Winners of 2012 UK Oil and Gas Industry Safety Awards

The winners of the 2012 UK Oil and Gas Industry Safety Awards, sponsored by Maersk Oil, were announced at a special lunchtime awards ceremony in Aberdeen yesterday (18 April 2012).

The showcase event, held at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, saw over 400 attendees at the event ranging from workforce representatives, safety professionals and leading industry figures gather to celebrate the outstanding people and companies helping to create safer offshore working environments – whether through innovative new processes or exceptional individual enthusiasm and personal commitment.

 The winners are:

 Stork Technical Services’ On-Site Machining and Bolting Team won the first ever Ideas in Safety Prize, and picked up a cheque for £5,000. The prize was added to the roster in order to recognise the workforce’s creative and progressive ideas to improve safety in the workplace – this year focusing on hydrocarbon release reduction.

 Mark Cowieson, rig manager, Archer UK Ltd, won the Award for Safety Leadership, sponsored by Chevron Upstream Europe, which recognises a highly-motivated individual who works tirelessly to ensure their team operates safely and professionally at all times.

Duncan Innes, HSSE Graduate, AMEC, is the winner of the Award for Most Promising Individual, sponsored by Draeger Safety UK Limited, which recognises the enthusiasm of an individual who has demonstrated a keen interest in safety matters and actively embraced the safety culture in the oil and gas industry.

Nicholas McBride, HSE Technician, Rowan Drilling UK, won the Award for Preventative Safety Action, sponsored by Gulf Offshore N.S. Ltd, which recognises an individual who, through their pro-active and vigilant behaviour, successfully intervened to prevent a potential incident.

Robert Scott, Scaffolder on the East Brae platform, Marathon Oil, scooped the Award for Safety Representative of the Year, sponsored by Nexen Petroleum U.K. Limited, which recognises an individual’s active participation and effectiveness promoting and committing to the industry’s safety agenda.

 ConocoPhillips (U.K.) Limited won the Award for Innovation in Safety (Company Award), sponsored by ABB Engineering Services, which recognises a company’s innovative approach to safety by implementing a new process or technique.

 Mike Bowyer, Senergy, picked up the Award for Services to Safety. Mike was personally chosen for this award by the co-chairs of Step Change in Safety, Ken Robertson and Martin Ellins.

The winners were presented with their prizes by Neal Stone, director of policy and communications at the British Safety Council, who paid tribute to the industry’s efforts to improve workforce engagement and spoke out against the European Commission’s plans to take overall regulatory control of offshore safety.

Martin Rune Pedersen, managing director, Maersk Oil North Sea UK Limited, said: “Maersk Oil is delighted be sponsoring the UK Oil & Gas Industry Safety Awards for the third consecutive year. Safety is part of the fabric of every company in our industry and we are proud to be able recognise those who drive these initiatives. These awards are important to us all and on behalf of Maersk Oil I would like to congratulate all those who are being nominated today.”

 Malcolm Webb, chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, said: “Once again we have had an inspiring day at our Industry’s safety awards. This year we expanded the number of categories to include a new award for Ideas in Safety to recognise new and creative approaches to reducing risks. Nothing is more important in the oil and gas industry than the safety of our operations and that of the people who work on them. The workforce and companies alike are committed to continuously improving safety, which is why we had such a strong and impressive response to these awards from all across the industry.

“I congratulate all of the nominees, who were of an outstanding calibre and should be rightly proud of their achievements and the recognition they rightly received today. As for the winners, they are truly among the very best of the best. Their achievements are rightly to be celebrated and their ideas and methods shared widely across the industry.”

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Offshore Nieuws Staff, April 19, 2012; Image : Oil & Gas UK