OGUK Health and Safety Report 2021.cleaned

BUSINESS OUTLOOK 2020
HEALTH & SAFETY

REPORT 2021
HEALTH & SAFETY REPORT 2021
1 Foreword 3
2 Key findings 5
2.1 Process safety 5
2.2 Personal safety 5
2.3 Health 6
2.4 Aviation 6
3 2020 Performance 7
3.1 Summary 7
3.2 Process and personal safety 7
3.2.1 Incident reporting 8
3.2.2 Hydrocarbon releases 9
3.2.3 Personal injuries and fatalities 11
3.3 Operator safety performance benchmarking 15
3.4 Asset integrity Performance Indicators 18
3.5 Health 21
3.5.1 Examining Doctors’ Assessments
and Training 21
3.5.2 Medical Evacuations 25
3.5.3 COVID-19 Medical Evacuations 26
4 Offshore helicopter operations 28
4.1 Summary 28
4.2 Overview 28
4.3 Current helicopter types 29
Our vision is to ensure the 4.4 Offshore helicopter reportable accidents and
UK Continental Shelf becomes the serious incidents 30
most attractive mature oil and gas 5 Significant activities 31
province in the world with which to 5.1 Forums, groups and networks 32
do business. 5.2 Regulatory engagement 34
5.3 Tripartite committees 35
Read all our industry reports at 5.4 Other External Groups and Organisations 36
oguk.org.uk 5.5 Consultation 37
5.6 Publications 38
6 Glossary 38
Foreword
Welcome to OGUK’s 2021 Health & Safety Report, which provides an welcome reduction. In terms of overall numbers, there has been a 22%
overview of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) oil and gas industry’s health and reduction in RIDDOR reportable releases since 2018. This is the first year
safety performance in 2020. It also summarises the continuous work that where there were no major releases since our records began over 25 years
various OGUK groups do in order to improve the performance and protect ago. We are not yet below the numbers seen in 2016 and the challenge for
the people who work in our industry. industry is to ensure these gains are sustained as activity levels increase.
This report details the actions industry has taken and those planned for
In writing about 2020, we need to first reflect on the impact COVID-19 has the coming months, along with a description of the intense cross-industry
had on society and our industry in particular. collaboration and co-operation dedicated to reducing HCR.
OGUK was quick to recognise the potential risks. To help address these it set As in previous years, the most common cause of personal injuries was slips,
up the Pandemic Steering Group (PSG) in April 2020. The group, consisting trips and falls. It was the fourth consecutive year without a fatality. The
of operators, contractors, unions, external agencies and other associations, longer-term reportable non-fatal injury rate is also continuing to fall. As an
had three specific aims: to ensure the health and safety of the workforce; example, we see the lowest injury rate in 25 years, for both over seven-day
to maintain the UK’s security of supply; and to demonstrate an industry injuries and specified injuries.
in control. I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the huge effort
everyone made to ensure that we met all three: those working in the PSG During the pandemic, the numbers of people working offshore was
and its many subgroups; the key workers in our offshore and onshore sites; considerably reduced. In the period between April and June, the average
and the many stakeholder groups and bodies who pulled together during a weekly number dropped from 12,500 to 7,500 although this has now
period of incredible challenge, while all the time maintaining safe and stable increased to around 10,000. This resulted in project and drilling/well work
operations. being postponed and non-essential maintenance deferred into backlog.
While the accepted view is that maintenance backlog has been an ongoing
Throughout the disruption, industry also kept its focus on process safety. issue for industry, the pandemic has highlighted the need to arrest a rising
Preventing hydrocarbon releases (HCR) remained key and 2020 saw a trend. In 2021, OGUK established an industry Maintenance Reduction
HEALTH & SAFETY REPORT 2021 3

Foreword continued
Task Group to develop a unified understanding of maintenance backlog, report will help shape OGUK’s health and safety activities for the year ahead.
its status and improvement intentions across the sector. An agreed set The focus areas will include HCR prevention; major hazard management;
of key performance indicators, their intent and reporting mechanism will addressing the maintenance backlog challenge; and ensuring the health
be created to support this objective which will allow each operator to use and wellbeing of the offshore workforce is maintained. As an industry, we
common language to articulate control and improvement mechanisms. can be proud that our performance in 2020 was robust, improved in many
areas and stood up to the pressure that COVID-19 brought. But we are not
Matters pertaining to the health of the workforce were dominated by complacent and the challenge to continuously improve lies at the heart of
COVID-19 and it is difficult to draw any relevant conclusions on the broader everything we do.
health topics. OGUK produced some excellent COVID-19 related guidance.
This includes the Vulnerable Persons Technical Note and the Guide to Action All these matters and more are expanded upon in this report. We hope you
on COVID-19 Test Results. OGUK also worked with the Scottish Government find the content to be both interesting and informative. Any queries should
to produce the authoritative Safe Working for UKCS Offshore Installations; be directed to OGUK HSE Director, Trevor Stapleton, at tstapleton@oguk.
and it assisted Public Health Scotland in drafting the Guidance for Preventing org.uk.
and Management of Cases of COVID-19 on Offshore installations. OGUK also
enabled the remote medical examination – a first for our industry.
Across UKCS helicopter operations, 2020 was a year free from accidents and
serious incidents. But owing to significantly fewer flying hours, the UKCS’ Trevor Stapleton
five-year average of all accident and serious incident rate increased from Health, Safety and Environmental Director
0.26 to 0.27/100,000 flying hours, with one serious incident occurring during OGUK
the five-year period in 2016. This performance reflects the amount of work
being undertaken in the areas of operational effectiveness, reliability and
the introduction of new technology and equipment. The findings from this

2. Key findings 22%
2.1 Process safety 2.2 Personal safety
The number of reportable incidents There were no work-related fatalities for the fifth year running.
decreased by 30%, with 204 recorded.
Of that, hydrocarbon releases (HCR)
30% 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
was the single largest category (47% of the
204 The overall
20%
total), followed by dropped objects (19%). Fractures remained
reportable injury
There were zero confirmed major HCR and, overal the most common
rate decreased by
22% since 2018, there has been a 22% decrease in HCR
under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and
20%, with 2,867
per 100,000 workers, down from
type of reportable
injury, followed by
strains and sprains.
Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR 1) 3,380 per 100,000 workers in 2019.
30% The UKCS lost-time injury

frequency is HALF the
all-European average,
204
2019
2020 Slips, trips and falls, and lifting
at 0.36/million man-hours
compared with 0.73/million
and handling remained the man-hours, and is lower
most common causes of than Denmark, Norway
Average safety critical maintenance backlog increased by
injuries. and Netherlands
86% compared with 2019, a direct impact of the pandemic.

2. Key findings continued
2.3 Health 2.4 Aviation
111,647 OGUK medicals were performed by Offshore helicopter operations were accident-free.
registered doctors in more than 70 countries, down The fatal accident rate per 100,000 flying
from 146,479 in 2019. 8,530 of these medicals were hours remained at zero for the third year
conducted remotely, following COVID-19 protocols. running.
FLYING SELF IS decreased by 41% to 42,540 in

Flying hours
H OL
2020, down from 72,227 in 2019. This was
RS
AT
DOW
reflected in the number of passengers transported
E
41% and was due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing
N
non-essential operation to pause, and a proportion
of the workforce to self-isolate.
Blood pressure remained the most common cause for The AgustaWestland AW169 was a new addition to the helicopter
failure of an offshore medical, with 15% of all failures types supporting the UKCS operations. But the Sikorsky S92
attributable to associated health conditions. continues to dominate. FLYING SELF
H ISO
L
Nearly 500 flights were organised to remove
RS
AT
DOW
E
personnel with suspected COVID-19, or those
who were identified as close contacts of 41%
N
The most common reason for medical evacuation
(medevac) was for suspected cardiac incidents. confirmed COVID-19 cases, transporting over
1,000 passengers.

3. Performance
3.1 Summary
• There were zero fatalities. Major accidents are rare and so lagging indicators, such as HCR, are combined
• There were no major cases of hydrocarbon releases (HCR). with leading indicators to give a better picture of safety performance.
• Slips, trips and falls account for 26% of all injuries. Leading indicators include maintenance backlogs for safety-critical elements
• Over 111,500 OGUK offshore medicals were conducted, with remotely and overdue verification findings. These show how well safety-critical
conducted medicals occurring for the first time. elements, which are designed to prevent, control or mitigate the effects
• The most common causes of failed medicals were blood pressure and of major incidents on an installation, are being managed. Process safety
diabetes. performance indicators, while perhaps not as obviously about “safety” as
• The number of significant HCR under RIDDOR has decreased by 25%, with the injury statistics, are nevertheless critical to measuring performance and
no major HCR being reported for the first time since our records began. ensuring the industry continues to manage major accident risk effectively.
The UK offshore oil and gas industry is committed to protecting people, It is also important to manage the health and wellbeing of the offshore
the natural environment and assets by maintaining safe operations. The workforce effectively, given the remoteness of the worksite and the nature
industry continually strives to improve personal and process safety, using of the work they perform. A suite of occupational health-related legislation
performance indicators to monitor how well this is being managed. Personal regulates the offshore working environment to control risks to health. In
safety metrics point to industry’s performance in managing risks to an addition, it is industry policy that all persons working offshore are examined
individual. However, to minimise harm to people, the primary focus must be regularly by a medical professional before travelling offshore. The registered
on process safety. This means effective containment of hydrocarbons and examining doctors who conduct assessments in line with the OGUK medical
associated hazards. standard help to ensure that each person is fit for work offshore.

3. Performance continued
3.2 Process and personal safety
3.2.1. Incident reporting Figure 1: Reportable Incidents
RIDDOR and the EU Offshore Safety Directive (OSD) Implementing Regulation
No 1112/2014, transposed into UK law, define reportable incidents. Under 900 *
this legislation, defined incident types with high potential to cause significant
800
injuries, termed dangerous occurrences, and other defined incidents such as
failure of a safety critical element, must be reported to the Health & Safety 700
Executive (HSE).
Number of Reportable Incidents

600
500
The reporting requirements in the European regulations are broadly aligned
with RIDDOR categories, but additional reportable incident categories have 400
been introduced, and the category names are different1. The section below 300
includes information on both RIDDOR and EU reportable offshore incidents.
200
As seen in Figure 1, the downward trend in the overall number of incidents 100
since the peak in 2000–01 continued in 2020, when there were 204 such 0
incidents. This was a 30% decrease from 2019 and the lowest incident
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
number since 1995.
*Period of reporting changed from fiscal to calendar year Source: Health and Safety Executive, 2021
1
See The Health and Safety (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (legislation.gov.uk)

Figure 2 breaks down the reportable incidents by type. Categories from Figure 2: Breakdown of Reportable Incidents
the EU Implementing Regulations and RIDDOR have been combined
5 3
where appropriate, eg “release or escape of a dangerous substance” and 7
7
“unintentional release of hazardous substances” have been combined into
7
the “loss of containment (non-HCR)” category. As in 2019, HCR are the
largest single type of reportable incident, followed by dropped objects.
19 Hydrocarbon Releases
That latter category saw 42% fewer incidents in 2020, to 38 from 66 in 2019. Dropping Objects
Other
HCR incidents were also down 23%; 96 compared with 125 incidents in 2019. 96 Fire or Explosion
Well Incidents
3.2.2. Hydrocarbon releases Collapse, Overturning or Failure

Loss of Containment (Non-HCR)
The HSE collates data on HCR, most of which are identified as such in the 22
Failure of SECEs
figure above. But it should be noted that “well incidents”, “pipeline incidents” Evacuation
and “fire or explosion” may also include HCR.
The HSE assigns a severity classification to HCR, defining them as minor,

significant or major. A minor release has the potential to cause serious 38
injuries or a fatality within the immediate vicinity but would not be expected Source: Health and Safety Executive, 2021
to result in a multiple fatality event or significant escalation. A significant
release is one with the potential to cause serious injury or fatality to systems — while a major HCR is one with the potential, if ignited, to cause
personnel within the local area and to escalate within that local area — for multiple casualties or rapid escalation affecting, for example, other modules,
example, by causing structural damage, secondary leaks or damage to safety the temporary refuge or escape routes.

Figure 3 shows the total number of reportable HCR in 2020, under RIDDOR and Figure 4 shows the same data with the additional EU-reportable HCRs excluded
the EU regulation. There was a 26% decrease in HCR in 2020 (from 128 to 94). to allow for comparison. The three-year moving average in 2020 resumed the
In addition, there were no major HCR reported in 2020. This is the first time the downward trend that was broken in 2019.
figure has been zero in over 25 years.
Figure 3: Hydrocarbon Releases Occurring Offshore Figure 4: RIDDOR Reportable Hydrocarbon Releases
300 300
Awaiting Classification - EU only Awaiting Classification
Minor Releases - EU only Minor
Significant Releases - EU only Significant
250 250
Major Release - EU only Major
Awaiting Classification - RIDDOR Three-Year Moving Average
Minor Releases - RIDDOR
200 200
Significant Releases - RIDDOR
Number of Releases
Number of Releases
Major Releases - RIDDOR

RIDDOR 3 Year Rolling Average
150 150
100 100
50 50
0 0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Source: Health and Safety Executive, 2021 Source: Health and Safety Executive, 2021

Figure 5 shows only the HCRs classified as major. Six major releases were 3.2.3. Personal injuries and fatalities
reported in 2018, and three in 2019, meaning that the three-year average has Reportable injuries in the UK fall into two categories: those that result in
plateaued at three per year. Annual fluctuations aside, the general trend has seven or more days off work; and specified injuries and fatalities. Figure 6
been downward, with none in 2020. shows work-related fatalities at offshore installations recorded in over 25
years (excluding aviation, covered in Section 4 of this report). In 2020 there
Figure 5: Major Hydrocarbon Releases were none.
Figure 6: Fatal Injuries Offshore
30
Three-Year Moving Average
Number of Number of Number of
Year Year Year
Fatalities Fatalities Fatalities
25
1996-97 2 2004-05 0 2012-13 0
1997-98 3 2005-06 2 2013-14 2
20 1998-99 1 2006-07 2 2015 0
1999-00 2 2007-08 0 2016 1
Number of Releases
2000-01 3 2008-09 0 2017 0

15 2001-02 3 2009-10 0 2018 0
2002-03 0 2010-11 0 2019 0
2003-04 3 2011-12 2 2020 0
10
The non-fatal injury rate is calculated from the number of over-seven-day

5 and specified injuries reported to the HSE2, as well as offshore population
figures calculated from Vantage POB data. The breakdown of over-seven-
day and specified injuries per 100,000 workers since 2001 is given in Figure 7.
0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 The over-seven-day injury rate decreased from 252 to 217 injuries/100,000
workers in 2020, the lowest the figure has been in over 25 years.
Source: Health and Safety Executive, 2021
2
Defined list of reportable injuries in Regulation 4 of RIDDOR 2013

The specified injury rate also showed a decrease of 52/100,000 workers, Figure 7: Five-year average injury rate per 100,000 workers
from 86 in 2019. This continues the generally downwards trend displayed
since 2015. 800 *
Five year average: Non-fatal injury rate
Five year average: Specified injury rate

700
The total number of reportable injuries in 2020 was 57 of which 11 were Five year average: Over-seven-day injury rate
specified injuries and 46 were over-seven-day injuries. 600
Figure 7 takes a longer-term average and so smooths annual fluctuations 500
and provides a clearer trend.

400
Bone fractures were the most common reportable injury in 2020 with 21
300
reported, followed by strains and sprains (15) and lacerations (7). The full
breakdown of injury types is given in Figure 8. 200
100
-
2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
*Period of reporting changed from fiscal to calendar year Source: Health and Safety Executive, 2021; Vantage POB

Figure 8: Reportable Injuries by Type The most common cause of injury was slips, trips and falls on the same level
(15), followed by lifting and handling injuries (12). A full breakdown of the
2
1 1 type of accident involved in the injury is shown in Figure 9 below.
2
Figure 9: Reportable Injuries by Direct Cause
8 Bone fracture
21 16
Strain / Sprain
Laceration 14
Other Known Injury

12
Contusion
Multiple Injury 10
7 Amputation
8
Unknown Injury
4
15
2
0
Slip, trip, fall Lifting and Another kind of Contact with Struck against Struck by Fall (height not Low fall (up to Exposure to
same level handling accident machinery object known) & inc. 2m) harmful
injuries substance

Figure 10 compares the UK offshore oil and gas industry’s performance Figure 10: Lost Time Injury Frequency for Oil and Gas Sectors Surrounding the UK
with other European offshore sectors, based on the lost-time injury (LTI)
frequency data from the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers 1.4
2018
(IOGP). This geographical comparison demonstrates that the UK is lower
2019
than the European average of 0.72/million manhours. The UK had an LTI 1.2
frequency that was lower than its directly comparable peers in the North 2020
Sea, with 0.36 LTIs/million man-hours, compared with 0.74 in the Norwegian 1 2020 European Average
sector.
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Denmark Norway Netherlands UK
Source: International Association of Oil and Gas Producers

3.3 Operator safety performance benchmarking Incident frequency rates, rather than absolute numbers, are used for
comparison in this exercise, but even with that standardisation, the wide
Every year, OGUK conducts a benchmarking exercise so that production variation in frequency rates between best and worst performers is affected
installation operators can compare their own safety performance against by the relative size of the company’s operations. In the more detailed
the UK industry average. Other industry associations monitor and report the benchmarking report issued to companies directly, organisations are
safety performance of marine and drilling contractors, which are therefore therefore separated into three bands by size to minimise this effect.
not included.
Figure 11: Participating Companies
Thirty installation operators were included in the benchmarking exercise Participating Companies
this year. Participating companies receive their individual results, but for the
Altera Infrastructure Ithaca
purposes of presenting the aggregated anonymised data, each company is Apache North Sea Limited Neptune Energy
allocated a letter. Note that the same identifier is not assigned to the same Bluewater Services ONE-Dyas
operator for each of the categories shown. BP Perenco
Bumi Armada Petrofac
BW Offshore Premier Oil
Figure 11 lists the participating companies and Figure 12 presents the Chrysaor Repsol Sinopec
anonymised results from key elements of the benchmarking exercise.
CNOOC International Rockrose
The average frequency rate for those companies is calculated to the CNR Serica Energy
industry standard of incidents per million man-hours based on a 12-hour Dana Petroleum Shell
working day. ENI Spirit Energy
EnQuest Tailwind Energy
Equinor TAQA Bratani
Fairfield Energy TotalEnergies
INEOS Wintershall Noordzee

Figure 12 shows the frequency of RIDDOR-reportable injuries and incidents Figure 12: Reportable Incidents and Reportable Injury Frequencies
which has risen from 2019 (3.468/million man-hours) to 2020 (3.755/million
10
man-hours). This is despite fewer actual incidents, with 195 in 2019 and 148 Dangerous Occurrence Frequency
in 2020, and it is due to the 30% drop in manhours last year. Because the 9
Reportable Injury Frequency
number of incidents each year are low, the data is sensitive to small changes. 8
Overall, the number of reportable incidents and injuries is trending lower 7
Frequency per million manhours

and is the lowest since 2007. 6
0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Source: Health and Safety Executive, Vantage POB and OGUK

Figures 13 and 14 show the frequency of reportable incidents and injuries for each company compared with the group average over the past two years. Half of
the operators (15) recorded dangerous occurrences that were at or below the 2020 average. And most operators (20) recorded reportable injuries that were
at or below the 2020 average. Four operators completed the year with no reportable dangerous occurrences, while ten operators had no reportable injuries.
Figure 13: Production Installation Operators’ Safety Performance Figure 14: Production Installation Operators’ Safety Performance
Benchmarking Results – Reportable Incidents Benchmarking Results – Reportable Injuries
12 8
2017 Average
2017 Average
2018 Average
7 2018 Average
10 2019 Average
2019 Average
2020 Average
6 2020 Average
8

5
6 4
3
4
2
1
0 0
A A A A E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z AA BB CC DD A A A A A A A A A A K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z AA BB CC DD

The table below summarises operator safety performance benchmarking for production installations in absolute numbers since 2011.
Figure 15: Benchmarking Performance Summary
Year Fatalities Major / Specified Injuries Over-Seven Day Injuries Reportable Incidents Man-Hours
2011 2 25 72 347 45,081,195
2012 0 27 70 260 51,339,945
2013 0 32 81 316 56,695,543
2014 2 16 103 306 56,793,896
2015 0 15 68 262 53,778,551
2016 1 18 65 232 52,332,393
2017 0 2 81 247 56,759,996
2018 0 19 81 251 56,936,436
2019 0 24 72 195 56,217,456
2020 0 11 46 148 39,418,728
10-Year Average 1 19 74 256 52,535,413
3.4 Asset integrity Performance Indicators

The UK offshore oil and gas industry has a voluntary asset integrity key collected at the end of every quarter. Participation is voluntary, and the
performance indicator (KPI) scheme in place to monitor leading indicators number of reporting installations varies, but in general, at least half of UKCS
using maintenance backlog and verification data that has been collected installations are included. Safety critical maintenance backlog is a leading
since 2008. The scheme is administered by OGUK, whereby data are performance indicator for process safety.

KPI-1 is a lagging indicator and is monitored by HSE through RIDDOR incident verification process. Verification is undertaken by an independent competent
reporting mechanisms, as covered in Section 3.1. KPI-2 and KPI-3 serve as person (ICP) who must report any deficiencies inherent in the performance
leading indicators of safety-critical performance. standards and in the verification scheme itself.
Figure 16: UK Asset Integrity Key Performance Indicators Deficiencies reported by the ICP are ranked according to three levels of
severity using common definitions as outlined below. KPI-2 monitors and
Level
measures the more serious level 2 and 3 findings.
KPI-1 Hydrocarbon Releases
KPI-2 Verification Non-Compliance
KPI-3 Safety-Critical Maintenance Backlog
Figure 17: Current Definitions — Verification Findings
Level
3.4.1. KPI-2 Verification Non-Compliance
Performance standard satisfied, but ICP may suggest an improvement to the
The Offshore Safety Case regime requires duty-holders to identify and 1 system or request additional information to demonstrate compliance with
maintain safety and environmentally critical elements (SECE). SECE, which a performance standard.
are specific to an installation, aim to prevent, control or mitigate the risk to 2 Single performance standard failure with no significant threat to the installation.
individuals and/or the natural environment from potential major accident Fundamental weakness of the SECE assurance system involving multiple failures
hazards (MAH). Each SECE must comply with a defined performance standard 3 of a performance standard(s) or presents a significant threat to the integrity of
which has been developed based on the parameters of the MAH present on the installation.
the installation.
At the end of 2020, the average number of open (unresolved) level 2 findings
Every installation will have many SECE, including fire and gas detection per installation was six, which is an increase on the three reported in 2019.
systems, emergency shutdown systems and temporary refuge. To ensure On a quarterly basis, the average number of level 2 findings has remained
that these are fit for purpose, remain in good condition and repair, and consistent since 2011, at around two or three per quarter. That remained
comply with the relevant performance standard, they are subject to a the case in in 2020.

The industry KPI reporting further categorises open findings into 'open- Figure 18 is a high-level snapshot of industry performance since the end
overdue' and 'related to process containment', as the latter are the most of 2014. As shown, the backlog man-hours decreased consistently until the
serious type of SECE. The average number of open-overdue findings per end of 2017. The overall safety critical maintenance backlog began to rise in
installation increased by a third, from just under two (1.79) to over two 2018. However, until 2020, the backlog had remained below the peak seen in
(2.43) in 2020. The proportion of the more serious Level 3 findings, as per earlier years. The disruption to normal operations and the associated down-
the table above, remained consistently below 1 (0.02). manning necessitated by the pandemic clearly affected total maintenance
backlog levels in 2020, which reached an average of 3,139 hours per
Level 3 findings relate to more serious matters raised by the ICP. This makes installation in Q3 before dropping to 2,462 by the end of the year. This was
them relatively rare and the number per installation is small. The total just below the total seen in 2014.
number across all participating installations is monitored and reported to
ensure they are being closed out in a timely manner. Maintenance is a key safety activity and the reversal during the pandemic of
what had been a sustained downward trend in safety-critical maintenance
3.4.2. KPI-3 Safety-Critical Maintenance Backlog backlog hours since the peak in 2015 is an area of focus for industry and
OGUK collates a record of safety-critical (SC) maintenance backlog in three regulator. Balancing the need to complete maintenance work with the
distinct categories: pressure on accommodation caused by COVID restrictions has been
an ongoing challenge for operators throughout 2020, along with the
• Planned preventative SC maintenance that has passed its scheduled postponement of the Forties Pipeline shutdown for affected installations.
completion date and is now overdue Information about industry action to address the maintenance backlog can
• Corrective SC maintenance where equipment undergoing SC maintenance be found in Section 5 of this report.
has been found to need some form of repair or recertification
• Deferred SC maintenance that has not been carried out at its planned
completion date but has been rescheduled following a robust deferral
assessment of the risk associated with deferring maintenance

Figure 18: Average Preventative, Corrective and Deferred Safety-Critical
Maintenance Man-Hours in Backlog per Installation
3.5 Health
3,500 3.5.1. Examining Doctors’ Assessments and Training
Deferred Maintenance
The OGUK standard for medical fitness to work offshore is recognised as a
Corrective Maintenance in Backlog
3,000 global standard in the industry. The list of examining doctors on the OGUK
Preventive Maintenance in Backlog
register who can carry out such assessments includes practitioners from 75
Average Number of Man-Hours in Backlog per Installation
2,500 countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Africa3.
2,000
To register, medical professionals must complete the OGUK's
“Introduction for OGUK Registered Doctors” training. The training course
is designed to acquaint delegates with the nature of life and work offshore
1,500
so that they better understand the standard of medical fitness required.
Despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, over 100
1,000
new doctors were trained and registered in 2020. OGUK had to adjust the
training provision to a digital and online format, which was successful and
500
well received.
0 Despite the success of the remote, virtual doctor training, it was felt that
Q4 2014
Q1 2015
Q2 2015
Q3 2015
Q4 2015
Q1 2016
Q2 2016
Q3 2016
Q4 2016
Q1 2017
Q2 2017
Q3 2017
Q4 2017
Q1 2018
Q2 2018
Q3 2018
Q4 2018
Q1 2019
Q2 2019
Q3 2019
Q4 2019
Q1 2020
Q2 2020
Q3 2020
Q4 2020
the OGUK Annual Doctor’s Conference would not translate well to a digital
forum and so the event was cancelled in 2020.
Source: OGUK, 2021
3
Find out more about the OGUK Register for Examining Doctors at www.oguk.org.uk/doctors

Each year, registered doctors assess offshore oil and gas employees around Figure 19: Examining Doctors Statistics
the globe using the OGUK Medical Aspects of Fitness for Offshore Work:
Total Number of Number of Medicals Percentage Medicals
Guidance for Examining Physicians4. In 2020, this document was supported Year
Medicals Conducted Failed Failed
by the OGUK Socially Distanced Medical Assessments Technical Note5, 2010 56,850 784 1.38%
enabling registered doctors to conduct OGUK medicals safely and in line with 2011 59,900 665 1.11%
COVID-19 restrictions. The use of the OGUK guidelines as a global standard 2012 93,219 1,284 1.38%
for working offshore means that not all those medicals were conducted for 2013 113,006 1,333 1.18%
2014 118,597 1,285 1.08%
individuals working in the UKCS.
2015 111,651 1,125 1.01%
2016 99,104 1,125 1.14%
OGUK registered doctors submit a statistical return indicating the total 2017 110,688 1,339 1.21%
number of medicals they have performed and the numbers of cases in which 2018 127,474 1,298 1.02%
individuals have failed to pass their assessments, as well as the reasons for 2019 146,479 1,463 1.00%
those failures. 2020 111,647 1,082 0.97%
As a consequence of the challenges faced in 2020, the number of medicals fail rate in the past ten years and lower than the average rate of 1.13%
performed decreased, by 25% in 2020. Only around 8% of the medicals for the period shown below in Figure 19. This may be due to a “less well”
conducted were recorded as being “socially distanced”. proportion of the workforce having to “shield”, thus unable to go to work
and, as a consequence, not renewing their medical certificate.
In 2020, the fail rate of examinations decreased slightly to 0.97%, the lowest
4
The Medical Aspects of Fitness for Offshore Work: Guidance for Examining Physicians is
A breakdown of the medical assessment failure rate by age group, as seen in
available to download at www.oguk.org.uk/product/medical-aspects-of-fitness-for-off- Figure 20, shows that in 2020 those aged under 20 and over 50 were around
shore-work-guidelines-for-examining-physicians/ twice as likely to fail their examination than those in other age groups. The
5
https://oguk.org.uk/product/socially-distanced-medical-assessments/
2020 data is in line with the trends shown in 2017 and 2019, with 2018 being
an anomalous year.

Figure 20: Percentage of Failed Assessments by Age age groups. This is proportionate to the number of people in each age group
and can be seen in Figure 21.
2020
4.0%
2019
There has however been a steady decrease, proportionally, in the cases
2018
3.5% where blood pressure has prevented individuals from working offshore,
2017
from 31% in 2018, to 21% in 2019 and finally 15% in 2020.
3.0%
2.5%
Diabetes, the main cause of medical failures in 2019, has fallen back in line
with previous years as the second most common cause in 2020, along with
Failure Rate
2.0% cardiac issues, with each accounting for 12% of the reason for failure.
1.5%
Excessive weight/body mass index (BMI) (11%) and drug abuse (8%) are the
1.0% fourth and fifth most common causes for failure respectively.
0.5%
Proportionally, issues with weight or BMI were the most common reason
0.0% for failure in the under-20s but this represents only 9 individuals from 954
<20 20 - 29 30 - 39 40 - 49 50 - 59 60+
medicals carried out in that age range.
Source: OGUK, 2021
2019 was the only year in the records history where blood pressure was Drug abuse was most prominent in the 20-29 age group for the third year
not the most common reason for individuals to be declared unfit for work running. This was 28% of the failures in that category in 2020, but only 0.2%
offshore, being overtaken by diabetes. However, in 2020, the most common of the total medicals conducted in that age group.
reason again was blood pressure (15%), especially in the 40-49 and 50-59

Figure 21: Reason for Failed Assessment by Age Figure 22: Medical Reasons for Dry Cat-A EBS Training
3.0% 1% 1% 0%
Blood Pressure
2%
Diabetes
4%
Asthma
2.5% Cardiac 5%
Other
Drug Abuse
2.0% 6% Pneumothorax
Proportion of Total Assessments
Weight / BMI
COPD
1.5% 43%
ENT Problem
8%
Pulmonary TB
1.0%
Pulmonary Fibrosis
0.5% Cystic Fibrosis
Lung Bullae/Cysts
0.0%
2017 2018 2019 2020 2017 2018 2019 2020 2017 2018 2019 2020 2017 2018 2019 2020 2017 2018 2019 2020 2017 2018 2019 2020 Sarcoidosis
< 20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60 +
30%
Source: OGUK, 2021
To enable the safe introduction of in-water Category-A Compressed Air dry training only, as pre-existing health conditions put them at additional
Emergency Breathing System (Cat-A EBS), a 'fitness to train' assessment risk of injury if they undertook in-water training. In 43% of such cases, this
is conducted. Data collated for 2020 shows that of the 40,391 individual was due to asthma. The full breakdown is shown in Figure 22.
assessments completed, 574 individuals (1.4%) were advised to undertake

3.5.2 Medical Evacuations Figure 23: Reasons for Emergency Medical Evacuations
As a remote and potentially hazardous workplace where support from the
usual emergency services is not available, offshore installations are required
3 11
to have medical facilities to allow the medic, supported by a topsides 4
4
5
doctor, to provide appropriate medical treatment and care to injured or ill Cardiac
6
personnel until they can be returned to shore. For less acute conditions Injury
51
or minor injuries, this may mean the person is simply treated onboard 7 Other
and continues to work the rest of the rota on normal or restricted duties. Acute Abdomen
For some personnel, the appropriate route may be to wait until the next 10
Infectious Disease
scheduled flight, but where onshore treatment is a matter of urgency, the Respiratory
industry and coastguard search and rescue (SAR) helicopters are used. GI
Mental Health
In 2020, emergency medevacs were requested a total of 178 times, with peak CVA
demand during the months of January and August (30 and 22, respectively). 24
Renal
These medevacs were completed using industry and coastguard SAR Seizure
helicopters. As shown in Figure 23, the commonest reason was a suspected Allergic Reaction
Collapse
cardiac incident, followed by injury and acute abdominal issues. This is in line
with the previous three years’ data. 34
28
Source: OGUK, 2021

Figure 24 shows the breakdown by age for emergency medevacs and the Figure 24: Proportion of Medevac and General Offshore Population by Age Group
breakdown by age for the whole offshore workforce. The 30–39 demographic
is proportionately under-represented in medevacs, with only 19% of cases
(despite making up 30% of the offshore workforce), while the proportion Outer - Medevacs
Not given
of medevacs associated with the 60 and over group accounts for 12% of all
<20
medevacs but just 9% of the total offshore population. 30-39
40-49
3.5.3 COVID-19 Medical Evacuations 50-59
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, industry has engaged with >=60
regulators, trade unions and governments to ensure that operations still

Inner – General Population
follow government advice, existing health and safety law and good practice.
<20
30-39
One of the first issues that the OGUK Pandemic Steering Group and the 40-49
Helicopter Subgroup addressed, in early March 2020, was the safe transfer of 50-59
personnel. Infection prevention and control during helicopter transfer to and >=60
from an affected installation was codified and the following categorisation

of personnel was developed:
Source: MCA, 2021; Vantage
Category A: Person displaying no symptoms and who has not been in contact
with a symptomatic person or confirmed case.
Category B: Person with no symptoms but who has been in contact with
someone who has symptoms or a confirmed case within the previous 14 days.

Category C: An individual displaying symptoms whose condition is non-life Figure 25: Number of personnel evacuated due to COVID-19 symptoms or exposure
threatening.
200 Category C 3.0%
Category D: An individual displaying symptoms whose condition is life Category B

180
threatening. % Category B personnel as a proportion of the average weekly PoB
% Category C personnel as a proportion of the average weekly PoB 2.5%
160
This categorisation enabled safe arrangements for the demobilisation and

140
medevac of personnel, which included a dedicated aircraft for Category C 2.0%
% of personnel on board
personnel.
Number of personnel
120
100 1.5%
From April to December 2020, 674 Category B and 373 Category C personnel
were demobilised. These were an average of 0.9% and 0.5% of the total 80
personnel on board (PoB) respectively. 60

1.0%
In 2020, there were 37 confirmed cases (Category C) of COVID-19, under 40

0.5%
RIDDOR reportable requirements. These individuals may have contracted 20
the virus during the course of their offshore work.
0 0.0%
Apr
1 May
2 Jun
3 Jul
4 Aug
5 Sep
6 Oct
7 Nov
8 Dec
9
These numbers can be seen on a month-by-month basis in Figure 25.

4. Offshore helicopter operations
• Offshore helicopter operations in 2020 were free from accidents and The Sikorsky S92 remains the workhorse of the North Sea industry, carrying
serious incidents6. two out of every three passengers visiting or leaving offshore installations.
• The COVID-19 pandemic saw flying hours and passenger numbers The H175 is second, carrying about one in five (86,484).
decrease by 41% and 43% from 2019 to 2020.
• 475 flights to remove COVID-19 identified contacts or cases were Flying hours decreased from 77,227 in 2019 to 42,540 in 2020 and passenger
undertaken in the year. numbers decreased from 781,815 in 2019 to 447,709 in 2020. This was
the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw operators reduce
activity and keep the PoB to the bare minimum without compromising
4.1 Summary safety. The offshore population across the UKCS reduced from over 12,000
to just over 7,000 in spring 2020.
Helicopters remain a fundamental requirement for industry working
offshore, providing a means of transportation to and from installations and
a rescue, recovery and medevac service. 4.2 Overview
While the industry can never be complacent, having suffered four fatal As with all modes of transportation, helicopter travel is not without risk.
accidents claiming 38 lives since 1997, safety performance over the last In the seven years since the Sumburgh incident, there have been no fatal
seven years would suggest that improvements in helicopter safety are helicopter accidents in the UKCS sector, despite significant offshore activity.
having a positive effect. No accidents or serious incidents in 2020 means As an indicator of UKCS operations, over 374,000 sectors were flown since
that the UKCS is recording a rolling five-year fatal accident rate of zero for 2017, totalling over 261,286 flight hours and helicopters were used to
the third year running. transport over 2,800,000 passengers.
6 Helicopter accidents and serious incidents are defined in Regulation (EU) No 996/2010, Article 2 The COVID-19 pandemic 2020 had a devastating impact on the global
aviation industry and the UKCS oil industry depends entirely on helicopters

4. Offshore helicopter operations continued
to move offshore workers around. To address the challenges, OGUK formed OGUK involvement in the Helioffshore Helideck Working Group fostered
the Pandemic Steering Group, made up of representatives of offshore the Master Minimum Helideck Equipment List (MMHEL) which embodies
operators, HSE, Police Scotland, helicopter operators, trade unions and other aviation principles in helideck standards. This ensures a minimum level of
stakeholders. The Helicopter subgroup was soon created, which included all serviceable equipment is maintained for aircraft operations. Roll out of the
accountable managers from helicopter operators. MMHEL is scheduled for Q4 2021.
Helicopter operators rarely sit together to discuss a format of common

operating procedures. However, given the importance of continual safe 4.3 Current helicopter types
commercial air transport during a global pandemic, this is what happened.
Helicopter transport continued without interruption or incident. This spirit At the end of 2020, the active UKCS helicopter fleet numbered 67 aircraft
of co-operation should be recognised. and comprised a mix of medium and heavy twin-engine airframe types.
Since 2001, only heavy and medium twin-engine helicopters have been used
On top of the problems posed by the pandemic, regulations governing for commercial air transport (CAT) on the UKCS. This is because two-pilot
helicopter ground safety also made major advances with the addition light helicopters do not meet today’s commercial offshore range or payload
of "Appendix K - Inbound Flight Preparation" to an amended CAA UK requirements of valid.
CAP437. This addresses risks related to the ground handling of helicopters,
passengers, baggage and freight offshore as well as revised Chapters 7 & 8 The active fleet has decreased by 4 since 2019. Four S92 aircraft have left
concerning offshore helicopter refuelling. the fleet, along with one AS365 N3 and one AW139. One H175 and one new
airframe type AW169 have been added to the fleet.
The UK CAA mandated the installation of Helideck Monitoring Systems on
all moving helidecks in the UKCS which has had a phased introduction owing The helicopter types in active use for UKCS support (as of the end of 2020)
to manufacturing issues. But it will be a big step forward for safety when are shown in the table overleaf.
aircraft approach moving helidecks during stormy weather.

4. Offshore helicopter operations continued
Figure 26: Current Helicopter Types used for UKCS Offshore Oil and Gas Support From 1997 to 2020, four fatal accidents claimed the lives of 38 offshore
workers and flight crew. Two were caused by catastrophic component
Type Weight Class Introduced In Fleet
failure and two were attributed to human factors. Sixteen reportable non-
Leonardo AW139 Medium 2005 17
fatal accidents have also occurred since 1997. The causes include major
Airbus AS365 N3 (Dauphin) Medium 1979 1
Leonardo AW169 Medium 2020 1 component failures, pilot error, lightning strikes, major airframe damage and
Airbus H175 Medium 2016 17 main and tail rotor damage. In most cases, only the helicopter was damaged
Leonardo AW189 Heavy 2014 2 but, on occasion these accidents have resulted in injury to personnel.
Sikorsky S92 Heavy 2005 29
2020 was an accident- and serious incident-free year but owing to fewer
flying hours, the UKCS’ five-year average all accident and serious incident
4.4 Offshore helicopter reportable accidents rate increased from 0.26 to 0.27/100,000 flying hours, with one serious
and serious incidents incident occurring during the five-year period in 2016.
Helicopter accidents and serious incidents, as defined in Regulation (EU) No The rolling five-year average for fatal accidents has remained between 0.2
996/2010, are reported to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). In addition, all and 0.5/100,000 flying hours for the last decade and zero for the last three
flight safety occurrences, as described by the CAA’s CAP 382, are reported to years (this is repeating earlier stats).
the CAA using the Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (MOR) scheme. There
are reports submitted every month, providing near-constant oversight of Figures 27 illustrates the distribution of UKCS fatal accidents and serious
safety-related occurrences. incidents from 1997 to 2020, as well as fatal accident and serious incident
rates/100,000 flying hours.

4. Offshore helicopter operations continued 5. Significant activities
Figure 27: Fatal Accidents and Serious Incidents Distribution The numerous and wide-ranging issues that the pandemic caused by the
pandemic came on top of the usual challenge of preventing HCR and major
5 Serious Incidents 120,000
accidents. As a result, many conversations around COVID-19 included
Fatal Accidents
discussions on topics such as management of preventive maintenance.
Number of Fatal Accidents and Serious Incidents / Rate per 100,000 hours
Five-Year Average Fatal Accident Rate

100,000
Five-Year Average Fatal Accidents and Serious Incidents Rate
4
Flying Hours A suite of COVID-19 documents, covering operational, medical and aviation
80,000
activities, was published throughout the year to guide the industry. These
documents were produced in collaboration with operators, non-operator
Number of Flying Hours

3
members, regulators and public bodies, such as Health Protection Scotland.
60,000
These documents include:
2
40,000 • COVID-19: Safe Working for UKCS Offshore Installation Guidelines

• Movement of Passengers during COVID-19 Pandemic Technical Note
1
20,000
• Vulnerable Persons (COVID-19) Technical Note
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, OGUK has continued to co-ordinate the

0 0
resolution of issues affecting UKCS operations. The regulatory concerns
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Source: OGUK
over venting systems were addressed by a task finish group, resulting in
the publication of Offshore Flare Systems – Identified Issues and Associated
Good Practice. The group will reconvene in 2022 to address venting systems
in the same manner. Similarly, concerns over the link between HCR and
management system failings were addressed by the Assurance task finish
group, who developed an Assurance Toolkit, consisting of a guidance
document, a suite of training presentations and a gap analysis tool.

5. Significant activities continued
Work also continued, in liaison with regulators, to embed the Principles of and webinars. These all proved very popular and perhaps because they
Process Safety Leadership, which were developed and signed up to in late were online they drew large audiences. OGUK hopes to revert to “live” or
2019. The agreement sets out eight principles for senior industry figures to “hybrid” events in 2022, with the annual HSE conference, Aviation Seminar
follow, including competence and involvement in safety management and and Examining Doctor’s Conference in the diary.
putting process safety leadership first.
Challenges to health and safety remain a constant reality and continuous
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in project and drilling/well work being improvement is of paramount importance. The use of new technologies, the
postponed and non-essential maintenance deferred into backlog. OGUK managed introduction of new processes, better understanding of human
established an industry Maintenance Reduction Task Group to develop a factors and generous data-sharing across companies will all be key. OGUK
unified understanding of maintenance backlog, its status and improvement remains committed to ensuring that industry never becomes complacent
intentions across the sector. An agreed set of KPIs, their intent and reporting and maintains its focus on improving health and safety for everyone working
mechanism will be created to support this objective which will allow across the UKCS.
each operator to articulate its control and improvement mechanisms in
common terms.
5.1 Forums, groups and networks
HSE developed a suite of Safety Case Topic Assessment Guides in 2020 and
consulted on their content with Industry, through OGUK. These guides cover Representatives of OGUK member companies and other stakeholders
stand-alone topics and will be used by HSE topic specialists to assess safety – depending on their expertise and responsibilities – manage many of
cases. See Figure 29 in Section 5.2 for the full list of Topic Assessment Guides. OGUK’s activities, working together in forums, networks and technical and
work groups. The diagram below shows the permanent health and safety
OGUK worked to maintain visibility on topics of relevance, despite the groups as well as the task finish groups, established to address discrete
inability to host in-person events, by holding virtual forums, conferences work scopes under the direction of the relevant technical group.

• Vent and Flare Major Hazards
• Assurance
• Role of Technical Authority
• Safe Isolation and
• Accident & Failure
These groups typically develop industry good practice in the form of frequency data; venting
Health & andFrequency
flaring;Data
and defining the Operators
role of Electrical
the Reinstatement of Plan
Health &
guidance and/or technical notes; or they recommend improvements to technical authority.
Safety Forum
• Update to ORA Guideline* Safety
Operations• Management of Chan
existing processes (eg developing a sustainable process for maintaining • Safety Case: Workforce
Aviation Control &
and updating population data that had previously resided in HSE’s HCR Additionally, the Pandemic Steering
Engagement*Group formed subgroups dedicated
• Guidelines update
SafetyInstrumentation
• Extreme weather*
database). There were six such groups in operation in the past twelve to specific COVID-19 related topics, Unmanned
such as testing and reviewing the
• Vent and Flare Major Hazards Aircraft
months, covering: assurance and verification; accident and failure
long-term impact of COVID-19 (LivingSystems
• Assurance with COVID). Occupational
• Guidelines update Health &
• Safe Isolation and Hygiene
Operators Reinstatement of Plant
Figure 28:
Frequency Data overview of OGUK Health
Health & and Safety Groups Helicopter
Asset Integrity
• Management of Change* Resilience
• Update to ORA Guideline* Safety
• Safety Case: Workforce
Health & Electrical
Engagement* Aviation Transition
Special interest group
Safety Forum Operations
Safety Agenda*
• Extreme weather* Technical group
• Living with COVID
Occupational Control & Task Pandemic
finish groups / Subgroups
• Testing
• Guidelines update Health & Instrumentation Steering
Unmanned Hygiene Group Steering Group
Cross Industry • Health
Chaired by HSE Director
• Vent and Flare Major Hazards Aircraft • Helicopter
(dotted line = hibernated group or in development)
• Assurance Systems
• Safe Isolation and
Operators Reinstatement of Plant
Frequency Data Helicopter
Health & Special interest group Asset Integrity
• Management of Change* Resilience
• Update to ORA Guideline* Safety Planned for 2022*
• Safety Case: Workforce Technical group
Ongoing
Engagement* Aviation Task finish groups /Transition
Subgroups
Safety Agenda* Completed
• Extreme weather*
Cross Industry Steering Group Chaired by HSE Director
• Living with COVID
Occupational (dotted line = hibernated group or in development)
Pandemic • Testing
• Guidelines update Health & Steering
Hygiene Group • Health
• Helicopter
HEALTH & Special

SAFETY interest
REPORTgroup
2021 33
Planned for 2022*
5.2 Regulatory engagement Figure 29: HSE Topic Assessment Guides
HSE Topic Assessment Guides

OGUK keeps its relationships with industry regulators on a productive Diving Materials and Corrosion
footing. For the Health & Safety team, the primary regulator is the Electrical, Controls and Instrumentation Mechanical Engineering
HSE, both in its own right and as part of the Offshore Safety Directive Emergency Response, Marine and Aviation Management Systems and Verification
Regulator (OSDR) The OSDR is the Competent Authority (CA) responsible Fire, Explosion and Risk Assessment Pipelines
for implementing the requirements of the EU Directive on the safety of Human Factors Process
offshore oil and gas operations. Industrial Hygiene Structural Integrity

Maritime Integrity Well Engineering
In addition to the HSE, OGUK also maintains close links with the CAA and
the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) where aviation and maritime and evacuation topics often fall under its remit. The agency runs a Topside
safety is concerned. Medical Providers Search and Rescue (SAR) forum attended by the OGUK
Medical Advisor and industry medical advisors, which this year produced
The development of the new Safety Case Topic Assessment Guides guidance on how industry should handle the evacuation of individuals
demonstrates a collaborative approach to maintaining and improving suffering acute psychiatric emergencies offshore. The MCA is also a
offshore safety standards. OGUK ran a series of workshops to ensure the member of the Evacuation Escape and Rescue Technical Advisory Group
guides received adequate and high-quality feedback from industry. (EERTAG) and provides support to OGUK’s Aviation Safety Technical Group.
The full suite of Safety Case Topic Assessment Guides can be seen in The aviation sector of the industry is regulated by the CAA which works to
Figure 29. ensure that safety standards are met. The CAA participates in the OGUK
Aviation Safety Technical Group, devoted to topics such as the trialling
The MCA also regulates the offshore industry, being responsible for the of installation weather monitoring systems and the updating of CAP437
prevention of death at sea. This means that emergency response, rescue (Standards for Offshore Helicopter Landing Areas).

5.3 Tripartite committees safety are all part of its remit. The scope also includes the suitability and
performance of personal protective equipment for use in emergencies.
OGUK represents the offshore oil and gas industry on three official
Over the last 12 months the group has expanded its interests to cover
tripartite groups:
reviews of previous incidents and discussions on the role of the Marine
Responsible Person and coxswain competence, among others.
Offshore Major Accident Hazards Advisory Committee (OMAHAC) —
This strategically focused group includes representatives of regulators,
Offshore Helicopter Safety Leadership Group (OHSLG) — The
operators and owners and worker representatives, supporting the work
primary purpose of the group is to facilitate dialogue between those
of the OSDR in the management and control of offshore major accident
involved in helicopter operations in the UKCS, monitor the progress
hazards.
of recommendations made to others, co-ordinate and lead the
communications of the review to stakeholders and media, and assess the
Broadly speaking, the group aims to encourage dialogue and co-operation
ongoing effectiveness of implemented safety initiatives to ensure delivery
between the stakeholders and it periodically reviews the standards and
of measurable safety benefits.
policies available to manage and control offshore major accident risks.
It recommends improvements and, by extension, helps to co-ordinate
There is a strong collective commitment from all involved to deliver
research and the production of common guidance.
positive safety changes for all those involved in offshore helicopter travel in
the UKCS.
Evacuation Escape and Rescue Technical Advisory Group (EERTAG) — The
scope of this group’s interest encompasses emergency escape and recovery
OGUK has supported all three groups throughout 2020.
from on-platform events, or from external events such as ship collision.
Alarm systems, access to the muster point or the temporary refuge,
evacuation, escape direct to the sea and rescue and recovery to a place of

5.4 Other External Groups and Organisations Pipeline Users Group (PLUG) — This industry group focuses on the safe
operation of subsea pipelines and risers. OGUK is a non-operational
In order to ensure an unwavering focus on safety, OGUK continues to work member of the group and works with members to address issues such as
with external groups and organisations on both the UKCS and Europe. Such the updating of the Pipeline and Riser Loss of Containment (PARLOC) 2012
bodies include: Report.
Step Change in Safety — SCiS is a member-led organisation, bringing Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO) — OGUK
together operators, contractors, trade unions, regulators and the supports the development, review and policy change of competency and
workforce to keep improving safety across the UKCS. OGUK collaborates training standards through the UK Industry Forum (UKIF) and by attending
closely with SCiS to ensure that the lead organisation is identified if any specific industry work groups.
responsibilities overlap.
National Offshore Industry Associations (NOIA) — OGUK attends an
International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) — OGUK is annual Training Working Group meeting with the Norwegian Oil and Gas
a member of the Safety Committee and the Aviation Sub-Committee, Association (NOROG), Netherlands Oil and Gas Exploration and Production
ensuring that international initiatives are suitable for UKCS operations and Association (NOGEPA) and Olie Gas Danmark (OGDK) to maintain the
that all duty-holders are made aware of any initiatives. mutual recognition of basic survival and emergency response training
standards between national sectors. The group maintains two documents:
Process Safety Forum (PSF) — This provides a platform for the discussion Guidelines for Mutual Recognition of Specialised Safety and Emergency
of initiatives, good practice, incident learning and process safety strategy, Response Training for North Sea Operations, and Mutual Recognition for
with the aim of preventing major incidents. Most onshore UK industry Basic Safety Training — both of which can be found on the OGUK website.
associations involved in managing major accident hazards have a member
in the forum and attendance at it provides a link between the on- and HeliOffshore — This is the global, safety-focused association for the
offshore industries. offshore helicopter industry, tasked with delivering industry-wide

programmes. OGUK participates as a member of its safety strategy 5.5 Consultation
panel. By working in collaboration it helps ensure the continuation of
safety initiatives such as the North Sea ADS-B trial, which aims to assess In addition to regular liaison with regulatory authorities, OGUK also co-
the feasibility and potential safety benefits of enhanced broadcast and ordinates formal responses to public consultations to ensure that industry
surveillance technology for offshore helicopter flights. views are represented. 2020 consultations are noted below.
RenewableUK — OGUK involvement with this group is primarily through • The Safe Approach, Set-up and Departure of Jack-up to Fixed
ad-hoc meetings relating to aviation operations. Installations
• Cyber Security - Inspection Guidance
Marine Safety Forum (MSF) — The forum promotes good practice and
initiatives to enhance marine safety within the oil and gas industry. OGUK
participates in the group’s steering committee and thereby ensures
that the represented organisations co-ordinate activities and share
expertise effectively. Along with the MSF and other UKCS National Oil
Industry Associations (NOIA), OGUK also sponsors the related Guidelines
for Offshore Marine Operations (GOMO), which provides international
standards for safety in this area.

5. Significant activities continued 6. Glossary
5.6 Publications
The review of existing OGUK health and safety guidance documents and BOSIET Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training
technical notes continues, having been suspended in 2020 as the OGUK CAA Civil Aviation Authority
Health and Safety team focussed on COVID-19 response. This activity will Cat-A EBS Category A Compressed Air Emergency Breathing System
re-start in 2022 and this will involve the withdrawal of some documents A compressed air breathing system that can be deployed at
and the formal review and update of others. The following OGUK very short notice and/or underwater for underwater escape
publications were published in 2020 and 2021: Dangerous Certain specified events as defined in RIDDOR 2013, including
• Offshore Flare Systems – Identified Issues and Associated Good Practice occurrences dropped objects, HCR, fires or explosions
• Guidance on Whether a Change Constitutes a Material Change to a Duty holder In relation to a production installation, this means the operator,
Safety Case and in relation to a non-production installation, the owner
• Provision of Competence Technical Advice EASA European Aviation Safety Agency
• Assurance Toolkit ERRV Emergency response and rescue vessel
• COVID Communications Pack FOET Further Offshore Emergency Training
• Socially Distanced Medical Assessments
HAVS Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome
• COVID-19 ERT Medical Assessment Technical Note
• Vulnerable Persons (COVID-19) Technical Note HCR Hydrocarbon release(s)
• Movement of Passengers during COVID-19 Pandemic Technical Note HSE Health & Safety Executive
• COVID-19 Testing Guidelines ICP Independent Competent Person
• COVID-19: Safe Working for UKCS Offshore Installation Guidelines IOGP International Association of Oil & Gas Producers
KP Key Programme
KPI Key Performance Indicator

6. Glossary continued
Lagging indicator Output oriented measurement of past performance OGUK Resources
Resource documents are useful tools developed for specific purposes or needs,
Leading indicator Input oriented prediction of future performance produced in partnership or at the request of OGUK Members. As part of the Suite of
LTIF Lost time injury frequency OGUK guidelines, our resource documents demonstrate a commitment to continually
improving and enhancing the performance of all offshore operations.
MAH Major accident hazard
MCA Maritime and Coastguard Agency OGUK Resources are part of the OGUK suite of guidelines, free for our members.
MOR Mandatory Occurrence Report
NUI Normally unmanned installation
OIM Offshore installation manager
OMAHAC Offshore Major Accident Hazards Advisory Committee
OPITO The Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation
Over-seven-day Accidents that cause an employee to be away from work or
injuries unable to perform their normal work activities for more than
seven consecutive days
Personal safety Protecting an individual from harm
Process safety Managing major hazards that could lead to multiple casualties,
such as fires, explosions or structural collapse
Reportable injury A work-related injury that has resulted in an employee either
being away from work, or unable to perform their normal work oguk.org.uk/guidelines
duties, for more than seven consecutive days owing to their
injury, or which is listed as a specified injury

oguk.org.uk OGUKenergy
[email protected] OGUK
© 2021 The UK Oil and Gas Industry Association Limited, trading as OGUK

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BUSINESS OUTLOOK 2020

HEALTH & SAFETY

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30% The UKCS lost-time injury

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FLYING SELF IS decreased by 41% to 42,540 in

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Number of Reportable Incidents

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3.2.2. Hydrocarbon releases Collapse, Overturning or Failure

and “fire or explosion” may also include HCR.

The HSE assigns a severity classification to HCR, defining them as minor,

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Major Releases - RIDDOR

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2000-01 3 2008-09 0 2017 0

The non-fatal injury rate is calculated from the number of over-seven-day

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Five year average: Specified injury rate

Figure 7 takes a longer-term average and so smooths annual fluctuations 500

and provides a clearer trend.

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Figure 9: Reportable Injuries by Direct Cause

Other Known Injury

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Source: International Association of Oil and Gas Producers

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Overall, the number of reportable incidents and injuries is trending lower 7

Frequency per million manhours

Source: Health and Safety Executive, Vantage POB and OGUK

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Frequency per million manhours

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3.4 Asset integrity Performance Indicators

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2,500 countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Africa3.

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0.5% Cystic Fibrosis

Source: OGUK, 2021

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regulators, trade unions and governments to ensure that operations still

from an affected installation was codified and the following categorisation

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Category D: An individual displaying symptoms whose condition is life Category B

This categorisation enabled safe arrangements for the demobilisation and

personnel on board (PoB) respectively. 60

In 2020, there were 37 confirmed cases (Category C) of COVID-19, under 40

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Helicopter operators rarely sit together to discuss a format of common

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