Meeting the safety challenges of the Oil&Gas industry

Expansion in the oil and gas industry has brought new technologies that allow operators to explore greater depths, transport more quantities and exploit new areas previously considered too costly to develop successfully. Public sentiment toward such large and highly visible companies now reflects the growing desire for these corporate citizens to become more socially responsible. And companies are recognizing that sustaining safety performance is critical for continuous business productivity.

As a global operating company with an international consulting services business focused on workplace safety and operational excellence, DuPont is well positioned to observe macro-trends that are changing the broader business environment. Increasingly, DuPont is seeing that safety and operational excellence are top priorities for growth-oriented companies around the world. In working with clients, DuPont also sees many companies continue to struggle with profitability and sustainability while experiencing avoidable injuries to people and damage to equipment and assets.

To establish a strong foundation for safety excellence, DuPont uses a safety management system that encompasses leadership, organization and operational components that guide organizations on a journey to zero injuries and incidents. For more than 30 years, DuPont Safety Resources has partnered with clients along the oil and gas value chain – from drilling to petrochemical – to demonstrate how improved safety can enable a more productive workforce and enhance a company’s bottom line.

The traditional risks surrounding oil and gas extraction, including catastrophic explosion, hazardous material losses and environmental issues, must be managed effectively and with great care to ensure proper process and workplace safety. OMV, a leading oil and gas company actively involved in exploration, production, operation and fuel distribution, looked to DuPont for assistance in the design and implementation of its safety management system. With operations in 18 countries, OMV must adapt to traditional risks, as well as the different working environments in nearly every region. The program helped make the right competencies available and ensure the gradual hand-over and sustainability of the safety initiative.

ConocoPhillips, a company with a solid tradition of safety at work, enhanced the safety of employees in the U.K. with the help DuPont Safety Training Observation Program™ (STOP™). The safety structure improved communications between managers, employees and contracting companies, even on the offshore platforms. Noble Corporation, one of the largest offshore drilling contractors in the world and a recognized industry safety leader, addressed incidents and turnover by refocusing on the foundations of the company’s safety management system. With the help of STOP™, Noble dropped its total recordable injury rate by 60 percent and has achieved a safe work environment where employees can devote time to creating more efficient operations.

As the world becomes more connected and competitive, and as societal expectations of employers and contractors continue to rise, DuPont expects the trend toward improved safety and operational excellence to continue well into the foreseeable future. No company can excel until it makes safety a way of life – and a way of doing business.

DuPont shares the oil and gas industry’s core value of safety and is proud to assist companies in their journey to safety excellence.