It takes more than a pandemic to keep IOGP from performing one of its key roles: the collection and analysis of industry safety data and the dissemination of findings based on those analyses. The Association has been doing this work since 1985, resulting in an unrivalled database on exploration and production activities.
The publication of annual safety reports helps upstream operators, their contractors, and the wider world in identifying trends, enabling benchmarking, and highlighting areas that need improvement. COVID notwithstanding, the latest Safety Data report, based on 2019 data from Member Companies, is now available. As usual, it covers worldwide E&P operations – both onshore and offshore – and includes incidents involving 48 member companies as well as their contractors.
Fewer fatalities
In 2019, the industry experienced 25 deaths in 22 separate incidents during the course of around 3 billion work hours. In 2018, there were 31 fatalities for a broadly similar number of work hours. This resulted in a statistically valid reduction in the fatal accident rate (FAR) of 19%. In 2018 the FAR was 1.01 deaths per 100 million hours worked; in 2019 the FAR was 0.82 The FAR for oil and gas companies was about half that for contractors.
Looking at fatality causes, the largest proportion of deaths was attributed ‘caught in, under or between’ incidents, which excludes those involving dropped objects. There were 12 such fatalities in 10 separate incidents. Among Member Companies, incidents involving lifting, crane, rigging and deck operations were the main cause of deaths, accounting for six fatalities.
Injuries down
Data reported by IOGP members also recorded a fall in the total recordable injury rate (TRIR). In 2019, there were 0.92 injuries per million hours worked. In 2018, the TRIR was 0.99.
More specifically, the overall lost time injury rate (LTIR) was 0.24 per million hours worked in 2019, 8% lower than 2018’s 0.26 injuries per million hours worked.
IOGP member companies that participated in the study reported a total of 703 lost work day cases in 2019. Of these, 551 incidents involved contractors and 152 incidents were oil and gas company related. In both categories, the greatest number of incidents were ‘slips and trips (at the same height), accounting for 23% of the total.
Overall, participating companies reported 21,899 days of work lost through injuries.
“IOGP’s data series are critical for us to help define focus areas for improvement,” says Olav Skar, IOGP Safety Director. “Whilst a reduction in the key safety performance indicators measured is always welcome, we are only one major process safety or helicopter incident away from reversing the improving trend. Our work is not done until we reach Zero and know we will stay there.”
Part of a more comprehensive data series
IOGP’s annual Safety performance indicators report is part a larger effort that involves the collection of data from participating member companies and their contractors on worldwide upstream operations.
The Data Series encompasses safety (with specific focus on occupational, process, land transport and aviation), environmental performance and health. Based on this information, IOGP then produces a series of annual reports that have been an authoritative source for upstream operators as well as a wider public that includes regulators, legislators, and other interested parties.
The entire safety and environment Data Series, including the new Safety performance indicators 2019, is available from the IOGP Data Portal: https://data.iogp.org. This allows users to search, sort, and compare data with ease and provides the ability to download graphics and tables individually.
