COVID-19 has generated enormous challenges for society, including overwhelmed health care systems, disrupted supply chains, travel disruption, fatigue, and decreased mental well-being.
To provide guidance on how the industry can respond to pandemics, earlier this month the joint IOGP-IPIECA Health Committee published a new guidance document, Pandemic management in the oil and gas industry (IOGP-IPIECA Report 605).
It helps business continuity decision makers and medical personnel to plan effective responses to pandemic scale infectious disease outbreaks, to aid organizations’ ability to operate, and effectively contribute to societal responses. Specific oil and gas-related risks and strategies are considered in the context of global, national, local and remote site responses to pandemic infectious disease outbreaks.
“Our industry dealt with this crisis creatively, collaborating and using our crisis management skills. We managed to quickly implement measures to protect our people and ensure continued energy security. In contrast, many national decision-making bodies have experienced difficulties in tackling global challenges together,” says Olav Skar, IOGP Health and Safety Director. “We prepared our pandemic management guideline as a first step to help our industry better prepare for future pandemics. We expect to update the document once the COVID-19 threat recedes. Its content helps facilitate more global cooperation to create better collaboration towards global societal imperatives such as the energy transition and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
