A New Paradigm for Serious-Event Prevention: Rethinking Safety in the Oil and Gas Industry

摘要

Serious injury and fatality prevention in the oil and gas industry has relied for decades on a paradigm that links the mitigation of less serious injuries to the elimination of serious and fatal ones. A breakthrough study sponsored by seven multinational organizations, including participants from the industrial gas manufacturing and crude petroleum and natural gas extraction sectors, found evidence that squarely contradicts the long-standing paradigm. From this study, new understanding has emerged that can provide leaders in the oil and gas industry with concrete methods of identifying and tracking precursor events that lead to serious injuries. Measuring precursor events provides leaders with data that gives insight into accidents and near misses with the potential for severe harm. This insight helps organizations eliminate exposure to serious and fatal injuries. Organizations can buttress the data by developing leadership that supports and builds a strong safety culture. Such a culture ensures that employees are executing the right behaviors at the right times, and are given the training and backing to identify and adapt to changes in exposure.