Posted By Andrew Bruce Heron I was asked to answer this question by a prospective employer and have worked in both Industries I came up with my answer below.I would appreciate any feedback on opinions regarding this question.i am sure a book could be written on this subject. The major differences between running a Health and Safety management system in the construction industry in general compared with the Oil and Gas industry in my personal experience and opinion is the difference in environments .This leads to variance in risk strategies. HAZOPS (hazard and operability reviews) QRA’s (Quantitive Risk Assessments), RAM (analysis, failure modules, effects and critical analysis) are all used within the oil and gas industry where as in construction the approach is less intensive and more basic in my experience. When you manage a SMS within the oil and gas industry you are working on a live facility pumping oil and gas in great amounts constantly 24/7 this brings with it high risks, explosion and fire being the main risks. The construction industry in a green field scenario has not as much high risk due to the lack of live high-risk processes. However a deep excavation whilst carrying out major civil work in the construction industry has its inherent risks even on a Greenfield site as the unknown ground may contain hidden unearthed gases or clay that can have high risk attached. Emergency response Plans is one major difference between the oil and gas industry and construction when running a SMS as emergency services are closer to hand onshore with construction however sometimes sites can be remote. Due to the remoteness you have to have trained personnel to act in the event of an emergency. Safety culture remains at the heart of effective management of all risks offshore, including major accident hazard risks. A culture that encourages offshore workers to become involved in managing their own health and safety is adopted by companies offshore and needs to be adopted throughout construction also not just on contracts where the client happens to be a major oil or pharmaceutical company. BBS is used as a tool here and has proven to be effective in cutting down on lost time and incidents. Scaffolding, offshore is predominately built directly over water where a potential risk is falling into the water from height where as on shore the potential risk may be falling from height onto concrete. The risk is much the same but offshore your wok may be on a live oil and gas platform unless on a shut down for maintenance work. Production Operations offshore and in a refinery onshore have similar risks only difference is the environment. Hazards such as H2S release, fire and explosion from production and drilling activities require detailed Safe Systems of Work such as PTW,SOP’s. Management of Change is applied whenever the oil and gas process is changed for example by the introduction of new equipment that requires less or extra risks added. The risk is the same. An essential component of all safety management systems are a mechanism for recognizing and implementing new regulations into the working environment. Once identified, the regulation should be broken down into simple discrete components. Choosing Manual Handling Operations Regulations as an example, the process can be applied by -: 1. Defining the key steps. 2. Organising the process of Implementation. 3. Measuring the progress. The standards aimed for with SMS are the same whether it is an offshore oil platform or a construction activity onshore both environments aiming for OSHA 18001 accreditation. The offshore oil & gas industry operates in some of the most dangerous environments in the world. Hazards are expected in this setting and must be controlled. Improvements in technology, workforce involvement, and infrastructure care and rig operations have led to recent reductions in injuries and incidents but, it is recognised, more still needs to be done. It is believed that improved base line safety training is likely to improve the situation by ensuring that all personnel have the necessary safety awareness and basic skills training to recognise and avoid risk. To address this need, many oil companies, agreed to develop an introductory training programme that would introduce the key safety elements required by all employees offshore. The construction industry followed suit and introduced and introduced their own training programmes such as safety passport and safe pass. This introductory safety-training programme is designed to introduce the fundamental safety elements of the relevant industry to new starts, giving an appreciation of the potential hazards and controls that might be encountered by personnel. Each unit is designed to focus the delegates’ attention on their personal responsibility for safety thus influencing their behavior and attitude towards their co-workers, their workplace and the environment in which they work. The basic principles are the same when running a Health and Safety management system in the construction industry in general compared with the Oil and Gas industry. Risks from a live offshore oil and gas facility are usually higher than what we encounter on the typical construction site however the sense of vulnerability remains the same and focus on each hazard must be maintained to ensure we do not lose than sense of vulnerability. 2.2 million people work in Britain’s construction industry, making it the country’s biggest industry. It is also one of the most dangerous. In the last 25 years, over 2,800 people have died from injuries they received as a result of construction work. Many more have been injured or made ill. Statistics globally are hard to source and much statistics come from construction companies involved on major projects with oil and gas or pharmacy companies. I have attempted comparing the oil and gas industry to construction in Safety Management adoption and have managed and adopted both. The main objective in both is to ensure all foreseeable risks are mitigated and explained to all concerned then managed in the best manner possible to help ensure the safety of your workers, your plant and equipment and the environment. Team work is key here and eve

Posted By GT Andrew, I am keen to know what happened to eve? I work in and on both, and both have sour gas properties and the threat of toxic release as a major factor, not only offshore facilities and refineries, there are oil lines, gas lines, condensate lines, crude lines, 40" to 8 " in addition what Raymond has also said is true. Tell me about eve?:) Have a happy weekend - GT

Posted By Jay Joshi It can be summed up as:- -the dynamic (keeps on changing) nature of construction site hazards and hence risk -the difference in the overall safety culture

Posted By Chris Packham Having some time ago been involved in a project reviewing chemical hazards on construction sites over a period of twelve months, one thing that struck me was that whereas with a 'normal' industrial environment the workplace was relatively constant, this was not the case in construction. In a factory, once risk assessments and management systems are in place changes tend to come slowly and it will be much the same workforce for long periods. On a construction site the situation is changing constantly. It may start with demolition, then move to excavation, formwork, steel erection, bricklaying, roofing, glazing and finally internal fitting out. Each will have its own people and risks. Add to this exposure to changing weather conditions, etc. In my view this requires a different approach to that for a 'normal' factory environment. Having worked for a time in the oil and gas industry - at the sharp end, building and running a tanker loading facility - I feel that once that is operational it more nearly resembles the factory than the construction site. Of course, this is my personal view. Others will probably disagree. Chris