safety.”

is like undermining your own work. For a while, nothing

will happen but eventually the impact will start showing and

incidents will occur. Moreover, making concessions on safety

doesn’t do much good in terms of credibility. It will reinforce

unsafe behavior and have long term consequences.”

Henk VeenvlietManager Training & Consulting /

Senior HSE Advisor at

the Institute for Safety & Environment

Long term

“The low oil price puts pressure on the market including the market of safety training. The question is, however,

how to deal with that. It is tempting to cut back on safety training. The short run gives you the advantage of

saving money but only in the long run will consequences become apparent. By trying to reduce only costs

you eventually purchase insecurity, which is killing. The “old” way of collaborating – ‘you ask, we deliver’- puts

cost management responsibility completely with the commissioning party. Focus will be put on cost price.

8

By putting a constant unilateral pressure on the cost price you’re squeezing out the services you’re purchasing

in a major way. This is called ‘the Lopez Effect’. This occurred for example within the car industry. At Peugeot

and later at Volkswagen, a purchaser worked who executed cost reduction programs to the extreme. This way

he put a constant pressure on his suppliers. In the long run, the suppliers couldn’t comply any longer and had to

lower their quality standards resulting in unreliable cars. Ergo, cost reduction may work in the short run but will

negatively influence quality performance in the long run. Moreover, value creation as a result of a constructive

collaboration between patron and supplier will be violated.”

The challenge for the Oil and Gas Industry

“Under pressure, all things become fluid. Currently, everything is under pressure and the present situation forces

us to think differently. Can we do things differently and better? Can we work more efficiently and effectively?

In my opinion, the actual cost saving lies within the answers to these questions. Including the future beneficial

aspects to the improvement of safety performance. It is the challenge for the Oil and Gas Industry to improve

safety levels by turning the situation around, in spite of the low oil price. To search for new cost saving learning

tools and technologies which enhance the effect of safety training. Think combinations of e-learning and

practical learning, Virtual Reality experiments and training on

the job.”

High safety requirements

“Oil and Gas Industry Operators have ensured safety within their industry standards. Cost reduction

will have no impact on this. The same applies to safety training levels. However, if you break a certain

minimum threshold by less training, you’re consciously taking a safety risk. The point is to really work

safely and not be satisfied with a C instead of an A.”

“By putting a constant unilateral pressure on the cost price you’re squeezing out the services you’re

purchasing in a major way.”

9

InvestmentsGroeneveld Groep has been developing, producing, marketing

and selling innovative products in more than 30 countries for more

than 40 years. The product gamma includes innovative products

for automated maintenance, active safety and efficiency.

Automated maintenance

At their owned production facility in Italy, Groeneveld is developing products for automated greasing and oil

management for, among others, trucks, trailers, off-road machinery, busses, trains and stationary machinery.

Active safety

Both proper maintenance and safety are very important in the world of logistics. That is why Groeneveld has

developed electronic speed limiting devices and an active camera detection system. These products ensure

less damage risk, more efficient fuel consumption and even support legal standards.

“We’ve found that Oil and Gas Industry Operators deem unsafe working conditions unacceptable. They’re very

much focused on safety despite all cost reduction. Therefore, a patron working for the Oil and Gas Industry

must also invest in safety. They look for technical solutions contribute to working more safely and more

efficiently. Often that means spending money even when things are a bit tight. However, if you have a long term

vision, you’ll find that your investments will pay back after a short period of time.”

Wim ZielemanSenior Sales Coach & Business

Development at Groeneveld Groep

Return on investments

His client’s margins are getting smaller, Wim Zieleman finds. “Investing in safety means that other investments

get a lower priority. However, the downside of investing in safety is that there’s no immediate return on

investment. That is why –especially in times of cost reduction- it is important to provide a clear insight into the

expected return. When we do that, we see people becoming more receptive and more inclined to promote such

investments.”

Safety is an overall aspect

When cost reduction and investing in safety cross

paths, internal conflict of interest often occurs, Zieleman

says. “Everybody feels responsible for their own shop.

Where one party earns money, the other pays the bill.

Safety however, is an overall aspect. Everybody is

working on it. For we see that Operators have put the

issue of safety high on their agenda. So that even when

the investment in safety

collides with decreased

budgets and people are

protesting, money will still

be allocated in favor of

these investments. And

when incidents occur, you’ll

find that the Operators will

be even more resolute in

their decision making.”

10

“Knowing your processes well beforehand

“The Operators have put the issue of safety high on their agenda.”

11

Efficiency“Cost reduction increases the need for efficiency. Efficiency means that

companies become more critical of their operational management and

start looking for alternative solutions. By maintaining a constant dialogue

with our customers and by having the courage to look for alternatives,

using “working safely” as a guideline, we are able to find good alternatives

while achieving the same or even higher level of safety.”

Insight beforehand in safety measures

Efficiency is never being determined in hindsight, Herbert van Larsdonk says. “You look at what needs to be

done before you do it. Which activities are to be expected? Which processes will be affected? Is it possible to

join processes together and will the joining result in the same safety profile? By working more efficiently, you

therefore get an insight beforehand in the measures you’ll have to take in order to work safely.”

Planning

“In these times of searching for efficiency possibilities, we’re finding out that Operators are more open to a more

intensive form of cooperation. Together, we review our processes and we’re not afraid to identify any potential

sting and remove it from the process. Why are we working the way we do? Should we even work that way?

Which are the alternatives? Do these alternatives comply with our safety profile? Do these alternatives perhaps

result in a higher safety level, a level we cannot achieve in the current situation? In striving for more efficiency,

you always involve your supplier and Contractor as well. You review each other’s processes in order to let any

inefficiency surface.”

Herbert van LarsdonkManager Detachment at the

Institute for Safety & Environment

“Knowing your processes well beforehand and aligning them will result in more efficiency

“If you think Safety is expensive, try an accident”.

and an equal or even better safety situation.”

To work safely is more than just complying with the rules and do the

best you can. Human factors are also

in play. From their own experience,

pilot Patrick Gruber and advisor

/ coach Marc de Roos offer new

insights in how to approach safety in a

proactive way.

Latitude: 52.167391

Longitude: 6.045227

•50.3 -120.5

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•50 18 0 -120 30 0

•50 18 0 N 120 30 0 W

•50° 18’ 0” N 120° 30’ 0” W

Latitude: 52.167391

Longitude: 6.045227

•50.3 -120.5

•50.3, -120.5

•-120.5 50.3

•50.3 N 120.5 W

•120.5 W 50.3 N

•50 18 0 -120 30 0

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•50° 18’ 0” N 120° 30’ 0” W

Latitude: 52.167391

Longitude: 6.045227

•50.3 -120.5

•50.3, -120.5

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•50.3 N 120.5 W

•120.5 W 50.3 N

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•50° 18’ 0” N 120° 30’ 0” W

The human face of

Human behavior and perception play

a very important role in preventing

incidents

SAFETY

12

“The industry usually approaches safety issues from a technical point of view,” de Roos explains. “For instance, are

the right tools and personal safety equipment being used, or, has the installation been secured. In my opinion, we should add

a behavioral component to our risk analyses because it has been shown that human behavior and perception play a very

important role in the prevention of incidents.”

Airplane crash

During a flight, Gruber lost two fellow pilots. “They were very experienced, highly trained, they had been flying

for 20 years and yet, one of the colleagues made one basic mistake resulting in this crash,” Gruber says. “He

was doing his job as usual and he did the best he could. Nothing out of the ordinary happened and the plane

was functioning well. I’ve been investigating to try and find out why this person still miscalculated something,

leading to this accident. I came to the conclusion that safety is not only reliant on rules and procedure but also

on observation and processing information – in other words, on perception.”

De Roos tells us about his experiences within the Oil and Gas Industry: “What catches the eye in normal

daily activity are the many differences between what people see, how they process information and which

decisions they make. All this to their best ability. The level of experience is irrelevant. It proves that working

safely doesn’t end with checklists, rules, procedures or processes. It is essential for us to understand how

people behave and why they make the choices they make. If we can understand this we can subsequently

teach people to consider those elements during their work.”

13

You can’t change human behavior within the limitations of an 8 hour workshop

Latitude: 52.167391

Longitude: 6.045227

•50.3 -120.5

•50.3, -120.5

•-120.5 50.3

•50.3 N 120.5 W

•120.5 W 50.3 N

•50 18 0 -120 30 0

•50 18 0 N 120 30 0 W

•50° 18’ 0” N 120° 30’ 0” W

Latitude: 52.167391

Longitude: 6.045227

•50.3 -120.5

•50.3, -120.5

•-120.5 50.3

•50.3 N 120.5 W

•120.5 W 50.3 N

•50 18 0 -120 30 0

•50 18 0 N 120 30 0 W

•50° 18’ 0” N 120° 30’ 0” W

Latitude: 52.167391

Longitude: 6.045227

•50.3 -120.5

•50.3, -120.5

•-120.5 50.3

•50.3 N 120.5 W

•120.5 W 50.3 N

•50 18 0 -120 30 0

•50 18 0 N 120 30 0 W

•50° 18’ 0” N 120° 30’ 0” W

14

When you have an insight in

human behavior you’re able to

intervene much soonerVisualizing human behavior

In order to understand how people make their choices

you should consider normal daily operations, Gruber says.

“How do people behave under normal working conditions?

Which experiences and which behavior influence their way

of considering a situation and their decision making? Are

they thinking ahead? Are they estimating risk factors or are

they only reactive? When you can understand their behavior

you’ll be able to intervene much sooner and prevent

incidents from occurring.”

How can you measure behavior? Gruber has found a way to

translate the insights into a practical tool. “I call it the Red

Flags,” he explains. “It’s a tool that helps to create awareness in people and that keeps you from walking into

a dead end.”

The Red Flags

Gruber: “The Red Flags is a behavioral guide, a card you can put in your

pocket containing 6 questions you should constantly ask yourself. Every

question is linked to a certain type of behavior. Therefore, the Red Flags

enables organizations to visualize different types of behavior.” It’s important

to make people aware of their behavior, De Roos explains. “Being aware also

helps to prevent incidents from happening. I often notice that people aren’t

aware enough to be able to correct themselves. Usually, they’re focused

on getting the job done. Combined with all kinds of stress factors such as

cold, noise, not having the right equipment or having had a bad night. Those

factors can lessen your ability for keen observation.” In aviation there were no

behavioral tools available, Gruber says. “You just had to comply with the rules

and that was all there was to it. We didn’t really know how to work with the

subject of behavior. With the Red Flags, I want to hand organizations a tool

with which they can influence behavior and integrate it into their processes.”

The Red Flags questions are generic, de Roos indicates. “It would be possible to formulate specific questions

in a specific context and it could be more than 6 questions, or less. It’s all about the principle of training

people in considering their own behavior.” The Red Flags are also a way of confronting people with their

behavior, de Roos explains. “It makes it easier to confront someone.”

15

Management plays a very important role in creatinga no-blame culture

A cultural change integrating the human factor

De Roos shares his experiences with one of the Oil and Gas Companies having made a very conscious change

towards the integration of the human factor into their safety policy in recent years. “One of the human factors

is situational awareness. This concerns observational skills and observation under stress. What happens in

situations like that? The change towards the integration of the human factor means making people aware of

the limitations of the human brain.” De Roos gives the example of the famous video “The Invisible Monkey” by

Daniel Simons. This is a video about a basketball practice with one of the participants dressed up like a monkey.

Many people watching this video for the first time don’t see the monkey. “Concerning incidents, this is where

it begins. Another step towards a cultural change is helping people to use the Red Flags in order to recognize

specific situations. Another, most important step is teaching people how to intervene. Regarding this aspect,

management plays an important role because they need to create a “no-blame” culture. A culture in which

everyone can show their personal leadership. Because being a leader means you feel and take responsibility to

intervene. Trust your intuition and don’t be afraid to make a decision.”

No-blame culture

The cultural change towards the integration of the human factor means creating a culture in which people aren’t

afraid to confront each other and have the courage to try and find out the reasons for certain behavior, Gruber

says. “Learn to understand the reason behind the behavior,” he says. Finally, De Roos explains you need to

constantly nurture behavioral change. Just take it one step at a time, that will have an effect,” he says. “You

can’t change human behavior within the limitations of an 8 hour workshop. You need keep on building using the

lessons you learn each time in order to approach the complete scale of procedural and social safety.”

16

Safety developments in

constructionPLATFORMS

Incidents and lessons learned have resulted in a

different view today where designing and constructing

of platforms are concerned. Heerema Fabrication

Group’s Mark Wempe tells us about the safety

developments in construction.

17

Nowadays, building a platform is much more complex than it used to be,’ Wempe says. “This has to do with risk eliminating for the platform operators as well as with the water-depth of the location of the platforms. This complexity becomes apparent in their design and construction.”

Safety in construction“So today there’s much more interest in safety issues regarding platform con-

struction. In our business, safety has become a fully-fledged part of our work.

Nowadays, when (serious) incidents occur it becomes known throughout

the world within a matter of hours. Therefore, incidents have a considerable

impact on Operators’ reputation (and costs). Within all industries this notion is

getting stronger. Looking at chain management, we see that safety require-

ments being applied by Operators are being expected increasingly more

during the construction phase. In platform construction, this is a significant

development.”

High temperature workIn the platform commissioning phase a major safety related development is

also becoming apparent, Wempe says. This is the phase between the design-

ing and becoming operational of a platform. “During construction, a Permit-to-

Work is becoming increasingly important. This affects the whole construction

process. Take the welding process, for instance. In the world of construction,

this is a normal daily activity but during Offshore operations it is being regarded

as dangerous work due to the additional risk. When these two worlds meet or

overlap, a natural tension comes into play. In these cases, a well functioning

Permit-to-Work system applicable in both phases is essential.”

Financial pressure“Despite the financial pressure within the industry, safety still remains a number one requirement –

which is good,” Wempe says. “In platform construction there are relatively many safety functions. At

the moment I don’t see any cost related conflict but I do see the challenge to innovate. It could well

be possible, for example, that in the future safety officer tasks will be integrated into team supervisor

tasks. Following this reasoning, the possibility exists that the VOL VCA for team supervisors will be

replaced by MVK, as basic safety know-how. Then, safety will really be integrated into the work.”

18

safetySafety signage puts a face to safety. By using clear safety

symbols people can feel safe in a complex working environment.

How can we make sure that workers can always rely on the

information and symbol language of safety signage on location?

“It all starts with a solid plan,” says Blomsma Signs & Safety

Division Manager Brian Lenos.

19

A thoroughly considered plan forms the base for the implementa-

tion of safety signage and future maintenance thereof in order to

keep it up-to-date. Lenos: “To begin with there’s a legal frame you

have to comply with and there will always be a risk inventory and

evaluation (RI&E). In principle, a RI&E is always leading in any

safety improvement in order to avoid risk and to eliminate the risk

source. When that isn’t possible, safety signage comes into play. In

order to realize a complete and reliable safety signage system in

complex working environments at Onshore and Offshore locations

a Sign Plan is essential. For instance, Demming’s Plan-Do-Check-

Act cycle* can be a useful tool for safety architecture.”

“A survey forms the base of a Sign Plan,” Lenos says. “This survey

generates ‘sign plot plans’. A sign plot depicts which safety signage

should be positioned where. To indicate escape routes, for instance.

You determine the positioning, the size of the signage items and even

the kind of material to be used. Immediately, you get an overview of

how to mark an escape route system and any ‘gaps’ will be identified.

For instance, when there are two possible routes which one then is

the shortest route to your assembly point and what is the alternative

route in case you’re not able to take the shortest one. A sign plan

not only guarantees the completeness of your escape route signage

system but also of your total safety signage system. Obviously, this

is a different approach compared to the one where you’re walking

around with a couple of signs under your arm intended to mark the

escape route. You miss the overview then.”

The American William Edwards Deming

is one of the pioneers in the field of quality

control and management. The Plan-Do-

Check-Act cycle is preliminary known as

Deming’s quality circle. It is being applied to

situations where improvement steps need to

be taken.

Sign plan

“A sign plot depicts which safetysignage should be positioned where.”

Lenos explains how to ensure that everyone on location can always

rely on the safety signage and symbol language. “The symbols should

be self-explanatory. Make sure there’s no information overload. Make

sure the information can be read easily and consider the reading

distance. The colors of the symbols should not fade easily. The most

important thing is, however, to use standardized symbols. You can

add text but primarily you always use pictures that people are able to

recognize. A sign standard has been developed for the Dutch Offshore

industry. Within the Oil and Gas Industry, people are familiar with the

standardized symbols. The symbols have been designed in such a

way that everybody can understand them. They are self-explanatory.”

It is essential that safety signage is being maintained properly, Lenos

continues. “Recently, an adjustment has been made to Article 8.1

of the Dutch working Degree: “As the situation requires, Health &

Safety signage must be regularly cleaned, maintained, verified and

repaired or replaced while preserving its intrinsic or functional qualities”.

Sustainable materials should be used, Lenos says. “Working with a

sign plan implies a yearly maintenance on the location where you

have implemented the sign plan. Use your drawings during inspection

but also do a visual inspection in order to judge the state the signs

themselves are in. There’s always a possibility that an object has been

placed blocking the sign or that alterations have been made to the

installation. It’s also possible that a sign has been damaged during

work activities. You should keep in mind that people are supposed to

report any damage to the person responsible.”

Relying on information and symbol language

20

“Use standardized and normalized symbols.”

Which officer bears responsibility for the correct safety signage and for keeping the signage up-to-date? In the Signage

Standard it says that in a normal operational situation, the IOM or the HMI is responsible for implementing and installing

an adequate safety signage system. “On an operational location,the HSE manager takes the initiative to upgrade the

safety signage system, together with the operational manager. In case of a shutdown or maintenance period, the

project supervisor is responsible for the presence of an adequate safety signage system during this period. After that,

he has to restore the signage to its original state. The OIM, together with the project safety engineer, then checks the

result.”

Legal frame aside, when implementing a safety signage system the

emphasis must lie on safety awareness, Lenos indicates. “I often

hear that people don’t even read the signs. During work, people may

find themselves in several awareness stages. I always compare this

to driving a car. This often seems to be an automated process. After

having driven a distance you think back to what you have seen on

the way and you have no idea. It’s like driving on autopilot. But the

moment you see a flash pole ahead, you’re immediately alert and you

start noticing your surroundings. The major part of safety signage is

intended for uncontrolled situations when the escape route signs play

an important role. In a normal situation, especially regular personnel

don’t even see the signs but subconsciously they know it’s there. As

soon as the alarm sounds people start to act more alert and get into

a higher state of consciousness. In those cases, safety signage plays

an important role, so people should be able to rely on it. Therefore,

the presence of a safety signage system should be an integral part

of safety awareness and safety policy at a production plant. It’s the

first line of defense for your personnel and Contractors. Primarily,

communication is one of the most important safety aspects. Not only

verbal communication but also non-verbal – such as symbol language.”

Responsibility

Safety awareness and safety policy

21

“A sign plan not only guarantees the completenessof your escape route signage system but also

of your total safety signage system.”

22

First item on the agenda:

Details and pitfalls

Load Securing is an item that has been taking a

back seat for a long time. However, considering the

number of road incidents it’s a subject deserving

of our attention. For everyday somewhere an

incident takes place involving a load that was not

sufficiently or correctly secured. This may result

in life threatening situations which could have been

prevented.

23

Load restraining as a policy pillar “In 2012, we have adjusted our policy and since then, load restraining is one of our

main policy pillars. It was a deliberate choice. This also means that the equipment

must be suitable and that our drivers don’t go out on the road with outdated

equipment such as trailers without headboards or Lashing eyes. In the present day,

we have a different view on the equipment we use. On the road, it may not be that

obvious because the inside is always covered. But within, a lot has changed. Think

more Lashing eyes, fortified flooring, anti slip mats and a fortified roof structure.

These elements all help to keep the load in its place,” Erik explains.

Safety versus legislation

Wagenborg Nedlift drivers often work within the Oil and Gas industry, meaning they

often work with short and heavy load. This results in a conflicting situation. From a

safety point of view, the load should rest against the trailer’s headboard. However,

legislation requires a certain axle load distribution meaning the load should be

positioned in the middle of the trailer. Along a number of state highways, this is

being audited by means of weighbridges. For this problem, Wagenborg Nedlift has

found the solution. “We’ve developed an adjustable headboard so that the load will

always be positioned correctly on the trailer.”

We discussed this subject with BU Manager Transport at Wagenborg Nedlift, Erik Maassen van den Brink. For years, this company has been working intensively on the optimizing of load securing.

24

Safety and cost reduction: how do they go together? “Unfortunately, there are still too many companies which, in my opinion, are economizing the wrong way. Our

drivers get a little more time and space in order to secure the load correctly. Obviously, time is money but a

correctly secured load is also very valuable. Many companies still follow the credo of `we’ll drive a little more

cautious’ and are of the opinion that optimal securing of load takes too much time. But that is typically the Dutch

way of thinking,” Erik says. “In Germany, you can’t take that chance. As soon as you’re being stopped and you

don’t comply with the NEN norm, you have a big problem. In Germany they even have special agents who only

check for (un)secured load. They know exactly how it works and not only keep you off the road for half a day but

also present you with a large fine. A fine not only for the driver but also for the shipping company.”

Tightened legislation In the Netherlands, we don’t have the so-called ‘shipper’s liability’ yet.

However, in July 2014 legislation has been slightly adjusted. Article

5.18.6 of the Dutch Regeling Voertuigen used to be rather vague and

multi interpretable but has recently been fairly tightened. In this article

it is being exactly described how the load should be positioned on the

trailer. It’s now all bright and clear.

Erik’s tip: : If you want to take load securing seriously, you need to seriously upgrade your equipment. Don’t economize the wrong way because that will eventually cost you.

25

“Some years ago, I lost my load when taking a bend.

The A-Frame still sat on the trailer and the load was

on the street. After 20 years in this business, you don’t

expect something like this to happen! I have always

been very conscious about securing my load but after

this incident, I realized only too well that accidents

are always waiting to happen. It was dark while I was

loading my trailer and I secured the load as well as I

could. Obviously, not well enough…”

Securing techniques

For Wagenborg, Jeroen transports all kinds of load.

From drilling pipes to mast parts to machinery. In

fact, Jeroen will transport anything that can be loaded

upon an open trailer. This causes him to be able to

apply different securing techniques. Presently, he is

conducting a pilot using, among others, special straps

equipped with an indicator indicating how tight the

straps are pulled, and oil and fat resistant straps. This

way, Wagenborg continuously tries to improve the

safety of their drivers, load and fellow road users.

Jeroen’s tip for his fellow drivers

“Just pay attention to everything you do and make sure

you have secured everything well. Don’t be too quick

about it. Watch your load carefully and check the way

it sits on the trailer. Sometimes, it’s difficult to see the

load clearly because, for instance, it has been put in

wooden crates. This may cause a problem. When you

need to swerve around something or make a sudden

stop, wooden crates won’t keep the load in. Make sure

that you have secured the crates tightly and use a firm

headboards. If necessary, tell your patron that you

haven’t been able to inspect the load thoroughly.”

Did you know that…• … in September, 2016 a new European requirement will come into

effect? Any driver driving within Europe is required to have code 95

(professional skill) added on his driver’s license. In order to acquire

the code, drivers need to follow several trainings of which “securing

a load” is one.

• … when using an anti slip mat, you’re only required to secure 40%

of the load weight with straps or chains. This is because the anti

slip mats can take 60% off of the load weight.

• … most accidents involving load securing are caused by lack of

knowledge or negligence?

• … in cooperation with CASOS, Wagenborg has produced an

interesting safety video on load securing? Watch the video by

clicking the link below.

A driver takes the floor Jeroen ArtsWagenborg driver

26

Vague rules are being replaced by clearlegal requirements In the summer of 2014, legislation concerning load securing has been tightened considerably. Article 5.18.6 of

the “Regeling Voertuigen Wet” has evolved from a number of vague rules to a full page filled with clear legal

requirements. Read the main changes below.

Article 5.18.6 (2009)The load, or parts thereof, must be secured in such a way that under normal traffic circumstances -including full

stops, sudden swerving maneuvers and bad road surfaces- the load cannot fall off the trailer.

Article 5.18.6 (2014)The load, or parts thereof, must be secured in such a way that under normal traffic circumstances -including full

stops, sudden swerving maneuvers and bad road surfaces- the load cannot fall off the trailer or become a threat

to the stability of the vehicle. In order to comply to this requirement, the load or parts thereof must be secured in

such a way that minimally the following acceleration or delaying forces can be resisted:

• Forward: 0,8 times the load weight

• Sideways: 0,5 times the load weight and in case there’s a risk of overturning, 0,6 times the load weight.

• Backward: 0,5 times the load weight

Additionally, the load must be secured in such a way that upward forces cannot result in load falling off the

vehicle.

27

Maintaining and optimising knowledge and behaviour

Research shows that any knowledgeacquired in a short period of time is soon lost.

So any knowledge gained in short training courses soon fades away. If these are short training

courses on the topic of safety then this fading of knowledge can result in dangerous situations in practice. Dangerous to yourself and to your

colleagues. Those of us who work in the oil and gas industry are required to follow numerous training

courses. The WAT Group has developed

,in collaboration with Oranje Nassau,

to keep your knowledge and behaviourup to scratch.

HSElife Academy

28

WHat exactly isHSElife Academy?

HSElife Academy is an online platform that supports you in maintaining and optimising knowledge and behaviour. By making active use of HSElife Academy, you can boost your own safety, and that of your team, to a higher level. The Academy provides all the information you need to keep your knowledge up-to-date. You can view your personal details and your current safety ranking whenever you wish, by logging on to your account.

Het niveau van jouw kennis en gedrag heeft invloed op de veiligheid van jouw directe werkomgeving. Het is daarom belang-

rijk om jouw kennis te onderhouden met behulp van HSElife Acedemy. Door maandelijks vragen te beantwoorden verdien

je punten die jouw veiligheidsniveau bepalen. En dat niveau varieert van ijzer tot platina. Maar let op, in veel gevallen moet

jouw status minimaal goud zijn om aan het werk te mogen. Zorg er daarom voor dat je kennis altijd up-to-date is.

Jouw veiligheidsniveau Alleen de beste!

HSELIFEAcademy

STATUS

Jouw huidigeveiligheidsstatus is

Het aantal verdiendepunten deze maand

GOUD7/10 25Het benodigde aantal punten

voor een hogere statusom de PLATINAstatus te behalen

Bonusronde Verdien extra punten door BONUSVRAGEN te beantwoorden!

Jan MulderOperations TechnicianCLEARWATER SYSTEMS BV

logout

ACADEMY MESTATUS INFO

NL

Steeds meer bedrijven in de olie- en gasindustrie zijnop zoek naar de beste kandidaten. Veelgebruikte informatie om deze kandidaten te selecteren is de veiligheidsstatus. Maak gebruik van de mogelijkheidom jezelf bij jouw (toekomstige) werkgever op de kaart te zetten door deel te nemen aan HSElife Academy.

Oranje-Nassau Energie stelt het meest optimale team samen door informatie uit HSElife Academy te combineren met hun eigen competentie management systeem. Dat geeft hen niet alleen een duidelijk beeld van de trainingen, certificaten en andere vereisten, maar ook van het bewustzijn- en gedragsprofiel van hun medewerkers.

This safety ranking is determined by the

status of your knowledge and behaviour with

regard to safety in the workplace: onshore

and offshore. By regularly optimising your

knowledge and behaviour, you will act prop-

erly and reduce the risk of incidents. The

safety rankings are expressed in terms of

categories, such as bronze, silver, gold and

platinum. What if you get a good score in

HSElife Academy? Then you will achieve gold

status, or even platinum.

Iron, bronze, silver, gold, platinum.These are the qualifications you can achieve at HSElife Academy. Just between you and us, gold or platinum status confer a wide range of benefits!

29

Knowledge is capability!The benefits of a high safety ranking

For whom is HSElife Academy intended?

United we stand

Almost there

The benefits of a high ranking safety are clearly demonstrated by the system that Oranje Nassau Energie will be using. Peter Nieuwenhuijze explains: “Once the Academy has been introduced, we will only work with people who have achieved a gold safety ranking. In this way we can be sure that they are sufficiently knowledgeable in the area of Health, Safety and the Environment (HSE). Up-to-date specialist knowledge is extremely important. This is something that I can not emphasise often enough. For some time now, HSElife UNIO has been supporting the industry by providing a range of HSE information. HSElife Academy is a welcome addition to these activities. It enables us to encourage employees to boost their knowledge to the very highest level. They will immediately reap the benefits of this in practice.”

HSElife Academy is for all employees of the Operators and Contractors who are affiliated with HSElife UNIO.

In other words, for the man and the woman in the workplace, whether onshore, offshore, or in an office.

In other words – for you!

The WAT Group worked closely with

Peter Nieuwenhuijze of Oranje Nassau BV

when developing HSElife Academy.

Please be patient for just a little longer...

together with Oranje Nassau Energie, we are

running extensive tests on HSElife Academy.

We will, of course, keep you fully informed

of all developments. In January 2016,

HSElife Academy will be available to you too.

A constant, detailed and overall viewWe fully understand that every organisation demands a detailed and overall view of their situation. Especially with regard to their personnel. For this reason, we are making every bit of information compiled by HSElife Academy available in LARS (Learning and Registration System). You can read more about LARS on page 30 of this magazine.

Learning and RegistrationSystem

30

Details of diplomas and certificates

LARS is a standardised database containing details of all the mandatory training courses that

HSElife UNIO offers to the oil and gas industry. In this way, organisations can quickly and easily

find details of the qualifications you have obtained.

It couldn’t be simpler

The system is very user friendly. Indeed, we couldn’t make it any simpler. That’s great for

everyone who will be using LARS. You log in, you follow the training course, and LARS records

the result. If a certificate is due to expire, LARS will notify you well in advance. You can log on,

any time, anywhere, to view the status of your training courses. Operators and Contractors can

also see which courses you have taken.

We’re going live!

LARS was extensively tested throughout October, November and December. This test period

has now been concluded. This means that we can now announce that LARS will be going live in

January 2016.

United we stand!

The WAT Group has worked closely with Total on the development of LARS. The Total staff

involved included Ronny Ali, Maarten Liebreks and Marc Kloppenburg.

HSElife UNIO offers a wide range of training courses. Before they can be permitted to work onshore and/or offshore, everyone is required to take these training courses. HSElife UNIO developed the LARS registration system, in collaboration with Total. The objective was to provide details of the training courses taken by employees in the oil and gas industry. LARS stands for Learning and Registration System.

31

In the Netherlands, those of us who

work in the oil and gas industry have

already combined forces. On a variety

of fronts, we are already speaking

the same language and using simple

standard information. As a result, our

work is now safer, healthier and more

environmentally friendly. After 10 years

of development work and extensive

experience in the Dutch oil and

gas industry, we are now keen

to take the next step.

32

FROM HSElife UNIO TO

internationalHSElifeHarmonised HSE information for everyone!

33

Combining forcesCooperation reduces disparities, resulting in safer work, as well as in cost savings! This is a tried

and tested partnership that merits international support. Several of the affiliated companies and

Contractors operate at international level and, when all is said and done, the principles governing safe

working are the same everywhere. Cultures and legislation vary, of course, but every employee in the

workplace needs clear and easy to understand HSE information, and that is something that “HSElife

International” can certainly deliver.

Working more safely AND cutting costsThere is nothing new about the idea that information should be simple, as several individual

companies are very well aware. Top quality campaigns are being developed and made available. The

problem, especially with the larger companies involved, is that all of this information must ultimately

be readily available in the workplace. The man/woman in the workplace can’t see the wood for the

trees any more. As a result, they become confused or lose interest.

Why should international industry have to reinvent the wheel? It is an unnecessary waste of energy

and millions of euros...

Seeking international supportIn the Netherlands, we are collectively responsible for the success of HSElife UNIO. If we are to

achieve international support then we will have to combine forces. Initial contacts have been made at

international level, and there is plenty of interest from abroad!

To acquaint international industry with HSElife International, we developed a promotional video, which

can also be found at hselifeunio.com. Why not view the promo right now, and share the link with your

network (on LinkedIn, or elsewhere)? Just scan the QR code on this page.

In the Netherlands, ten companies, seventy-three

Contractors and five supporting organisations are

cooperating in an effort to boost HSE in the oil and gas

industry to a higher level. Their goal is to achieve Incident-

Free Operations. What we can achieve together in the

Netherlands, can also be achieved at international level.

Let’s make it happen!

Do you need more details about international developments?If so, contact us at info@hselifunio.com.

We have a dream, let’s share it together!

34

Asset Groningen opens

SafetyCentre

in Hoogezand

35

On September 25th 2015, Jakob van der Wal(NAM HSE Manager) opened the Asset Groningen(NAM and GLT-PLUS) Safety Centrein Hoogezand.

The concept has been adopted from Shell Pernis and

Moerdijk and replaces the various Safety Rooms in

the Asset Groningen. HSE Teamlead Asset Groningen

Wietse Stuiver, together with several NAM and

GLT-PLUS colleagues has been closely involved

with the realization of the Safety Centre.

Practical safety setup

Compared to the Safety Rooms in Asset Groningen, the Safety

Centre takes things a step further for here we test our theoretical

knowledge against reality with a number of practical safety setups.

For instance, some scaffolds have been set up, we pay special

attention to working at heights and also to working in confined

spaces. But there’s also a setup concerning process safety.

The setups have been designed in close collaboration with a

number of Contractors, who have also contributed.

Searching for defects

In total, there are 11 setups in which we’ve purposely hidden

some defects. Course participants are required to form

groups and search for these defects. They do this through the

assignments they get and questions they have to answer.

This interaction between course participants is important because

this way, employees have to explain to each other why a situation

is safe or not safe. We anticipate that by improving their safety

awareness in this manner this will make interventions in the field

easier, when they observe an unsafe situation.

Certificate

The course will be concluded by a test and participants will receive a

certificate if they have gathered enough points. The certificate has a

3 year validity.

36

‘On the spot’ HSElife UNIO presentation

NAM is one of the participating Operators of the HSElife UNIO

harmonization initiative. After consulting NAM, we have decided to

place a presentation wall on which a short explanation on the goal

of this harmonization initiative is being shown. Moreover, we keep

course participants informed with our information ‘on the spot’ such

as quarterly Updates and HSElife Magazine. After all, we all want to

achieve just this one goal which is: getting home ...!

This course will be given in Hoogezand at Vosholen 97 starting early November. Registration via safetycentrumgroningen@shell.com

Attention,attentionKnowledge is valuable, let’s share it!

A REPOSITORY OF KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION

HSElife UNIO regularly makes interesting knowledge and information available

to others. For instance, we regularly share our knowledge in the pages of this

magazine. We also offer refresher courses, training courses, and videos. However,

this information could also be shared via your organisation’s own channels of

communication.

RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT…

In fact, we carried out a survey into ways of sharing our information and almost 80% of

the Contractors we questioned wanted to share information from HSElife UNIO via their

own media. These included newsletters, in-house magazines or an intranet. We are, of

course, delighted about this! Because this means we can reach people in the workplace

more effectively than ever before. Working together in this way brings us one step closer

to incident-free operations. And that’s why we’re here.

LET’S SHARE!

It’s great that such a large group of Contractors want to use their own channels of

communication, as a way of drawing attention to HSElife UNIO’s information within

their own organisations even more effectively than before. We are, of course, providing

them with practical support, including regular readymade input that you can easily

incorporate into your own media.

Would you like further details on how to share valuable HSE information?

If so, contact us at info@hselifeunio.com. Because, when all is said and done,

achieving success is something we do together.

37

Hi Jürgen,

How are you doing? Are you also experiencing unsettling times now that the oil price seems to remain low in the longer term?

I’m experiencing this within NAM. Many meetings are being held to work out cost reduction plans. Last I heard was that we will

have to let go a number of Contractor colleagues and also 200 jobs will be lost at NAM. For now, the job loss seems to follow

the process of natural elimination. In the coming period, we will probably have to reinvent a lot of cooperative associations that

are at present being naturally eliminated. For next year, I have also been busy restructuring things within my own department.

We are quite actively trying to make things even more unequivocal –in other words, more efficient. It’s an interesting process,

we’re learning a lot and as a department we will come out of it even stronger. I see it more as an opportunity than as a threat.

Have I taken up this way of thinking yet in connection with my thesis subject “resilience”? I think I did. As a result of being so

preoccupied with the subject in the past period, the basic elements of resilience –such as anticipation, responding, monitoring

and learning- have become fixed elements within my way of working. The intensity lies more in finalizing my thesis. It was not

an easy job to succeed in making the final adjustments to my concept thesis before the deadline of August 25th. All literature

references, table and figure numbers and, last but not least, the spelling check. Phew… anyway, I succeeded in the timely

submission of a concept I could be satisfied with. Followed by an eerie waiting period to hear what the Reading Commission

would have to say. This took a couple of weeks during which time I realized what it meant to have time for myself and my family.

There was even a moment of boredom, albeit very short.

I received positive feedback from the Reading Commission. They did give me some points of adjustment and I was be able to

submit my final version on November 2nd . On November 23 or 24 I’ll get the opportunity to defend my thesis and if this goes

well –as I’m confident it will- I will have earned my degree!

One of the subjects in my thesis is an operational resilience capabilities course. Together with TNO, Infraspeed Maintenance

BV and Strukton, we’re developing this course. Based on experiences in the field, we’re building this in within a ‘serious game’.

We’ll be using this game to train managers and operational workers in handling the changes within the work situation as a

team. I see a lot of potential for this training and I can imagine it could also be used within your organization and be applied

to Centrica work situations. Within our company, we will implement this course at the beginning of next year. I’m very much

looking forward to it and I’m curious what the results will be.

How far have you come with your thesis, I wonder? I still remember the time when we started on our subjects. You with your

subject High Reliability Organization (HRO) and me with Resilience. We were wondering which of these two subjects would

really be able to contribute to the improvement of (safety) performance. By now, I’ve discovered in

literature that the ideas behind HRO and Resilience are very similar. In these troubled times, we

will need both within our industry, I think.

Regards,

John

38

Hey John,

I’m fine, thanks for asking. Reading your blog, I think that everywhere things are the same within our industry. Up until now, we’ve had a good year. We’re achieving our production target, safety is priority#1 and everything goes reasonably well. We will probably have had half of the number of incidents compared to last year. But let us say that we’re experiencing a challenging year despite all realized targets. Mainly driven by the low oil and gas prices. Plenty of initiatives for cost reduction. From within our company headquarters we have contributed to a company initiative of filling the so-called “100 in 100” barrel. A cost reduction of 100 million (pounds) within a time period of a hundred days. Quite a challenge that will mainly affect our Contractors. But, as you say, also efficiency efforts and new opportunities, changing processes and looking into possible collaboration forms. You’re absolutely right in comparing this with resilience. Is the industry up to this resilience challenge? I think it is. We have done it before. Albeit some decades ago since the last time. However, I wouldn’t want this to have a negative impact on safety and ‘short-cuts’ should not be taken.

I admire you for finalizing your thesis this year. For I really think you’ll make it. I myself have not yet come as far as that. August 25th was just too soon for me. I have chosen a different subject and I wonder if a High Reliability Organization is perhaps a bridge too far for our industry. Are we able to constantly change? Are we able to adapt and aren’t we satisfied too quickly? Let me give you an example. In the Netherlands, new legislation on mining is on the way. The reason, among others, is the Macondo incident (BP Horizon, Gulf of Mexico) and the European uniformity. It’s very difficult to align all Operators, especially if it means changing their own processes. Take the Safety and Health Document, for instance. It took months to reach a consensus on content and chapters. There was always somebody convinced that their process was best. The funny thing is that HRO thinking is opposite, namely always doubting if you’re doing the right thing and embracing every change. Why is it so difficult for the industry to share incident information? Are we afraid to admit our mistakes? This is exactly what we should do, I say. “Your” incident and the lessons you’ve learned may help to prevent such an incident happing to others.

As Operators, why can’t we agree on using the same Personal Protective Equipment? Why are things different on our side than on yours? Contrary to our policy, do you accept those so-called Riggerboots without heel support? In many places, people hurt their ankle which could have been prevented if we would have been more open to learn from each other.

After blasting with grit, do you have a brushing procedure in place? In order to prevent particles getting in your eyes, you should brush off your hair, helmet etcetera after work. We didn’t use this procedure yet and yes, now I know some Operators do.

Does the possibility exist that in times of cost reduction, perhaps even because of cost reduction, we can cooperate more? In order to make life easier for Contractors where safety is concerned, for instance? That no matter where we go, safety rules and

PBM’s are the same everywhere? And that we all strive for zero incidents?

To take your thesis subject as an example – is the industry resilient enough to accept each other’s rules and to transform into a safe industry working without consequences for man and environment? I’m open to discussion about this topic.

Regards,Jürgen

39

John van Schie of NAM and Jürgen Joosten of Centrica

are blogging about the ‘Management of Safety Health &

Environment’ (MoSHE) Master’s programme that they are taking

at the Delft University of Technology. Read their blog.

for industry, by industry

HSElife is a forum for those working in the oil and gas industry.HSElife focuses particularly on those working wherever HSE is really an issueor really should be an issue: on the shop floor.

HSElife magazine is published by:The WAT Group B.V.P.O. Box 237380 AA KlarenbeekThe Netherlands+31 6 462 95 25 6 (7, 8)

www.thewatgroup.com On this issue workedThera Idema, Marjou Janse, Veselin Raznatovic, Pier van Spronsen, Stephanie van Stockum, Janine IJssel de Schepper, Bob Janssen, Marc van Baasbank, Marielle Dolman, Marcel van Spronsen, Piet van Dam, Roel van de Lint, Herbert van Larsdonk,Henk Veenvliet, Brian Lenos, Wim Zieleman, Erik Maassen van den Brink, Jeroen Arts, Peter Vinke, Wietse Stuiver, Mark Wempe, Marc de Roos, Patrick Gruber, John van Schie and the Members of the HSElife UNIO Steering group: Alexander van der Zee,Thessa Steffens, Sander Floore, Gerard Burgers,Werner van der Meer, Jürgen Joosten, Maarten Liebreks, Dirk-Jan van der Elst, Jasmin Residovic.

Please e-mail any comments about subjects discussed in this magazine toinfo@thewatgroup.com attn. Janine Ijssel de Schepper.

Articles may not be taken from this publication within the meaning of Article 15 of the Netherlands Copyright Act.;© The WAT Group B.V. 2015