New report provides evacuation guidelines

Whether it’s cosmic irony or mere coincidence, the vast benefits of oil and gas reserves are often bestowed on countries subject to higher than average levels of either natural or social risk – or both. This can have a bearing on the safety and security of upstream workers and their dependants.

With that in mind, IOGP’s Security Committee has published a new report, Country Evacuation Planning Guidelines. It considers how to proceed if personnel and their families need to be evacuated from a country.

The trigger for evacuation could be due to a gradual deterioration in conditions. This allows for companies to conduct a gradual departure. A sudden deterioration, however, might mean that people might have to remain where they are while the situation is assessed and then respond accordingly. The IOGP report, No. 472, covers both scenarios.

Designed to provide guidance and direction to management as well their staffs, the report includes sections on operation concepts, threat levels, crisis command centres, communications, training and briefing, reception arrangements and post-crisis reviews.

Members can download the full report from the library pages of www.iogp.org