Operators of oil and gas installations could do more to improve safety reps’ competence, particularly in relation to major operational hazard risks, which would bring benefits in risk management, safety culture and business costs.

A long-running legal dispute on offshore working hours and leave entitlement has ended with the Supreme Court ruling against the oil and gas workers who brought the case.

The majority of duty-holders on UK offshore installations are complying with regulations relating to the involvement of safety reps in health and safety matters, according to the findings of an HSE inspection project.

Development of new gas or oil fields in European waters should only be allowed if the company concerned has prepared a suitable emergency plan, says a resolution passed by the European Parliament.

The HSE’s head of offshore safety has welcomed the latest fall in the number of oil and gas leaks that have the potential to lead to a major incident, but has warned the industry not to rest on its laurels.

Two companies have been fined a total of £243,750 following an accident that led to an offshore worker having a leg amputated.

Global energy giants Shell UK and Amec Group have been fined £150,000 each and ordered to pay costs of £41,500 apiece after a gas-rig worker fell to his death from an installation in the North Sea.

The offshore wind industry is set to become a major UK manufacturing activity, bringing significant new inward investment, businesses and jobs. However, the relative youth and rapid pace of growth of the industry have led to a lack of international consistency in health and safety practices. James Lawson provides an overview of what is being done to address this important issue.

Any organisation, no matter what industry they operate in, has the potential to become tomorrow’s safety-disaster headline. With the aim of assisting practitioners in avoiding such a scenario, Martin Anderson looks at several organisations that have experienced major safety incidents, and identifies key themes.

The Deepwater Horizon disaster in the United States continues to make headlines around the world, with the reports focusing on the environmental consequences of the disaster rather than the loss of workers’ lives. Paul Verrico and Kevin Elliott take a look at what would happen if there were a similar incident in the UK, and outline how pre-planning can alleviate some of the potential problems.

Latest figures from the HSE suggest that the offshore industry has made significant progress on a range of safety issues and is gradually getting better at involving employees in safety matters. George Allison describes how one oil company actively encourages its workforce to stay alert to issues of safety and stop work if they feel this could be jeopardised.

As commercial buildings, production facilities, and offshore structures get ever larger and more complex, the risks involved in their construction and operation become harder to keep track of without smart information management. Simon Olliff sheds light on why electronic permit systems are a popular way of doing so.

The top achievers in offshore safety were presented with their awards at a ceremony in Aberdeen last week.

Three medics who saved lives on an offshore platform have won an award for their work.

A number of oil and gas companies are supporting an initiative to cut offshore leaks by 50 per cent over the next three years.

The physical condition of offshore installations visited by the HSE as part of a major assessment project ranged from good to poor.

A number of individuals has been honoured at the inaugural UK Oil and Gas Industry Safety Awards.

BSS says it recently provided training for 14 health and safety professionals in the first ever NEBOSH Technical Certificate in Oil and Gas Operational Safety (IOGC) course held in Qatar.

Draeger says its new Webshop provides easy access to a wide range of industrial safety solutions.

JSP says its EvoLite® CR2 reflective safety helmet represents a huge advance in reflective specialist head protection for those working in dark environments.

RRC Training is now offering the NEBOSH International Technical Certificate in Oil and Gas Operational Safety.

Working in cooperation with industry leading companies Tritech International and Marine Simulation LLC, SeaBotix Inc. has developed the SARbot rapid-response underwater-rescue system.