2010 Conference Offshore Safety: Where do we go from here?
IRF Communique (Nov 1, 2010)
November 1, 2010
The Third International Regulators Offshore Safety Conference hosted by Canada and held in Vancouver, British Columbia, concluded on Wednesday October 20, 2010 after three days of productive discussions on a range of offshore safety topics. The conference was organized by the International Regulators’ Forum (IRF), which is comprised of offshore oil and gas regulators from eight countries. Close to 200 delegates representing industry and regulators from 17 countries attended the event.
The conference was the first opportunity for regulators and industry players to come together to have an open and frank dialogue about offshore safety since the Macondo blowout in the Gulf of Mexico on April 19, 2010.
Delegates heard from experts in the areas of well control; performance indicators; continuous improvement programs; change management and the challenges ahead for new and established regulators. A central theme that emerged from the presentations and the discussions at the conference was the need for a strong and vibrant safety culture on installations. Delegates agreed that certain regulatory and management practices are more conducive to developing and sustaining such a culture and should be adopted by all.
Some of the key findings and recommendations of the conference included:
Regulatory regimes function most effectively when a single entity has broad safety responsibility. Gaps, overlap and confusion are not in the interest of safety or regulatory efficiency; and
Government and industry should promote an improvement mentality. Continuous communication among regulators, Operators, contractors, workers, and public interest groups is essential for continuous improvement.
Visit the conference website at irfconference2010.com for the full conference summary.
Following the conference, IRF members met and approved a strategic agenda focusing on the following topics:
Safety culture and leadership;
BOP integrity and operational issues;
Performance indicators;
Operator competency/capacity criteria; and
Use of standards and industry best practice.
Stuart Pinks, from the Conference Committee, said that the strategic agenda will be significant in focusing the Forum’s efforts.
“Collectively, we recognize the importance of having a strong safety culture on offshore installations,” he said.
“The discussions at this conference will be valuable in helping us to further advance the public assurances that offshore petroleum activities will be conducted safely.”
Media Contact:
Sean Kelly M.A., APR, FCPRS
Manager of Public Relations
Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board
Tel: 709-778-1418
Cell: 709-689-0713
E-mail: skelly@cnlopb.nl.ca
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