OGUK to host HSE conference amid growing union concerns

Oil And Gas UK’s (OGUK) health and safety conference next month will come as unions claim the sector’s “eye is being taken off the ball”.

The P&J Live gathering follows a month of troubling incidents, leading to the remarks by workers’ representatives.

Structural issues found on EnQuest’s Thistle platform prompted a largescale rescue effort involving coastguard crews from Shetland and Norway.

More than 100 people were evacuated from the rig, some 125 miles northeast of Shetland.

The high-profile incident came only a week after two fires on North Sea rigs.

On October 14, a worker suffered an arm injury in a “small fire” on the Taqaoperated Tern Alpha while two more were hurt on EnQuest’s Heather Alpha in another blaze.

All three were airlifted from the installations and taken to hospital.

Investigations are under way into the causes of both incidents, which happened within hours of each other.

At the time, regional officer with Unite the Union John Boland said reps felt the “eye was being taken off the ball as far as safety is concerned”.

“We’ve raised concerns recently that health and safety offshore is getting worse,” he added.

This month’s three incidents are not in isolation.

EnQuest was served a HSE improvement notice after inspectors found staff on Heather Alpha had been exposed to a “risk of fire and explosion” in March because of an unlit flare.

In June, Total exposed staff to potentially deadly hydrogen sulphide gas on its Alwyn North platform.

No one was hurt as machinery pumped the hazardous substance into breathing zones on the rig as preparations were made for drilling.

These incidents will be discussed as industry leaders meet for the HSE conference on Wednesday November 6 in Aberdeen.

Organisers OGUK said prevention of oil and gas releases, control of major accident hazards, emissions reduction and the workers’ mental health would be “key themes” of discussion.

But it also wants to shine a spotlight on improvements made in health and safety too.

This year, Step Change In Safety unveiled new guidelines around the role of offshore elected safety representatives (ESR), describing them as “vital” in preventing accidents.

ESRs were introduced in legislation in 1989.