Q&A on Offshore Safety
MarineNews: How long has your current safety training program been in place? Bruce Adams: The current Schlumberger New Employee Safety Training program (NEST), was developed in 1991. This is a six day, intensive training course covering a variety of mandatory safety topics. In 1992, the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) recognized the program as the best overall training program in the offshore industry and awarded Schlumberger the NOIA "Safety in Seas" award for 1992. MN: How much money is spent annually on the safety program? Adams: The NEST program is part of a much more comprehensive safety effort in Schlumberger. From 1996 to 1998, the amount of money spent on safety by Schlumberger in the US alone increased from $12.4 million to $19.4 million annually.
Offshore Industry Leaders Invest Heavily In Safety Programs
The offshore oil industry market, by its very nature, is a challenging work environment that poses many safety hazards, particularly for individuals and companies which lack adequate safety training. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News sought the insight of two offshore industry leaders — Schlumberger and Halliburton — to discover how the industry leaders set the stage for a work environment that is safe for workers, equipment and investment. Note: Participants in the survey were Bruce Adams, the QHSE manager for Schlumberger Oilfield Services; and Tom Knode, the HSE Manager for the Business Development segment of Halliburton Energy Services. MR/EN: How long has your current safety training program been in place?
Projections center on When, not If
The cyclical nature of the offshore exploration and production beast is legendary in financial circles, riding boom and bust waves for years at a time. While industry analysts and insiders alike had forecast a pick-up in activity no sooner than mid-year 2000, the collective industry is “itching” to get back to the business of building, repairing and supplying the myriad of rigs, boats and other business opportunities that abound in a full-blown boom oil market. Patience, it seems, is wearing thin, particularly in the face of dwindling business prospects and the lingering of the $30+ barrel of oil. While it seems all too natural that sustained high prices would sooner than later drive a resurgence of the moribund offshore business…
