Tackling Process Safety in the Offshore Drilling World: The Operator and Service Provider

Though new regulations have changed the way offshore companies operate, the need to make safety part of an enterprise sustainability management strategy has never been more important. As accountability moves higher up the chain of command, operators are coming under increasing pressure to place an emphasis on HSE - especially with regard to human factors and workforce training. At the same time, juggling compliance efforts with daily safety concerns has forced a re- thinking of how to evaluate SEMS and training systems for overall safe operation and to drive strategic decisions.

David Munzenmaier, HSE&S Director GOM at Baker Hughes, recently spoke with marcus evans about key topics to be discussed at the upcoming 3rd Annual Offshore Safety & Workforce Capability Assurance Conference, October 2-4, 2013, in Houston. All responses represent the view of Mr. Munzenmaier and not necessarily those of Baker Hughes and its subsidiaries.

What is your take on the current relationship between the operator and service provider?

DM: It is complicated. The operator is ultimately accountable to the regulator for their lease. But in many cases, the operator relies on contractors and service providers to do the work. Because they are accountable, the operators want all their contractors to perform at the same level. But each contractor will have their own processes and equipment.

This would not be difficult if each service provider was working with a single operator. But we don’t and each operator has slightly different processes. In turn, the service providers have to have internal processes that we are comfortable with and bridge those processes to each operator; and in some cases, each organization within an operator’s company.

Of course the reverse is true for the operators. They are managing relationships with all tier service providers; who each do things slightly differently.