THE MAGAZINE FOR MALAYSIAN PETROLEUM CLUB MEMBERS (MALAYSIA)

VOLUME 19 NO. 4

KDN: PP 7878/12/2012 (031611)

HSE
the hard facts

special focus
23

A cornerstone of the industry

s they say, the world is getting smaller and news travels fast, especially sensational and dramatic stories on major industrial accidents. In recent times, there have been a number of major accidents that have put the spotlight on HSE and effective implementation of its guidelines and policies. In fact, safety at work has received so much attention that now, when we leave our homes to go to work especially if that involves going to a petrochemical plant or an offshore facility our minds race through a long list of probable dangers; our families, on the other hand, worry that we might suffer the same fate as the unfortunate accident victims they see in the news. The reality is that oil and gas has become a multibillion dollar industry, but the growing investment in HSE has not guaranteed a totally safe working environment. So we continue to push for answers because the industry must have zero tolerance for accidents. It is essential that HSE is made the cornerstone of the industry. There should be a partnership with all the stakeholders, businesses, and every individual working in this field. The industry has also seen increasing implementation of innovation and technology. But although the best technology combined with the best work systems can help to achieve our HSE goals, managing human factors and failures is also essential in preventing any untoward incidents. The workforce must be competent to ensure that all operations are performed in a safe environment with no room for risk and errors. HSE standards and their implementation need to be regularly reviewed for improvement no matter how miniscule the changes are. There are always lessons to be learnt from each incident or a potential accident. And major disasters must surely be viewed as game-changers to business-as-usual.

24

Since 1950, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have shared a common definition on occupational health. It was adopted by the Joint ILO/WHO Committee on Occupational Health at its first session in 1950 and revised at its twelfth session in 1995. The definition reads, Occupational health should aim at: The promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social wellbeing of workers in all occupations; the prevention amongst workers of departures from health caused by their working conditions; the protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors

adverse to health; the placing and maintenance of the worker in an occupational environment adapted to his physiological and psychological capabilities; and, to summarise, the adaptation of work to man and of each man to his job. The main focus of occupational health is on three different objectives: (i) the maintenance and promotion of workers health and working capacity; (ii) the improvement of working environments and work to become conducive to safety and health and (iii) the development of work organisations and working cultures in a direction which supports health and safety at work and in doing so, also promotes a

positive social climate and smooth operations which may enhance productivity of the undertakings. The concept of working culture is intended in this context to reflect the essential value systems. Such a culture is reflected in practice in managerial systems, personnel policy, principles for participation, training policies and quality management of the undertaking. It is impossible to eliminate all risks that can exist in the workplace. Instead, it is absolutely important that everyone remains responsible and takes sensible actions to reduce the room for error. BY SOFIYAN YAHYA

special focus
25

A humourous take on

26

PETRONAS may have chosen a rather unconventional way of conveying the safety message, but HSE is certainly no laughing matter in the national oil company.

or most people, the daily commute to work is habitual. You get ready, you get on the train, and you grab your morning coffee while juggling your BlackBerry and briefcase and trying to read the morning headlines. You arrive at your cluttered desk, fuss about getting your laptop switched on while sending out messages on BB Messenger (BBM) to colleagues. Your head is down, your

fingers busily texting and so you trip over an exposed cable, hit your head on a steel cabinet and pass out. Youve hardly given that harmless-looking cabinet a second thought you see it every day in the corner and never imagined it could cause you such pain and suffering until it literally hits you on

special focus
27

the head. In fact, most of us hardly give a thought to the potential risks to our safety, particularly when we are on BBM with the boss while driving or walking! Amusing as these examples may seem, failure to be alert to your surroundings and understanding the implications of your actions can prove fatal,

especially for those of us working in high-risk jobs like in the oil and gas industry. With this in mind, PETRONAS sought to internalise a safety-first mentality that takes into account all aspects of the workplace environment using a platform that everyone, including our contractors, can relate to humour. PETRONAS

28

commissioned Malaysias celebrated cartoonist Datuk Mohd Nor Khalid, better known as Lat, to bring to life the Group Health, Safety and Environment (GHSE) Zero Tolerance Rules in 2010 through two cartoon characters, ZeTo and Tuah.

Tuah depicts any one of us at the workplace while ZeTo is a character made up of a set of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) that constantly reminds Tuah about safety. The objective of this approach was to help make the HSE culture second nature to everyone in the organisation, including contractors.

special focus
29

30

Through a series of sketches, ZeTo Rules supplement governing safety rules and regulations imposed by PETRONAS at all times. It basically targets safety awareness on three levels namely equipment, processes and most importantly, people. All of these contribute to total safety in PETRONAS operations. Conveying what could or would happen if you carry out unsafe activities through these visually appealing illustrations

enhances HSE awareness and inculcates a HSE mindset, and allows the lessons learnt to be retained more effectively. Safety simply makes good business sense because in the oil and gas industry, a major HSE incident can lead to massive financial loss, loss of life, irreversible environmental damage and a dent on the companys reputation.

By doing things differently in a content-heavy and dry, policy-driven environment, PETRONAS has successfully begun incorporating ZeTo Rules as part of its Group HSE Policy towards achieving zero fatalities and zero accidents or incidents Group-wide. As HSE numbers are mere manifestations of entrenched mindsets, PETRONAS, through its ZeTo Rules, hopes to

ingrain in its work culture the fact that an HSE mindset is integral to business sustainability. In a wider context, these rules also create awareness across a broader audience including anyone who might be tempted to use his harmless BlackBerry in an unsafe manner.

special focus
31

Accidents at job sites: who is accountable?

By Nazrin A. Kudus, OPITO

A
32

n IMCA Safety Flash headline in January 2012 read Near Miss: Crane Hook Block Dropped to Deck. The announcement reported an incident on board a vessel in which a crane winch wire parted and the hook block was dropped to deck. The incident occurred when the crane operator began to extend the jib of the crane without letting out the winch wire at the same time. The extending jib caught the hook block and caused the crane winch wire to part. The hook block, weighing 30kg, dropped onto the deck from a height of 10 metres. Luckily, there were no injuries (source: www.imca-int.com). Following an investigation, it was revealed the crane operator was not paying proper attention to the extending jib. Whats worse was the fact that the crane operator had not informed his supervisor of the work to be done and that the operator was working alone with no one else watching or supervising whilst the crane was being operated. In the last several years, there has been an increase in the number of serious injuries and deaths that have resulted from crane accidents reports Chris Jackson, a Californian industry lawyer who has done much research on the subject matter. These accidents have mainly occurred due to tilting, collapses, overloading, mechanical failures, operator errors, improper rigging, falling equipment, working in poor weather conditions, and lack of proper operator training. Jackson further reiterates that due to the high risk of crane operation, more employers have started to invest in better crane accident training programmes. Putting a person with inadequate

training behind the controls of a crane can put everyone within the danger zone at risk. One careless mistake could injure or even cause fatalities. Crane training programmes are designed to teach operators how to properly set up the crane, the dangers involved with crane operation, and how to ensure proper rigging. Another Safety Flash from the Marine Safety Forum reported that in January 2011, some gas bottles on a rack had slipped and tipped over during offloading from the supply vessel onto the rig. Again it was fortunate that no one was killed or injured but the incident could have resulted in serious personal injuries to the cargo handlers or vessel crew as well as caused severe damage to equipment (source: www.marinesafetyforum.org). The main concerns identified were inadequate communication, including tool-box talks and safety briefings between the vessel crew and cargo handlers, and a failure to identify potential hazards during lifting operations. The same forum reported that later in the year, a crewman suffered a minor crush injury when his hand got caught between two objects during lifting operations. The incident occurred when some oil drums were being positioned on the rig deck using a crane, with the support of two deck crew. One was handling the tag line while the other was acting as the lift supervisor or banksman, equipped with a radio to communicate with the crane operator. While manoeuvring the oil drums, the two crew members attempted to man-handle the drums horizontally without slewing the crane jib. The banksman started pushing the drum while the other pulled on the tag line. The banksman then radio-ed the crane

operator and asked him to hoist the drum slightly, totally unaware at the time that the hoist wire was caught on the container. This caused the drum to tweak the supervisors hand between the drum and container. Investigations uncovered that the underlying cause of the accident was the workers failure to follow company procedures, and that risk assessments were not performed prior to critical heavy lifting being carried out. Other factors include lack of safety awareness for themselves and toward the surroundings as well as a of lack of training. A study was conducted in May 2009 by John Hare, PhD of the British Health and Safety Laboratory titled The Underlying Causes of Offshore Incidents for the Offshore Industry Advisory Committee (OIAC) to provide analyses of the causes of offshore incidents. The study, which was based on incidents occurring over the period between 2004 and 2008 revealed some interesting findings with regards to injuries (and fatalities) befalling personnel involved in lifting and handling activities. Out of nearly 70 cases, the study found the second most common type of incident offshore was injuries sustained while handling and lifting. With over 10 cases, these types of accidents were second only to incidents where injuries were caused by flying or falling objects (double the number of instances). Further, the analysis found that some of the underlying factors for accidents were in order of importance inadequate hazard analysis or risk assessment; inadequate supervision; lack of or inadequate operating procedures; and

inadequacies in the Permit-to-Work process. The recommendations that came out of the report were, among others, to pay closer attention and carry out stricter supervision on the Permit-toWork process, adherence to regulations such as the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) and Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER). It suggested further work also ought to be done on developing specific guidance and regulations with respect to activities involving handling and heavy lifting. Moving forward, one of the initiatives the global oil and gas industry is currently undertaking is to drive home the importance of formal competence training and certifications for personnel involved in high risk activities. Suggestions include participating in courses that abide by the National Occupational Standards for Offshore Crane Operations, the OPITO approved Banksman & Slinger and the Rigger Competence training, to name a few. The training programmes are designed to ensure candidates demonstrate competence in high-risk activities in order to contribute to an efficient and effective work environment. The objective is also to provide a detailed background and know-how as to how to operate efficiently. Having said that, the burden should not only be put on employees; employers should also be accountable for their workforce and equipment. In many instances, crane injuries are due to an employers negligence or leniency with regards to frequent and thorough inspections. Both parties must be aware that no matter what the cause of the accident is, the outcome can be devastating.
For more information on OPITO approved standards and training courses, please visit www.opito.com

The global oil and gas industry is currently driving home the importance of formal competence training and certifications for personnel involved in high-risk activities

special focus
33

Finding the best HSE management system

By SIMON TOWARD, ENGICA TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, UK

W
34

ith HSE systems, specifically electronic Permit-to-Work (PTW) and Safety, starting to gather momentum in the industry, there are a handful of solutions that are gaining a foothold globally. But the problem with the majority of these systems is that they are rigid in their design and the processes they provide. Many safety rules and processes differ dramatically, even within the same industrial sectors, so how can one design possibly offer safety solutions for all environments without adapting to localised processes, regional safety rules and specific environmental requirements?

Lets start by explaining Electronic PTW and Safety systems. These are computerised software solutions that assist in process safety management compliance and management of workplace safety permits and their associated safety requirements traditionally controlled via certificates (like Isolations, Diving, Excavation, Confined Space Entry etc). Safety systems identify where potential conflicts may occur, and offer a guide via an established step-by-step process outlining minimum requirements and the necessary checks and approvals by authorised safety professionals. Of course there is also the added benefit of

monitoring and analysing the data in the system for unsafe trends, bottlenecks and information for auditing. All this helps the company to monitor and achieve its HSE targets and regulatory requirements. Now that we have established what these systems can do, let us look at why many systems have a rigid design. Most of the systems available in the market today started as safety systems in a particular environment or site and have been marketed from there. Many of the better known ones started life in the oil and gas industry and have been designed and built around oil and gas processes in a specific area. Although these systems look good, they need to be adapted to an established companys working practices. Using them outside of their designed environment is dangerous as one cannot assume what works for one industry in one part of the world will also do for another industry elsewhere. Upstream safety processes and rules do not match those for offshore, or for mining, distribution pipelines or even exploration. This may sound like Im against electronic safety systems but nothing could be further from the truth. Any system that can make a job easier, create awareness on potential conflicts, provide information on current activities and trace information, sounds fantastic. One can never put a price on a system that could potentially save a life or prevent an accident.

special focus
35

36

The solution is simple select a system that can be adapted to your environment and safe working practices and rules. Such systems do exist. But these systems take forever to program and debug and get working and I can never upgrade to a newer version because I have a one-off custom design. That may sound familiar but is not at all true as modern systems with a well-designed core allow screens, processes and rules to be built using simple visual tools. In many cases, a full system can be created in a matter of a few months by using tools, core processes and changes which are stable, efficient and already established. The training is then greatly simplified as the design is from the site and is often an enhanced copy of the existing paper system. This also means that e-learning or Computer Based Training (CBT) solutions can be utilised to save on mass re-training efforts and easier MOC.

The upgrades are also simple to address as tool-based configurations usually store the changes as data which can be simply re-loaded after a core is upgraded. So all that needs to be done is choose a flexible system that offers the required features within a budget. Although these systems vary greatly in price, some are definitely worth the money. And because of the configurability of some systems, they allow implementation in stages. As the system proves its worth and as people become more comfortable with its implementation, they can then move to the next stage and enhance the system to fit what suits them best. Another thing to look out for when choosing such systems is their ability to talk with other devices and systems. Some key areas of interest for distribution, mining and utility companies are the use of GIS to track activities remotely and visually. This is needed because of the vast size of the sites or pipelines. RFID tags (Radio-Frequency Identification systems) are often used to achieve this. Mobility is also important for many industries as safety work is done on the site not in an office, so look for systems that can operate over the web or on mobile devices. This is a subject that deserves a full article written about it all on its own. CMMS and DMS integrations are also important to stop double entry of information. Direct interface capability to devices for gas testing that can detect discrepancies prior to entering a confined space or starting a potential job are other things to look at. Not all of these things are needed for all companies so choose what is best for you but always keep in mind that the industry is constantly evolving and you need an application that will evolve with it unless you want to reinvent the wheel every few years. A little bit of thought and investigation at the start can mean big savings and fewer headaches further down the road.

Engaging hearts and minds

ExxonMobil is raising the bar on safety so that it is seen as part of its organisational culture, says Grace choo.

ecurity, Safety, Health and Environment (SSHE) performance is an integral part of any companys operations in the oil and gas business. Some multinationals are starting to even make it part of their organisational culture. One such company is oil and gas giant ExxonMobil, which emphasises a bottom-up approach when it comes to SSHE. According to Grace Choo, SSHE Manager at ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc., Safety standards are applicable to everyone, from new hires right up to our Chairman. For example, we encourage our employees and contractors to be aware of the hazards around them and intervene when they see unsafe behaviour. During a visit to one of our offshore platforms, a new personnel reminded the Chairman that he had yet to put on his safety glasses when he was stepping out of the living quarters into the work area. The new employee was thanked and appreciated for his intervention. Grace explains that the company has devised awareness campaigns that focus on the cultural transformation of what she describes as engaging the hearts and minds towards SSHE. She aims to ensure that safety is paramount for every person that comes into ExxonMobils premises. Part of the culture of safety is ensuring that caring for someone elses safety should not be seen as a duty or a job, but rather as a core value. It is part of our human nature to value life, regardless of whether we are on or off the job. This includes ensuring the wellbeing of workmates, family and the people around you, she says. Recently, we personalised safety to yet another level by asking employees to identify the top five personal risks that can affect them on a daily basis, including those

special focus
37

risks outside the workplace. For me, that includes commuting to and from work via the public Light Rail Transit. Im exposed to snatch thieves, pickpockets and run the risk of being knocked down by a speeding vehicle while crossing the road. To reduce my risks, I dont carry a handbag, and dont keep my phone in my pocket. While in the kitchen, I use knives so I remind myself to never multitask when using sharp objects. Another personal risk is working at the computer for long stretches at a time. We have a software programme in the computer that will remind us to take breaks, and I discipline myself to comply with it, even when the work is urgent, says Grace. She is quick to point out that one successful approach to elevating safety has been identifying three Safety Focus Areas for the organisation based on incident learnings from previous years. For 2011, for example, ExxonMobil focused on being the best-in-class for first-line supervisor effectiveness, short service workers and pre-job planning.

Besides safety, Grace shares ExxonMobils efforts on protecting the environment. We have an initiative where we get the field technicians to form a network called the spill-buster team and their job is to find creative ways to stop even the smallest drips and drops into the sea. This has been proven successful and we have significantly reduced minor drops by 50% since 2009. We also educate our employees on the importance of segregating work-related waste offshore. So, nothing goes to the sea except for biodegradable food waste. We also manage flaring of gas. Most are compressed for re-injection into the ground or sold but we have some excess that is burned for safety reasons. It must be kept to a minimum in accordance with PETRONAS guidelines, explains Grace, who is also responsible for the organisations emergency response, environment and regulatory affairs. She is also the company representative in trade organisations such as the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, Petroleum Industry of Malaysia Mutual Aid Group (Oil Spill Response cooperative) and Technical/Planning Leader for the ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Regional Response Team. In Graces opinion, it is hard to describe health, safety and environment in economic terms because it is more of a moral obligation. For us, we cannot assign a dollar value to anything that hurts people, the environment and health. Our business goal is to produce oil and gas safely and reliably for the country that we operate in. We need to factor into the base cost that we will invest in safety, health and environmental protection. Our vision is the same universally: Nobody gets hurt, which is a lofty but achievable goal. For ExxonMobil in Malaysia, our next step is a plan to conduct a safety culture survey. This is an attempt to measure hearts and minds and the organisations perception of safety. Through this, we hope to see our strengths and weaknesses in the safety programmes and work to continuously improve our journey toward a hurt-free environment, she concludes.

38

The primary role of first-line supervisors is to keep people safe. These supervisors have typically 10 to 12 workers under their influence. They are the role models for the safety values we as a company believe in. So we have workshops and coaching to help them be effective in that role, says Grace. The second focus is on short-service workers who are new to the company and its organisational culture. Every new worker has to undergo induction training before getting permission to work offshore. In addition, the new worker is assigned a buddy, a red hard hat (much like the P sticker for a new driver) and undergoes coaching until graduation from the short service work programme. Thirdly, the company looked at pre-job planning which is fundamental to doing an activity safely. The process steps typically involve a leader and his/her work team assessing the job steps, the hazards associated with each step and how they as a team will work to reduce the risks as the job progresses. Everyone is expected to know their role and work together to do an activity safely. We empower the workers by giving them a Stop Work card signed by the Chairman which they can use anytime should they feel a job step or a situation is unsafe. If in doubt, stop. As a result of these Safety Focus Areas and other campaign initiatives, the company improved its overall safety performance by 50% last year. We believe all injuries are preventable. Last years efforts united everyone and it was a tremendous success, says Grace.