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Changes in Offshore Safety & Survival 1975 About to leave the Royal Air Force I was called out of the blue by the Maritime College in Lowestoft, England to consider becoming their first Offshore Safety and Survival Lecturer for the North Sea Oil, and UK Maritime Industry. They wanted someone to develop the courses and training procedures to make drilling for Oil and gas safer. I had already decided to develop the first Civilian Survival School for aviation and marine and this was an ideal step.
There were models that showed major catastrophes were probable as we relentlessly moved into uncharted areas to satisfy the thirst for oil and gas. Daily many new challenges had to be faced, with little precedent or body of knowledge as to consequences. The attendance at these courses cut into the Oil men's shore time, and often lost them time and money. It introduced me to having to prove the value of the training and experience to a hostile audience. The first requirement was to gain enough experience of the job to enable the clients to even listen. Having already achieved award winning projects, even receiving Commendations with the New Year's Honours List went some way to gaining their respect, but usually the first question was always "Have you ever got your hands dirty or been out there?" There was only one way to meet that challenge, and that was go and feel the conditions, and experience the job. This little first move is often ignored by today's managers, believing an academic piece of paper bestows all the knowledge and experience needed. Being "Out there" gives an idea of what works, and what does not work. What appears to work in the office, lab or classroom can often have unforeseen consequences when practiced in the real world. The challenge then was to present to a hostile audience new procedures, technology and equipment that restricted their ability to work in their usual manner, and often reduced their earning ability. They were listening to this pitch instead of spending valuable time with their family or friends, and worse still had been told to attend.
Getting into a life raft from the warm smooth waters of a swimming pool taxes even the most rugged Roughneck, or the toughest tanker Captain. They knew, you knew the conditions out there, and they knew they had to listen and learn. We also had a range of fireproof lifeboats, the type you see high up on a Rig, tanker of large ship. One false move launching these and you can easily lose a hand or arm. Even in training and simulations, death and injury are not that far away. A few close calls and you develop a sixth sense. Today we send a perky twenty something Consultant from a Change Management company, with a Powerpoint presentation on her computer and expect the same results. Most cutting edge technologies, most dangerous professions, and most remote locations in Oilfields, manufacturing and mining industries have dangers not found in best selling books, especially those on the shelves of business schools. For example the textbook told me to light a flare to attract search aircraft, but with Methane gas bubbling around I decided to trip the anchors and get the hell away from the accident area, totally against the manual. But those who had written the manual had never experienced the unexpected consequences. In 1976 I moved on to develop the extended management of change throughout the airlines, shipping companies, as well as Offshore Oil and gas. True Pilots and Stewardesses are easier to teach than rugged oil men, but they too have their challenges, especially when you are changing from life rafts to inflatable slides, and are dressed to serve drinks and need to carry out tasks at below zero, in crashing waves. Fortunately the need to change communications took center stage, and with major global communication networks needing help the lessons learned in the freezing North Sea were put to use in more friendly climates. |
The issue was quite clear, the entire shipping industry, especially those working in hostile climates, had to embrace a new range of technologies including new survival suits, rescue craft and new communication devices, such as satellites. The depths being drilled in the search for oil were growing annually, and now the platforms were moving into some very hostile areas of the North Sea, whipped by violent, often unpredictable waves, and in the direct path of Arctic Winds coming directly from the North Pole. 
There was only one way to succeed and that was to quickly show them the drills, with them participating. I had conducted a few hundred life raft drills, in the pool, inshore waters, even out in the open sea, to train and test rescue procedures and equipment. It isn't as easy as it seems!