SBM Offshore sounds safety in operations during Life Day activities
SBM Offshore has emphasised the importance of safety and securing workers to prevent workplace accidents, as it observed its 10th annual Life Day celebration.
Life Day 2023, held under the theme “Observe and Intervene”, placed special emphasis on being aware of the environment and potential hazards and responding in a manner that prevents and mitigates accidents.
This year is the tenth anniversary of the observance at SBM Offshore globally, and the fourth held in Guyana. As per the objective, it provided an opportunity for the SBM Offshore Guyana team to ‘stand down’ for the day and reflect and refocus on the elements of wellness and safety in its operations.
Life Day is a key activity that sees positive activities and practical knowledge-sharing as well as collaborative learning. It also allows the SBM Offshore team to reconnect with the elements of the ongoing ‘LIFE 365’ campaign. LIFE 365 focuses on supporting behavioural change and raises process awareness throughout the SBM Offshore ecosystem.
The event, which was live-streamed to the Liza Destiny, Liza Unity and Prosperity Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels sought to highlight the importance of observation and intervention.
Health Safety Security and Environment (HSSE) Advisor, Rafael Magalhães outlined the importance of having safety reinforcements in place to prevent accidents. He also highlighted the link between activators, behaviours, and consequences, and how each step could impact the safety and well-being of people.
He said, “By intervening and addressing unsafe behaviours and actions, major accidents, and even fatalities can be prevented.”
General Manager of SBM Offshore Guyana, Martin Cheong noted that Life Day plays an integral role in gathering to focus on the importance of safety in the company’s operations and the wellbeing of its employees.
“As SBM Offshore moves forward in the energy transition, we hold firm to our vision to meet society’s demand for safe, sustainable, and affordable energy for generations to come, by harnessing the energies from the ocean. We pride ourselves on being an industry-leading company where safety is a key part of our everyday activities,” he zeroed in.
Meanwhile, the Production Manager at ExxonMobil Guyana, Mike Ryan, took the opportunity to commend the offshore fleet for their daily teamwork as “One Team” and emphasised the need to continue operating safely to achieve Target Excellence.
“We have very good systems and facilities that are designed well, and procedures and protocols that we must execute precisely; however, it comes down to people. Observing and intervening is an important skill and crucial aspect of what we do to make sure we take care of people and take care of the environment.”
Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton in his address iterated the need for safety in the workplace to reduce workplace accidents and injuries and commended SBM Offshore Guyana for taking the initiative with Life Day.
He stated, “It is good to see that as a company you have not only recognised the importance of safety and health at work, but you are taking the actions to make this a reality for the benefit of all employees.” The Minister also stated that there is a notable link between increased focus on safety and the emergence of the oil and gas industry in Guyana.