Hi folks - I have a problem that I hope you can assist me with.
We had a high power multi company telephone conference on Friday to address the issues detailed but nothing I heard there gives me cause to think a change is coming!

We are in the process of replacing power generation on a gas rig in the North sea and its associated nodules. We are using tempory generators while we replace the engines and fuel gas skids.
We are past the destruct phase and well into the construct phase with commisioning due next month.

My problem is the incident rate is high - we have had 1 LTI, 1 MTC and 5 first aid cases in the last 6 months. This is bad - I accept.
But the LTI, MTC and 3 of the first aid cases occurred while the guys were off shift and on the accomodation barge attached to the platform.

Now I do want the people to come off shift and relax - but I also want them to be safe.
I cannot keep harping on to them that the facts are telling me the barge is more dangerous that the work face - and the barge owner is telling me his crew are not being injured.

Are we unlucky or am I missing something? We have successfully put in a new deck and managed circa 400 tonne lifts with no issues. Then the guys go off shift and get cut with a knife in the canteen or fall over the bulk head door frame etc.

Yes it is an older barge and due for refurb. But it has been used in other projects without the same level of incidents.

Welfare is as good as you would accept and a fairly professional work team are employed. Briefings are as usual N sea platforms etc and we use the platform knowledge and learnings as well.

Comments from anyone who has experienced anything similar would be apprecieated

Thanks

David H

Thanks Ray - only link seems to be a lack of concentration by the guys.
Weather not an issue as some of the incidents happened in the summertime.

Hope there are no more buses due!!

David

David
You have two issues to address:

1. Determining whether there is a root cause to the incidents occurring on the accommodation barge that you can do something about.
2. Making sure you continue to manage the main risks (i.e. replacing the generating skids), without being distracted by relatively trivial events.

It is important to remember that a run of incidents may not be statistically significant. That is how random events pan out.

One thing you need to be doing is focussing on incident potential rather than actual consequence. It may be that these incidents were as bad as they could possibly have been, but that there may have been other near-miss incidents associated with the main work that had much greater potential. This will help you decide whether you have just had a run of bad luck. Also, by understanding how the more serious consequences were avoided you may identify some things that your team are doing really well in managing the main work that can be transferred to the off-shift situations.

Thanks folks;

MB1 - barge is a jack up and steady - attached to the platform at 2 locations.

Andy - good points. Root causes seem to be a loss of concentration and awareness of their surroundings - they need to look before they move. There are no visual distraction to speak of and fatigue has been discounted.

If we remove the incidents that have happened on the accommodation, then our SMS is working well. Moral is strong and the guys are mostly very professional in their attitudes.

imwaldra - incidents are sporadic - last one was only 2 days into their tour.

In a 5 month period we have had ~ 300 recorded "observations" or safety cards submitted so plenty of reporting.

Consequences are low but the figures are stacking up and I am worrying that we are filling the incident triangle and we are heading for something nasty.

Hopefully we have turned the corner

Thanks again

I have to agree with the last posting from Stuff4blokes, I am also not involved in this industry, but understand that these workers cannot go home after a full days work, however it has been proved that more accidents happen at home rather then in work, and really once they finish for the day and return to the barge they are technically at home.
Therefore your accident figures shouldn't include those while they are at home

Thanks again folks.
You could be right stuff4blokes - but the captive audience bit means its always in your face and MB1 is right - everything is reportable.
Yes the triangle is unproven but very unprofessional to ignore it.

I have spoken to others in the industry - including previous clients who have used this barge and they have reported very minor instances in the past - but that was short projects - maybe 3-4 weeks. So the crews were only doing one trip each.
Beginning to look at the fact that we are now in our 4th / 5th trip and maybe a bit complacent.

David