New report suggestions UK offshore industry getting safer
Aug. 5, 2009
New offshore statistics suggest the sector is getting safer, with the combined fatal and major injury rate and major hydrocarbon releases at their lowest since the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) began regulating the industry.
Offshore staff
LONDON -- New offshore statistics suggest the sector is getting safer, with the combined fatal and major injury rate and major hydrocarbon releases at their lowest since the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) began regulating the industry.
No workers were killed while working offshore during 2008/09 - the second consecutive year with no fatalities - and there was a fall in major injuries with 30 reported, a fall of 14 compared with 2007/08 figures, HSE reports.
The combined fatal and major injury rate reduced to 106 per 100,000 workers in 2008/09 compared with 156 in 2007/08 and 146 in 2006/07.
The number of major and significant hydrocarbon releases, regarded as potential precursors to an incident, also showed marked improvement with 61 in 2008/09 compared with 74 in 2007/08.
In 2008/09 there was a small fall in the minor three-day injury rate with 496 workers per 100,000 reporting an injury, bucking the broadly flat trend over the previous seven years, the organization says.
“Although I welcome the reduction in major and significant hydrocarbon releases the challenge is to secure sustained improvement,” says Ian Whewell, head of HSE’s offshore division. “Carrying forward last year’s success will require continued industry focus on integrity management, safe systems of work, supervision, risk assessment and competence.”
