Monthly Reflections November 2025
by Steve Norton, IOGP Health, Safety, Security & Wells Director
Monthly Reflections November2025
Technology and innovation are fundamentally changing how health and safety is managed in the oil and gas industry. For example, implementing digital technologies are taking people away from the hazards, analysing data real-time, aiding risk assessments, enhancing communication and enabling earlier hazard detection. The use of cameras and combining vision technology with artificial intelligence is identifying unsafe acts and conditions and helping drivers arrive safely at their destination.
Technology is a key enabler in safety performance improvement across our industry. However, I believe we are only just getting started. With this in mind the IOGP Safety and Digital Committees have been collaborating in 2025 to find ways they can help the industry in this digital journey. 2 joint workshops have been held in 2025 to explore what’s possible and the unique way that IOGP can support digital technology deployment.
The first joint project that is under development is working on practical guidelines to help companies implement Vision AI systems capable of detecting unsafe situations on their worksites, thereby supporting the implementation of Life-Saving Rules and Process Safety Fundamentals. Technology systems have varying capabilities and can be applied in multiple ways. To give the best advice and guidance they need to go to the right place to find what good looks like. The IOGP Recommended Practices have been developed by industry experts analysing historical data and are designed to prevent future fatal and life changing injuries. The safety and digital technology professionals working together to make these lessons available to the machine vision algorithms will embed the learnings and enable people to take the right actions to prevent incidents. This type of solutions will ensure the collaboration between the IOGP Safety and Digital Committees is here to stay.
On the topic of collaboration I want to finish this message by promoting a joint Arpel and IOGP webinar on “Preventing Process Safety Events with the Process Safety Fundamentals” on December 3rd at 15.00 GMT. To register for the webinar, please click on the following link: Webinar Registration.
Working together with partners to promote common industry recommended practices simplifies expectations, reduces the risk of confusion and enables the workforce to focus on getting the job done safely.
Kind regards,
Steve
