BackDROPS Forum - Aberdeen, 26th February 2015
DROPS UK Forum Minutes
Urban Village Hotel, Aberdeen
The meeting was opened by Greg and a safety brief was delivered. Round the room introductions’ followed.
Membership:
Since last Forum, we are delighted to welcome the following new DROPS members:
Unfortunately, we have lost ten members as part of the membership subscription renewal process. A full list of members can be viewed on the website: www.dropsonline.org
DROPS International:
Two DROPS Asia Forums were held at the end of 2014 in Beijing and Jakarta. Both were very well attended and well received. For details of upcoming DROPS Asia events and registration visit www.dropsasia.com.
A DROPS North America Forum is presently being planned for Summer 2015 in Houston. Details to follow.
A DROPS Middle East Forum is also being planned for 2015 to coincide with Training Workshops.
At the request of SfS (Norway), DROPS will deliver a presentation at the workshop they are holding in Aberdeen in June. As part of their workshop, SfS are keen to visit a company that are doing well with safety and active in DROPS. If your company fits that bill and you would consider assisting SfS please contact secretary@dropsonline.org
As ever, you will find details of upcoming international events at www.dropsonline.org
DROPS Training:
Since last forum, several UK DROPS Train-the-Trainer sessions have been held at Silverdot’s offices and at member companies in the Aberdeen area and in Norfolk. See Training section of www.dropsonline.org for details of all upcoming scheduled training.
If it has been some time since your training was undertaken, consider a revisit. DROPS Train-the-Trainer has evolved and developed considerably over the years into a far more comprehensive package.
International training was recently held in Newfoundland and is presently being held in North Dakota
Further international training is being held soon in Brazil and Middle East.
For queries, further details and registration for DROPS training contact training@dropsonline.org.
European DROPS Forums:
This Forum is the first DROPS to be held at the Urban Village Hotel and all 2015 Aberdeen Forums will be held here with the new time format of 0930 to noon.
Dates for the next Aberdeen Forums will be Wednesday May 20th, Thursday September 17th (both different from previous notifications) and Tuesday December 1st.
We are seeking assistance with a venue for this year’s Norwegian Forum which is typically held either early in June or later in September. If any of our Norwegian members can assist please contact us via secretary@dropsonline.org
DROPS Focus Groups:
At last forum, we established three new 2015 Focus Groups to look at: Human Factors; Maintenance and Inspection of Secondary Retention / Securing; and DROPS Awareness through Supply Chain and with Manufacturers. The Focus Groups presented later in the session.
Also, the DORIS Focus Group will reform later in the year to refresh their activities and new members will be invited to join the Group.
DROPS Products:
The DROPS Campaign Pack Updates are being issued as of today to all members and subscribers. A brief overview followed later in the session and attending members were invited to collect their updates at coffee break and end of Forum.
The new Backloading booklet is now available and being distributed from today. A brief overview followed later.
The new DROPS website is nearly there and a sneak preview was offered later in the Forum.
DROPS will meet with SfS late March as first stage of harmonising the content of our Reliable Securing booklet with their Norwegian booklet
Other Industry Initiatives:
Earlier this month, our colleagues at MSF / OGUK notified us of their latest update (Rev 6 – 2015) of the "Best Practice for the Safe Packing & Handling of Cargo to & from Offshore Locations". The booklet can be downloaded for free (or printed copies purchased) from their new dedicated website www.onshoreoffshorecargo.com Section 7 of the Best Practice relates specifically to dropped objects. Our Backloading booklet is fully aligned to this guidance.
Safety Alerts and Lessons Learned:
Greg noted that a number of Alerts and Lessons Learned were being presented and these presentations would be made available to download with these minutes.
Last month we issued a pair of MSF alerts to all members; a fallen jib stowage timber and an almighty drop of a headache ball and hook assembly. Greg noted that it wasn’t too long ago, we were discussing similar examples to both of these incidents.
Members were requested to continue sharing alerts and lessons learned with us via admin@dropsonline.org
Presenters:
Greg thanked today’s Presenters and encouraged all to visit the tabletop product demonstration from Jim Smith of SafetyGrip Solutions during coffee break and at end of session.
Members were invited to nominate or request future presentations or table-top demonstrations for consideration via secretary@dropsonline.org
Introduction to SafetyGrip Solutions – Jim Smith, Safetygrip Solutions
Jim gave an overview of the safety matting that Safetygrip Solutions manufacture and supply. Examples included colour-coded matting that relates particularly well to the DROPS Red Zone Best Practice. Jim invited all attendees to visit his tabletop demonstration. For further information, contact Jim or visit www.safetygripsolutions.com
DROPS Backloading Booklet – Greg Reid, DROPS
Greg provided a brief overview of the new booklet that is now available. The guidance focuses on checks, observations and best practice relating to the backloading phase of cargo movements – a phase that is particularly prone to dropped objects.
The booklet is free to download here in screen resolution. All DROPS members and campaign pack subscribers have been supplied with a high resolution PDF version.
The artwork for the accompanying backload tag is free to download here and members / subscribers have again been given this in their campaign pack update.
Printed Backload booklets in A6 pocket format and vinyl Backload tags (rigid or in rolls) can be purchased from the Current Products section at www.dropsonline.org
HSE Update – Donald Dobson, HSE
Donald presented his analysis of HSE reported dropped object statistics for Drilling and Wells up to February 2015. Through 2014 there were over 85 significant dropped object incidents reported and analysis showed 20 of these were dropped objects within the Derrick and Well Operations, including a sheave hinge roller (4.5Kg) that fell 12m to rig floor; a Steel tube (2.9kg) falling 4.5m from the rig floor during operations; and a (3.5kg) cap from a test tree actuator that was dropped by a floorman 10m to the rig floor. Already in 2015, there have been four reported incidents, including a light fixture bracing (0.9kg) detaching and falling 10m to the rotary table during high winds.
Of the 2014 incidents, 20 were associated with Cranes and Lifting, including a moving diverter running tool (1100kg) falling to the catwalk, a fabric bag containing DP protectors (140kg) that detached from the crane hook and fell 3.6m to deck. Two further Cranes/Lifting incidents have been reported so far in 2015
There were over 45 other dropped objects incidents in 2014 including: a section of corroded grating (1.2kg) that fell 19m from walkway to cellar deck and a redundant lighting bracket (2.2kg) falling 14.5m. For 2015, there have already been 7 reported incidents including a junction box (9.1kg) slipping from supporting ropes and falling 5m to walkway; and a section of cladding found missing from the accommodation and believed to have fallen into the sea in high winds.
Donald’s presentation is available to download here.
After Donald’s presentation, some discussion arose around several of the incidents with questions raised on preventive measures and corrective actions that could not be answered. All agreed that it would be useful for more follow-up and in-depth review of such incidents. Several members noted that the sharing of incidents and learnings was not as open and collaborative as it should be. Others noted the benefits of DORIS for better and broader interrogation of incidents and a challenge has been left with DROPS to improve information sharing and get far greater buy-in to DORIS when the Focus Group reforms.
Campaign Pack and Web Update – Greg Reid, DROPS
Greg gave a brief overview of the DROPS Campaign Pack update contents including the vast 2GB of content on the accompanying USB flash drive. Greg also showed the look, style and structure for the new DROPS website to be launched at next Forum. This will provide far better search and access to information and allow members to present promotional information. The site’s back-office functionality will improve our management of DROPS communications and administrative processes.
2015 Focus Group Updates
Human Factors – Steve Murphy, ConocoPhillips
The group had agreed to meet after today’s forum to narrow down their deliverable and will feedback to the forum in April. Anyone interested in joining this group was invited to participate in the meeting. If you wish to join the group, please email secretary@dropsonline.org
Maintenance and Inspection standards for periodic secondary retention and securing – Adam Gibson, OES
The group met to focus on narrowing down the subject, focusing on key problems and potential solutions. Their goal, by December, is to deliver a quick reference matrix to identify typical secondary retention items and the best practice for their periodic inspection and routine maintenance. Adam presented an example of the matrix format and discussed some of the benefits this would provide. The presentation can be downloaded here.
If you wish to provide any information or join this group please contact secretary@dropsonline.org.
Supply Chain and Manufacturers - providing DROPS Guidance/Best Practice – Lukasz Szadkowski, NOV
This group are looking for feedback from members about the individual supply chains associated with each organisation and they are desperately seeking additional volunteers for the Group. If you can help or you wish to join the group, please email secretary@dropsonline.org
New 4-part Shackle & NNFR concept – Richard Waddington, Nordlock
Richard presented a new-style 4 part shackle that he had encountered and discussed this in relation to the DROPS Reliable Securing guidance. He also reviewed a variety of alerts and examples where traditional shackles have had problems, eg missing pins and nuts. He advised that a new Fixed Nut shackle has evolved as a result of end users approaching designers to improve their product and that feedback would be welcome from DROPS. Some discussion ensued on the floor with potential benefits highlighted but these tempered with certain fallbacks, eg additional parts / components = more items to fall. Any further comments should be directed to Richard.Waddington@nord-lock.co.uk
The second part of Richard’s presentation focused on a new concept known as No Need For Retightening or NNFR. This is a new, accredited and certified bolt securing method that greatly reduces the requirements and costs of bolt checking and tightening. Richard gave a brief overview of the concept and illustrated the potential benefits, requesting comments and feedback which should again be directed to Richard.Waddington@nord-lock.co.uk.
Richard’s presentation, covering both the 4-part shackle and the NNFR concept, can be downloaded here.
Open Floor and Any Other Business
Greg thanked everyone for their participation and invited the attendees to offer any issues for further discussion in the open floor session.
DORIS – request for a date when this workgroup will be up and running and Greg confirmed that the original focus group would reform in summer and anyone who wants to join this group is advised to contact secretary@dropsonline.org.
A plea from an offshore based member in attendance was to ensure that the DROPS information is effectively cascaded through the workforce in each of the member organisations. The member noted that a lot of valuable information is shared that would be really helpful to his colleagues at the worksites.
An appeal was made for any further details relating to the two recent headache ball dropped object alerts. Does anyone have any more information on these incidents? If so, please contact admin@dropsonline.org
Next meeting:
Date: Wednesday May 20th 2015
Time: 0930 -1200
Venue: Urban Village Hotel, Kingswells Business Park, Aberdeen
Host: DROPS Global Steering Committee Members