Leading lights of safety culture in the North Sea were heralded at an awards ceremony in Aberdeen yesterday.
Nine awards were presented at this year’s UK Oil and Gas Industry Safety Awards to companies and individuals for their dedication to health and safety in the offshore industry.
Step Change in Safety Team Leader Les Linklater presented the Services to Safety Award posthumously to Steve Walton, who worked with Wood Group for more than 20 years as a materials controller and safety representative.
The award was presented to his wife Marie.
Paul Craig, safety manager of North Star Shipping was recognised as an inspirational leader who motivates and engages his 1,000 strong crew members and for the launch of the “Boots on Deck” initiative.
Bob Egan, trade foreman, Petrofac was named as Safety Representative of the Year and called a role model for safety leadership.
Derek Smith was presented with the Award for Preventative Safety Action after he noticed oil on the underside of the fuselage of a helicopter on the helideck of the Clyde platform, prevented a potential incident.
Winner of the Most Promising Individual category, QHSE adviser, Ruth Pirie was praised by the judges for actively embracing safety culture.
The North Sea Production Company was presented with the Award for Innovation in Safety for using remotely operated vehicles to conduct ballast tank inspections on board the North Sea Producer FPSO.
Andy Nolan, alongside the HSE&A Department at Talisman Sinopec Energy UK, was awarded the Workforce Engagement Award for strong promotion of a workforce engagement survey.
The Health Award was handed to catering firm Sodexo for its Well Track online tool that encourages offshore workers to make better informed health choices.
The Ideas in Safety Prize was awarded to Bronson Larkins, intervention engineer, BP. He led a project to develop a new product, the “gripper sub”, to address the risks of managing snapped wires during wireline operations.
Mr Linklater said: “Offshore safety has improved significantly over the last decade and these awards are all about showcasing those steps forward. In addition to celebrating our achievements in the field of health and safety, these awards have also given us the opportunity to pause for reflection and a reminder the sector must continue to be vigilant.”
The key note address was delivered by Justice Charles Haddon-Cave QC, who is recognised as one of today’s leading commercial silks in the fields of aviation, shipping, insurance, travel law and arbitration. Sir Charles also led the Nimrod inquiry and spoke at the Piper 25 Conference in 2013.