Safety first ...

OESI reports on human factors offshore. CVS’ scannable ID cards. Soon-to-be ‘eliminated’ CSB reports on 2013 Geismar, LA fire. Shellback’s ’smartphone safes.’ APEGA fines CNR for 2007 fatality.

The Ocean Energy Safety Institute at Texas A&M has produced a 56 page report on human factors and ergonomics in offshore drilling and production, subtitled the implications for drilling safety. The report is a review of some 200 published papers. OESI was set up in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The OESI report sparked off an interesting discussion on the SPE human factors technical section’s bulletin board.

New technology from CVS lets energy and pipeline workers access safety procedures and emergency contacts from a smartphone. The functionality is embedded in CVS’s scannable ID cards.

IOGP has just published RP577 covering recommended practices for addressing safety risks and hazardous activities on fabrication sites.

US Chemical Safety Board chairperson Vanessa Allen Sutherland is understandably ‘disappointed’ with the Presidential proposal to eliminate the agency.

In what might be, in view of the preceding announcement, one of its last, the CSB has just issued its final report into the 2013 dual fatality explosion and fire at Williams’ Geismar, LA olefins plant. The report found process safety management program ‘weaknesses’ at the facility in the 12 years leading to the incident. These include deficiencies in change management, in the pre-startup safety review and in process hazard analysis. The CSB is to issues recommendations to the American Petroleum Institute to help prevent future similar incidents industry-wide.

Shellback is to provide some 400 ‘Smartphone Safes’ to Contract Callers. CC’s employees will no longer be able to use their cell phones while driving.

APEGA, the Alberta regulator has fined Canadian Natural Resources and the Horizon Oil Sands Project $10,0000 for a 2007 fatal construction site accident. CNRL admitted to unprofessional conduct in its engagement and supervision of engineering contractors and is to work with APEGA on a new standard for outsourced engineering and geoscience work.

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