Subsea UK Launches First Safety Forum

Subsea UK is formally launching the first Subsea Safety Leadership Forum.

This new forum brings together leading players in the UK subsea sector to ensure that the UK is the safest place for those operating in the subsea sector from marine operators to subsea contractors.

Chaired by Ron Cookson - Managing Director, Technip UK - the forum will share information and lessons learned to put together common practices and procedures. By examining the lessons learnt from specific instances and incidents, the forum will provide leadership and direction on improvements. These improvements will be rolled-out across the subsea sector in a planned and coordinated way.

Subsea UK chief executive, Alistair Birnie, said, "The subsea sector operates in one of the most mission-critical and challenging environments of any in the oil and gas sector around the world. Through the leadership of Subsea UK and the major subsea and marine contractors, our aim is to make the UK the best in the world for marine and subsea safety. There are currently no common guidelines or benchmarks in place for subsea safety and one of the forum's principal tasks will be to find ways of measuring safety performance.

"As the champion of the subsea sector, Subsea UK already plays a major role in key areas for the industry such as technology development, internationalization and skills development. However, safety is at the top of our members' priorities and through this forum we aim to add real industry-wide value to helping members ensure that their safety performance is second to none."

Led by Subsea UK, the forum comprises Technip, Acergy, Subsea 7, DOF, Fugro and Bibby.

The Subsea Safety Leadership forum will be an independent body but closely aligned to the oil and gas industry's Step Change in Safety initiative to ensure there is a joined-up approach across the industry.

Gordon Ballard, co-chairman of Step Change in Safety added, "The ethos of Step Change – sharing and promoting positive safety practice, learning from each other and striving for improvement – will be brought to this new safety forum.

"It's extremely encouraging to see such an emphasis on improving safety right across the industry. I believe it is this sharing of ideas and expertise and co-working which will ultimately achieve our shared vision of a working environment where risks are minimized and controlled."


Most Popular Articles