Health & Safety Report 2017

1. Foreword W elcome to the 2017 Oil & Gas UK Health & Safety Report , which documents the major trends, issues and themes relating to our sector’s health and safety performance in 2016. Sadly, the industry saw a fatality offshore last year. Investigations continue but the lessons learnt from the accident, which occurred during the unpacking of an offshore container, will be shared across the sector. Such incidents serve to remind us that whatever we are doing, we can never be complacent. Indeed, the data published in this report does go some way to reinforce that industry is retaining its focus as it demonstrates improving overall performance in offshore safety. There has been a further reduction in the sector’s three-year rolling average, non-fatal injury rate where UK oil and gas remains lower than other comparable industrial sectors, such as construction, manufacturing, and transport and storage. The over-seven-day injury rate in 2016 was the third lowest since this measure was first calculated in 1996, while the specified injury rate has fallen by over 40 per cent since 2013. Similar positive trends are reported in process safety, where dangerous occurrences such as hydrocarbon releases, dropped objects, and fires and explosions must by law be reported to the Health and Safety Executive. Last year, the number of dangerous occurrences was the lowest on record, 62 per cent lower than the 2000-01 peak. Prevention of hydrocarbon releases remains an industry priority and the overall downward trend seen over the last decade has been sustained. In 2016, the number of major and significant process releases, which are those with the potential to escalate, was the lowest on record. Good progress is also being made in reducing the backlog in safety-critical maintenance, which is essential to the integrity of our offshore assets.

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The industry’s work to improve safety performance is delivering. However, we need to maintain focus and strengthen collective determination to drive further improvement.

Any queries on content or feedback should be directed to Mick Borwell, Oil & Gas UK’s health, safety and environment policy director, on mborwell@oilandgasuk.co.uk.

Mick Borwell, Health, Safety and Environment Policy Director, Oil & Gas UK

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