Safety
Working to eliminate fatal and life changing injuries, and to increase resilience to major accident risks.
Safety
Working to eliminate fatal and life changing injuries, and to increase resilience to major accident risks.
The Safety directorate’s Health, Safety, Security and Wells Expert committees work to eliminate fatal and life changing injuries, and to increase resilience to major accident risks. The combination of powerful equipment, flammable chemicals and processes that are under high pressure makes it the number one priority for the oil and gas industry, and it is becoming an ever more vital driver of operational value in a dynamic and fast paced business environment.
Directorate highlights

Life-saving rules
Between 2008 and 2017, 376 people lost their lives in fatal incidents that might have been prevented by following one of IOGP’s Life-Saving Rules.

Human performance
We are working with company management and HSE professionals to understand how Health, Safety and Environmental Management Systems (HSEMS) can incorporate human factor issues.

Process safety fundamentals
The IOGP Process Safety Fundamentals (PSFs) have been developed to support companies as they seek to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, fatal and high severity process safety events.

Start Work Checks
The Start Work Checks are recommended for companies who have launched, or are planning to launch, the Life-Saving Rules. The Checks enable frontline workers to confirm that the controls/safeguards designed to prevent fatalities and serious injuries are in place.

Effective guard force management – principles and guidelines (restricted to IOGP Members)
This Report provides advice and sets out the principles and guidelines to develop an effective guard force, as well as discussing administrative and contractual elements of guard force engagement.

Pandemic management in the oil and gas industry
This Report provides guidance for business continuity decision makers and medical personnel to plan effective responses to pandemic-scale infectious disease outbreaks, to aid organizations’ ability to operate, and to effectively contribute to societal responses. Specific oil and gas related risks and strategies are considered in the context of global, national, and local responses to pandemic infectious disease outbreaks.

Review of Well Control Incidents
This Info Sheet briefly summarizes the results of a review of 172 Well Control Incident reports submitted to IOGP by its Members through 2019. The objective of the review was to extract common findings, to identify areas to focus attention and to steer the Wells Expert Committee agenda, and to communicate and share the information with industry.
Latest News
Monthly Safety Directorate reflections by Steve Norton, IOGP Health, Safety, Security & Wells Director
Monthly Safety Directorate reflections by Steve Norton, IOGP Health, Safety, Security & Wells Director
Monthly Safety Directorate reflections by Steve Norton, IOGP Health, Safety, Security & Wells Director
Monthly Safety Directorate reflections by Steve Norton, IOGP Health, Safety, Security & Wells Director
Monthly Safety Directorate reflections by Steve Norton, IOGP Health, Safety, Security & Wells Director
IOGP’s first Asia Pacific webinar on Life Saving Rules attract over 200 attendees, from over 20 countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Oman, and the Philippines.
Improving the communication of pore pressure fracture gradient (PPFG) interpretation and uncertainty
Uncertainties related to pore pressure and fracture gradient (PPFG) can play a significant role in causing well control incidents. The International Regulators Forum (IRF) has seen serious well control incidents relating to pore pressure and fracture gradient (PPFG) prediction and monitoring.
Now available in Portuguese, Learning from normal work, was first released in English in November 2022, and has been one of our most downloaded Reports over the past year.
Fixed-wing commercial air transport recommended practices (IOGP Report 691) is the latest addition to IOGP’s Oil and Gas Aviation Recommended Practices (OGARP) series.
To further improve learning from incidents and prevent repeat incidents, IOGP has partnered with the Energy Institute.
IOGP has published IOGP Report 668 – Gamification techniques in well control training and competency, a summary of a meta-analytical study into the effectiveness of gamification techniques in workplace learning.
IOGP has developed IOGP Report 471 – Oxy-arc underwater cutting recommended practice to assist with managing this activity and to provide control measures and guidance to ensure safe execution.
Driving-related incidents have historically been the largest cause of fatalities in IOGP Member Company operations.
IOGP has released its annual aviation safety performance data report.
Originally published in 2011 and now in its third edition, IOGP Report 456 – Process Safety – Recommended Practice on Key Performance Indicators (KPI) provides valuable guidance to upstream companies on the use of Key Performance Indicators to effectively manage process safety.
IOGP’s Wells Expert Committee has released an updated version of IOGP Report 476 – Recommendations for enhancements to well control training, examination, and certification.
Using test results, simulator experiences, and a survey of over 500 students and instructors, IOGP studied the impact of virtual learning on well control competency
Insights from IOGP’s Safety Committee indicate lingering effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, increased industry activity, and geopolitical instability as potential causal factors for key safety indicators for our industry moving in the wrong direction.
An IOGP study has found that eye tracking technology is an effective analysis tool and has the potential to be of value in other human performance areas that affect wells operations, and enable future safety improvements for well control.
IOGP has published Well Control Incident Definitions a classification system for Well Control Incidents (WCIs).
According to the International Labour Organization’s 2020 figures, every year, more than 2.78 million people die because of occupational accidents or work-related diseases, while there are some 374 million non-fatal work-related injuries.
IOGP has carried out a systematic review of managed pressure drilling systems and components to identify opportunities for further improvements to existing standards and references.
IOGP has launched guidance to support operational and corporate leaders in improving learning and extracting actionable lessons from everyday operations.
These Reports are all part of IOGP’s aviation safety management series: the Oil and Gas Aviation Recommended Practices, or OGARP. Developed by the Aviation Subcommittee of IOGP’s Safety Committee, the series will offer comprehensive guidance, covering all aspects of aviation operations, for companies and contractors.
Uncertainties related to PPFG have caused well control incidents to occur, and well control incident analysis has identified PPFG understanding and communication as a key underlying factor.
This year’s safety performance indicators report (IOGP Report 2021s) highlights safety’s critical role in our industry.
Last November, to help companies understand vaccine efficacy and provide them with policy development guidance to achieve high rates of vaccination amongst staff, IOGP and Ipieca updated their joint position paper on COVID-19 vaccines. Five months on, we met up with Guillermo Gomez Diaz (Eni) and Hans Berg (Shell) to ask them to share their thoughts on the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic and whether vaccinations are still necessary.
Before you leave the house, do you check to make sure you have your wallet, keys, and phone? Congratulations, you have completed a Start Work Check (SWC).
With Start Work Checks, IOGP introduces a human performance tool designed to enable organizations to more effectively implement the Rules in the workplace.
In November, IOGP and IPIECA published a position paper on COVID-19 vaccines which aims to help companies understand vaccine efficacy and provides guidance for company policy development aimed at achieving high rates of vaccination amongst staff.
IADC, an IOGP Member organisation, has announced the launch of a Subsea Competency Assessment Program.
This document aims to provide clarity on the current types of testing, the opportunities and limitations they provide and a method to assess if testing is appropriate for a specific operational site or organization. It will be reviewed on a monthly basis, or sooner if appropriate.
Watch the video and find out why IOGP-IPIECA Health Committee members are looking forward to getting vaccinated.
IOGP’s Wells Expert Committee (WEC) has commissioned IAS International Oil & Gas Consultants to conduct a survey to determine the effectiveness of virtual learning following the impact of COVID-19.
We know that human factors are a significant contributor to many workplace incidents; we often hear statistics like ‘80% of well control incidents have been attributed to human errors.’ Yet, it’s an area that’s notoriously hard to tackle. Humans are, after all, human.
In each edition of Pulse, we publish a short interview with an IOGP colleague or Committee Member. This month’s interview is with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Wells Expert Committee: Paul Forman (bp) – Chair, and Norbert van Beelen (Shell) – Vice-Chair.
Guidance for Subsea Source Control Competency and Skills (IOGP-IPIECA Report 591) was developed to share guidance with those interested in understanding subsea well response competency and the skills that sit within it.
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).
For the oil and gas industry, saying that safety is a ‘top priority’ doesn’t come close to capturing the extent of our commitment – we work to make sure that
By following the 10 process safety fundamentals outlined in IOGP Report 638 – Process Safety Fundamentals, frontline workers can eliminate fatal or high severity safety events.
IOGP’s Process Safety Fundamentals have been developed to support companies as they seek to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, fatal and high severity process safety events.
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
In each edition of Pulse, we publish a short interview with an IOGP colleague or committee member. This month’s interview, which follows the release of the latest report on safety performance
IOGP’s soon-to-be-published aviation guidance – IOGP Report 690: Offshore Helicopter Recommended Practices (OHRP) – represents a step change for the safety of offshore helicopter services across the industry and in achieving Project Safira’s goal of eradicating fatalities in our industry.
Driving-related incidents are historically the single largest cause of fatalities in IOGP member company operations. The Association has recently published three new reports to help reduce driving-related injuries and fatalities
IOGP’s soon-to-be-published aviation guidance – IOGP Report 690: Offshore Helicopter Recommended Practices (OHRP) – represents a step change for the safety of offshore helicopter services across the industry and in achieving Project Safira’s goal of eradicating fatalities in our industry.
When the world is rightly focussed on saving lives during the current pandemic, it is worth remembering that there are other causes of fatalities – and proven ways to prevent them.
Olav is based at IOGP’s Headquarters in London, and kindly agreed to this short interview on how the Association supports its members in improving their safety performance.
Whilst addressing the public health emergency posed by the Coronavirus pandemic it is vital that the important role played by the offshore energy sector continues with minimal disruption.
As some of the WEC leadership moves on to new things, we welcome the new leaders who have volunteered to add to this legacy with tangible next steps.
The health and safety of our industry’s employees and their families is of paramount importance and our top priority.
This month’s interview is with Diana Khatun, IOGP’s Wells Expert Committee Manager. She is based at IOGP’s London office, and kindly agreed to this short interview on how IOGP responded to the Macondo blowout and oil spill.
IOGP and IPIECA have released an executive summary of ‘Health management in the oil & gas industry’, which focuses on the business purpose of health services in oil & gas, & the added value of effective leadership around health & human performance.
Today (Monday 27th January 2020) the Safety and Aviation Committee of the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) endorsed plans for a new aviation-focused Joint Industry Project (JIP) to fund work in support of its Project Safira goal of eliminating fatalities from the upstream energy business.
Teamwork comes as second nature to Olav Skår, IOGP’s new Safety Director.
Data submitted for IOGP’s annual Safety performance indicators report recorded an 8% drop in the Fatal Accident Rate and a decrease in fatalities from 33 in 2017 to 31 in 2018. This was against a background of a 2% increase in work hours reported. A total of 46 Member Companies supplied data.
IOGP’s Wells Expert Committee (WEC) has produced a new report to help guide operating companies in planning and preparing an effective emergency response plan for subsea oil spills and gas leaks.
Project Safira expresses the Association’s determination to put an end to upstream fatalities.
Fifteen members of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) have voted to approve joint IOGP and International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) amendments to existing codes on diver safety.
Last year, according to reports filed by 45 IOGP member companies, the fatal accident rate (FAR) associated with global upstream operations fell by 36% from the previous year. The number of fatalities decreased from 50 in 2016 to 33 in 2017. This fall occurred during a time when the number of reported work hours increased by 4%. While the number of fatalities was down, the number of fatal incidents increased from 29 in 2016 to 30 in 2017.
It’s the stuff of offshore operational nightmares: A ship, offshore rig or platform needs to be evacuated in an emergency. But down below, or in a bell or a pressurized
The purpose of this fact sheet is to provide an overview of available documentation to personnel involved in calculation of blow out rates.
A letter to all IOGP member representatives and industry colleagues has urged support for a helicopter safety enhancement in the form of a Helicopter Terrain Avoidance Warning System (HTAWS). IOGP
This Position Paper addresses ASC and IOGP’s response to the recent lifting of the Super Puma flight restrictions by the UK and Norwegian aviation authorities.
IOGP has been collecting safety incident data from member companies since 1985 – giving the Association the largest database of safety performance in the upstream oil and gas industry. As
The use of acoustic tools in the evaluation of cement placement is an established practice. The measurement concept relies on an acoustic wave being transmitted along the casing and received
There are more than 1,000 airlines flying scheduled operations. Cumulatively, they are responsible for more than 30 million flights each year. The question is: how safe are they? The latest
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
Increased opportunity for members of both organizations to enhance safety Shared commitment to a global safety programme with focus on supporting crews and maintainers at the front line The International
‘Avoiding well collisions’ is one of a series of fact sheets produced by the Well Expert Committee’s International Standards Task Force.
According to the latest figures from the UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO), every 15 seconds, somewhere in the world, one worker dies and 153 have a work-related accident. At IOGP,
Eight months after the launch of the Blowout Preventer (BOP) Reliability Joint Industry Project (JIP), Phase II is about to begin. Managed jointly by IOGP and the International Association of
Before sending any divers beneath the surface, a responsible company wants to know that any proposed contractor system in place will work safely in line with existing industry standards. To
New IOGP guidance notes are helping companies to become safer by updating advice on scoping, categorizing and calculating data related to vehicle crashes. This report, 365-5, is the latest work
In heavy forest, jungle, swamps, desert, or arctic areas, the upstream oil and gas industry uses temporary onshore accommodation in all types of terrain around the globe. It is used
IOGP 2015su, Safety data reporting user guide – 2015 data is now available. The guide contains the scope and definitions used by participating IOGP Member companies when preparing their safety
With the publication of IOGP 2014pfh, Safety performance indicators – Process safety events – 2014 data. Fatal incident and high potential event reports, IOGP continues to feed back learnings from
At its latest meeting, the IPIECA-IOGP Health Committee honoured Dr. David Flower, BP, for his exhaustive work on fatigue management. Praise came for his ‘extraordinary contribution’ to the Health Committee
This month, IOGP was awarded the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award (PMIRSA) in recognition of its Land Transportation Safety programme. In presenting the award, HRH Prince Michael of Kent
At its November meeting in Washington, DC, IOGP’s Security Committee elected Christian Slinning of Statoil, as Vice Chair. Members also thanked outgoing Paul Reither, OMV, for his five years of
‘Health reporting and record management’, necessary for the provision of robust data, continues to rank highly in IOGP’s latest report on health performance indicators. It has ranked in the top
Almost every company facility has security guards – at access control points, reception areas, around buildings and in industrial areas. They are in usually in uniform and represent an image
Zifeng Chen, Manager of Aviation Safety Department, CITIC Offshore Helicopter Co. Ltd praised IOGP’s aviation management guidelines at the Association’s Chinese Industry Day in May. Since implementing the guidelines 10
At their April meeting, members of IOGP’s Security Committee, elected Stephen Jones, Shell, as their new Chair. He succeeded Jean-Louis Kibort, Total, who had led the Committee for five years.
According to Chevron’s Craig May, society has challenged industry to show that it can meet the world’s growing energy needs in a safer and more environmentally sustainable way. His keynote
IOGP’s efforts to help industry recover from the aftermath of Macondo were outlined in a keynote address at the Offshore Technology Conference in May. In order for industry to maintain
IOGP and IADC have launched a survey to assess the current extent and use of non-technical skills and behaviours in well operations teams. Their collaborative aim: to learn how these
The global diving industry’s frequency of diver fatalities, injuries, incidents, and asset damage occurring while using underwater oxy-arc cutting continues to be unacceptably high. Now, IOGP’s latest publication, Oxy-arc underwater
Crew resource management (CRM), was first recognised as a safety requirement in 1979, when the US National Transportation Safety Board issued its landmark recommendation to require CRM training for airline
Whether through terrorism, criminality or disease, the oil and gas industry faces very real risks and must be ready to overcome them. To address this, IOGP’s Security Committee met in
OGP’s Health Leading Performance Indicators – 2013 data is now available. The new edition provides oil and gas companies with an updated resource for benchmarking performance internally on a corporate
OGP’s Wells Expert Committee Chair has urged all Association members to submit well control incident reports to the OGP Well control incidents database. It is equally important that they review
OGP’s latest publication, the 2013 OGP Safety Performance Indicators, is an analysis of the safety performance data reported by 50 of OGP’s 62 member companies. It reports an 11% decrease
OGP has published Security management system – processes and concepts in security management. Its aim: to provide the industry with a ‘step-by-step’ process to implement an effective security management system
Members of OGP’s Security Committee met in Madrid recently and discussed critical infrastructure and information protection. External speaker Thomas Martin gave a presentation on the Centre of Critical Infrastructure in
Companies can better define and achieve performance goals, thanks to a new OGP publication. The report, Operating management system framework for controlling risk and delivering high performance in the oil
The term ‘crew resource management’ (CRM) owes its origins to the crash of United Airlines Flight 173 in Portland, Oregon, in 1978. Analysis of the crash by the US National
A quick glance at the 2014 SPE international conference on Health, Safety and the Environment conference programme shows that OGP and its members will be well represented. The conference takes
There’s much to be said for assignments abroad. But living in a foreign land can be stressful. In some cases, expatriation can even trigger complex psychosocial issues and risks for
A quick glance at the 2014 SPE international conference on Health, Safety and the Environment conference programme shows that OGP and its members will be well represented. The conference takes
Industry adherence to OGP’s guidelines on land transportation is high, according to a recent survey. The study, carried out by OGP’s Land Transportation Safety Network (LTSN), shows that a majority
At the latest OGP Security Committee meeting the agenda included discussions about Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) on security measurement, guidelines for security considerations during an operation’s project lifecycle and guidelines
The Safety Data Sub Committee (SDSC) has awarded a Certificate of Appreciation to Willem Peuscher of Shell. This followed his resignation from the group, due to transfer to a new
“Every company desires safe operations, but the challenge is to translate this desire into action.” This quote from Rex Tillerson, Chairman & CEO at Exxon Mobil Corporation, introduces OGP’s latest
Excessive human fatigue can have significant adverse outcomes for performance, health and well-being. In safety critical industries, fatigue can contribute to major incidents. This can lead to significant costs to
Today, the main causes of death among people working in the oil and gas industry are heart attacks and strokes related to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although primarily non-occupational, and often
At a recent meeting of the OGP/IPIECA Health Committee, the two associations recognised the contributions of Drs Alex Barbey and Clarion Johnson, of Schlumberger and ExxonMobil. “Through his endeavors Alex
OGP was well represented at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Conference held in London in April. Richard Dyve Jones, Chair of the OGP Wells Expert Committee (WEC) outlined WEC’s
Antoine Augustin, newly elected Chair of the Safety Committee, is committed to making the industry ‘safer tomorrow than it is today’. ‘No one can afford another Macondo. Not operators, contractors,
Keeping to a promise made to the EU in May, 2011, OGP has produced a summary of how the industry has implemented recommendations set out by OGP’s Global Industry Response
The latest Security Committee meeting, held in Vienna on 2nd-4th of April, focused in on the consequences of recent tragic events in Algeria. In response, a work group tasked with
Science demonstrates that fatigue can present increased safety risk to industries that involve safety-critical work. Common causes of this type of fatigue include working extended hours, night shifts and rotating
OGP’s Health Committee has recently published “Vector-borne disease management programmes”, a guide for managers and supervisors working in areas where vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are endemic. Vectors are organisms that transmit