Posts Tagged ‘Deepwater Horizon’

Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS)

Thursday, June 30th, 2011 by admin

The response by API regarding the Huffington Post article, which alleges that Big Oil tried to stop the U.S. Minerals Management Service from promulgating the new offshore safety rules before the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig accident, is only the next controversy regarding the usefulness of formal management systems in business.

Management systems allow companies to take a proactive role in understanding their business enabling increased profitability, stability and reputation. SEMS, Sarbanes Oxley and ISO are official implementations evaluating business performance. Taking a head-in-the-sand management approach and not initiating internal tracking for important aspects of their business can lead to crisis or disaster. Believing the company is doing well without applying the Deming improvement cycle or something similar often leads a viable company into trouble.

deming-cycle-2

SEMS and other auditable management systems might be imposing to companies as they consider their implementation. However, by taking a proactive approach to committing to formal systems will enable important measurements of business, operational, organizational, health, safety, and environmental performance. Painful at inception – yes. Is the view worth the climb? Certainly. Why would you not want to know how your business really functions? Why would you not want to know the pitfalls in your operations? Why would Big Oil not want to know operational issues that could recreate the Macondo disaster?

Older Offshore Rigs Idled for Newer, Higher Performing Rigs

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011 by admin

How has Deepwater Horizon affected the exploration and production market for offshore drilling rigs?

According to this week’s Houston Business Journal, companies are wanting the latest and safest offshore rigs in part due to last year’s oil spill in the Gulf and also due to the demand for greater flexibility and redundancy with high-spec equipment. Thus we are to expect a surge in two things: dismantlement of older rigs and significant capital spend for the newest rigs. Two Houston-based drillers, Nobel Corp. and Transocean, Ltd., both have rigs currently under construction despite having a quite a number of rigs sitting idle.

What do you think - good bet or bad on the future of offshore drilling? (We think good bet, but we are biased.)

Proposed Offshore-Drilling Safety Institute: Help or Hinderance?

Friday, March 11th, 2011 by admin

According to a recent article from the Houston Business Journal “Energy industry considers offshore-drilling safety institute,” on March 18th, energy leaders will decide upon forming an industry run offshore-drilling safety institute in response to the Deepwater Horizon spill.

Reilly — who sits on the board of directors at Houston-based ConocoPhillips — called for a framework of continual learning among companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico. An industry organization should conduct routine safety audits of its members and “discipline or reject” companies that do not comply, he said. The government should support the organization and make its membership a prerequisite for operating in the Gulf, he said.

Here is some food for thought:

  • So is this a redundancy to the federal law recently passed – Workplace Safety Rule?
  • Will the costs of joining and complying with a offshore-drilling safety institute be too high for smaller or even large operators?
  • Will the standardization of “best practices” ultimately improve company margins while reducing health, safety, environmental and operational risks?

Environmental, Health & Safety Risks to Your Business

Friday, May 21st, 2010 by admin

The recent disastrous event of the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, underscores the message that Environmental, Health & Safety (EH&S) business risks can originate from any operating or decision-making position in a company. Although no information is known about the confirmed cause of this incident at this writing, the incident itself presents relevant lessons learned to any company who has an operations section or is involved in any way with construction. No matter if the industry is heavy manufacturing or LEEDS home building, the company can face adverse consequences and damages to their bottom line and to their reputation. These impacts also extend beyond the company to other stakeholders who may be impacted directly and indirectly: neighbors, stock-holders, vendors, and industry peers each have a stake in the outcome. Any and all of these stakeholders may claim foul and initiate damage suits. The environmental consequences from Deepwater Horizon are likely to be far reaching and impacting to many industries and other stakeholders; claims are certain to follow.

Are your clients positioning themselves for their own disaster?

How are you helping them identify and mitigate potential risks before they become reality?

Business Risk Drivers often originate where accountability for results and implementation responsibility are separated. The more complex the operation - the more the organization requires sophisticated communication and tracking processes.