Health Management in the UK Oil and Gas Sector

Health management in the UK Oil and Gas sector 1
HEALTH MANAGEMENT IN THE UK OIL AND GAS SECTOR
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Executive summary

Health management in the UK Oil and Gas sector 2
This essay discusses the various health and safety concerns in the UK by exploring by
first exploring the position of health management practitioner in the oil and gas industry. The
essay looks at the roles and responsibilities as well as the skills necessary for an individual
operating in the oil and gas industry.
Afterward, the essay examines the relevant approach for effective health and safety
management. In this segment, the article aims to determine the process of recording, reporting
and monitoring the health and safety of offshore workers. The essay further to discuss the
various legal and ethical considerations affecting the oil and gas industry by looking at the wide
range of acts and regulations governing the health and safety issues in the industry.
The final segment takes a look at the various health and safety risks that workers are
exposed to in the course of their operations. This section deals with the health implications of
toxic releases and components of oil and gas. The segment also provides a statistical analysis of
dangerous occurrences in the oil and gas sector in the UK at specific periods.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Health management in the UK Oil and Gas sector 3
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction..............................................................................................................................4
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 The position of health management practitioner in the Oil and Gas industry.................4
2.1 Responsibilities.........................................................................................................................5
2.2 Daily involvements...................................................................................................................5
2.3 Skills..........................................................................................................................................6
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Systems for effective health and safety management..................6
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 Legal, ethical and business case for health and safety
management.................................................................................6
4.1 The need to remain compliant and up to date with legislation............................................7
4.2 Training of employees............................................................10
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 Safety issues in the industry.................................................................................................11
5.1 Occupational hazards...........................................................................................................11
5.2 Statistics relating to offshore hazards and risks................................................................12
CHAPTER SIX
6.0 Conclusion..............................................................................................................................13

Health management in the UK Oil and Gas sector 4
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
The oil and gas industry is a lucrative sector in the United Kingdom generating large
amounts of revenue and jobs annually (Gallun, Wright, & Nichols 2008). Offshore fields are
associated with approximately 98% of the total oil and gas production. The region around
Morecambe bay and the southern sea produces most of the gas. However, there has been a
continuous reduction in the amount of gas produced in these regions. The North Sea especially
the region bordering Norway is responsible for much of the oil production in UK. In 2008, the
UK ranked fourteenth globally in the global oil production index. In Europe, UK ranks second in
oil and gas production behind Norway. The industry thus employs a huge a large number of
people. It is for this reason that relevant institutions have undertaken various steps to ensure the
health, safety, and welfare of employees, locals and all the people associated with the oil and gas
sector.
The Health and Safety executive is the industry’s regulator and it is broken into various
branches (Flin, Mearns, Gordon, & Fleming,1996).The Hazardous Installations Directorate is the
operational branch which deals with major hazards.

Health management in the UK Oil and Gas sector 5
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 The position of health and safety practitioner in the Oil and Gas Industry
The oil and gas industry poses various health and safety concerns for its employees as
well as the surrounding population. Oil and gas industries in the UK and the world, in general,
are usually considered to pose a high risk of fire as well as fatal toxic emissions. The position of
health and safety practitioner, therefore, exists to mitigate the health and safety risk present in
this industry.
2.1 Responsibilities
The health and safety practitioner is charged with the role of monitoring all operations
and processes pertaining oil and gas production. For starters, the practitioner carries out a risk
evaluation of the work environment and takes into consideration how the present risks can be
minimized. Secondly, the practitioner outlines the safe operating procedure which detects and
takes into account the possible threats.
Additionally, the health and safety advisor is tasked with carrying out a site inspection to
ensure implementation of the stipulated policies and procedures. Another responsibility of a
health and safety practitioner is to ensure that plants engage in safe working practices that are in
compliance with the relevant legislation. The health and safety advisor also carries out in-house
training of employees about health and safety risks associated with their practice. It is also the
role of the health and safety practitioner to keep relevant records of inspection findings and to
produce reports that indicate the progress made.
2.2 Daily involvements

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The position of a health and safety practitioner can be quite demanding. For instance, it
may entail irregular working hours in case of an accident. The job may also involve a lot of
traveling in the case of individuals tasked with manning multiple plants. Although this is an
office job, the practitioner may spend long hours on offshore platforms or refinery plants when
carrying out inspections and overseeing implementation of laid down procedures. The health
advisor, therefore, needs to always keep tabs on new developments such as changes in
legislation. The practitioner concerning health and safety in this field of practice. Furthermore,
an individual working has to attend seminars organized by the institution of occupational safety
and health as well as read relevant literature to help keep with the numerous changes in this field.
2.3 Skills
A health and safety practitioner should possess effective communication skills which are
essential in articulating health and safety concerns to the employees. Proper communication
skills are key to facilitating employees' understanding of risk concerns prevalent in the sector.
This is because such skills allow an individual in this to present otherwise complex information
in a simple and accurate manner.
A health and safety practitioner in this field also needs to possess negotiating skills. The
negotiation skills may prove useful in convincing top management to adopt health and safety
standards that negatively affect the speed or efficiency of operations. Finally, a health and safety
practitioner should pay close attention to detail since minute details can prove helpful in
preventing the occurrence of the risk.