Members of the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) safety and aviation committees endorsed plans Monday for a new Joint Industry Project (JIP) examining methods to improve the safety of offshore oil and gas helicopter operations.
Ten IOGP member companies have signed onto the project, known as JIP37, and will contribute a total of approximately £500,000 ($652,000) to support initial safety programs developed by IOGP and industry safety association HeliOffshore, including a data-driven examination of the effectiveness of current industry safety efforts.
Initially, the new JIP will support the HeliOffshore Safety Intelligence Program (HSIP) to support data-driven decisions on how to advance safety work and verify that the work is delivering the right results; human hazard analysis training and support work to systematically consider the potential for human error and develop ways to address these through changes in design and maintenance procedures; and operational effectiveness projects, such as evidence-based training, pilot eye-tracking research, and a new weather information and rig-location trial.
"We are delighted with this strong commitment from the oil companies to our shared work to deliver safety excellence in areas we know will save lives," said HeliOffshore CEO Gretchen Haskins. "It is especially encouraging to see this powerful investment in safety in the current challenging business environment.”
JIP37 is part of the IOGP’s overarching Project Safira, which aims to eliminate fatalities in upstream oil and gas operations. The association expects additional companies to sign onto the JIP37 in the coming months.