From voluntary to required

A MESSAGE TO OFFSHORE CONTRACTORS FROM ENDURE, INC.

The Safety Situation
As many of you know, on November 15th all offshore oil and gas operators were required to comply with the new regulations established by BSEE. The regulations mandate that oil and gas operators on the outer continental shelf (OCS) develop and implement SEMS (Safety and Environmental Management Systems) in accordance with API RP 75.

While we all commend the hard work and diligence of those who worked to reopen the gulf’s beaches, businesses, and communities, as well as the government’s efforts to ensure the safe operations of activities on the OCS, one implication of the new federal regulations has been overlooked: the impact of these regulations on small businesses that support offshore operators.

Small offshore contractors get ready!
The new regulations clearly state that contractors do not have to have SEMS, but the regulations do require that Operators & Contractors must document their agreement on appropriate contractor safety and environmental policies (bridging document).

Due to the urgency and critical nature of the new regulations, offshore operators are covering their bases and most are requiring contractors to have SEMS in order to continue working offshore. This could shut down the operations of some medium and small offshore contractors indefinitely.

One offshore contractor I met two weeks ago in Houston had just received notice of a pending SEMS audit and was being required to have SEMS implemented. This offshore contractor was facing the end of a multi-year contract until SEMS was implemented and the audit was passed. The contractor didn’t know where to start.

What does this mean?
Contractors may only need to have a working knowledge of SEMS, operators’ safety protocol, and sign a bridging document to continue supporting some offshore operators. However, a growing number of operators, like in the example above, are requiring that offshore contractors have SEMS implemented inside their own companies. For contractors providing piping or drilling support functions, this is a reasonable request and these companies likely have the resources and capacity to comply. However, for many offshore contract companies, developing a SEMS system is not only exceedingly difficult, but prohibitively time consuming and expensive.

The Solution
As an environmental and safety management consultant for over 20 years and a w/mbe, I understand the potential impacts of these new federal regulations on small businesses. Seeing the proverbial ‘writing on the wall’ early this year, I designed a safety and environmental training course to guide small businesses to comply with the new regulations.

ENDURE’s SEMS training course is designed to educate and empower contractors to support the compliance requirements of their respective operators. Over the course of two days, we will cover the history of API RP 75, the full regulatory requirements, operator’s responsibilities, and walk through what contractors need to do to begin developing and implementing their own SEMS. This is a high-powered, detailed course built for owners, senior company leaders, and safety personnel who will be responsible for developing and implementing SEMS.


To learn more about ENDURE’s Safety and Environmental training courses, including our 2-day SEMS Compliance course for offshore operators, go to endure-inc.com. You may also send questions or comments to Angelia Hopson, CEO/President of ENDURE, INC. at:

Visit our site - endure-inc.com
Visit our blog - endure360.blogspot.com

Sincerely,
Angelia Hopson

ENDURE, Inc.
360 Beinoris Drive
Wood Dale, IL 60191
P (630) 766-9700
F (630) 766-9701
E ahopson@endure-inc.com
Chicago * Houston * New Orleans * Orlando


For more information about our safety services go to http://www.endure-inc.com

Start Planing for a Drug Free Workplace!

America’s businesses pay a high price for alcohol and drug abuse. Some costs—increased absences, accidents and errors—are obvious. Others, such as low employee morale and high illness rates, are less so, but the effects are equally harmful to workplace safety. The good news is that employers have enormous power to protect their organizations from alcohol and drug abuse by educating employees and volunteers about its dangers and encouraging individuals with alcohol and drug problems to seek help.  The term “drug-free workplace” is used generally to describe employer-sponsored substance abuse prevention programs.

     Worksite alcohol and drug use cannot be taken lightly, especially on construction sites where we rely on each other for safety. As a worker on this site, you have certain responsibilities related to drug and alcohol use. It is your responsibility to:

•  Understand the project’s drug-free workplace policy.
• Follow it and set a good example for others by working drug and alcohol free.
• Seek help if you or your co-worker(s) need it.
• Notify management if you observe use of or impairment from drugs or alcohol that could threaten the health and safety of employees.

 Remember: if you directly observe drug-free workplace policy violations or obvious, on-the-job impairment that you believe poses an immediate danger to any worker on the job (perhaps caused by alcohol or drug use):

• DO NOT delay or ignore the situation.
• STOP the worker from committing the unsafe practice, if at all possible.
• NOTIFY your supervisor or foreman, immediately.
• BE WILLING to risk being wrong. When your safety and that of your co-worker(s) is on the line, it is better to be safe than sorry.

 A safe, healthy and drug-free workplace is everybody’s responsibility. Thanks for making it yours.
For more information about our safety services go to http://www.endure-inc.com/

A Positive Attitude For Safety in 2011

Care and attitude are two of the more important aspects of your job. They not only affect the way you do your job, but also have a definite relationship to your mental as well as your physical well-being.

Have you ever noticed how much energy you have for the things you enjoy doing, projects you are enthusiastic about? It has been proved that people who perform their jobs with an assured attitude are more safety-conscious, work more efficiently, and have a healthier outlook. Safety means approaching your job with confidence, doing things the right way, the safe way, with concern for others.

A safe attitude contributes to everyone’s well-being. If a proper attitude is not maintained, job performance and quality of workmanship are likely to suffer. This in turn could result in a personal injury, inferior products, or damaged materials. A person who thinks safety will take the extra time to do the job correctly.

Even the people who buy the product you had a part in making could be affected, since a bad attitude can lead to poor workmanship—perhaps defective parts that might malfunction, causing injury to the consumer.

Have you ever has a bad day and felt guilty because the quality of your work was less than you’re capable of? You also know how satisfying it is to know that you’ve done a job well. When you do an admirable job and feel good about it, everything else seems to fall into place. Your job should not be “just a job”—it should be an enjoyable experience. After all, you spend one-third of your life working, which enables you to support yourself—and possibly a family—and to take pleasure in the activities you like to do off the job.

When you are enthusiastic about your job, and show concern and a positive attitude, you not only make a better employee but also become a much more appreciated individual. There is nothing as contagious as enthusiasm—if everyone makes the effort. Don’t be someone who just “has a job.” The proper attitude—the safe attitude—will show that you care.

A safe attitude can play a big role in all of our lives. By staying in the right frame of mind we can accomplish all things we attempt in a safe manner. Remember, your attitude matters to the company, to your co-workers, ultimately to your own health and self-esteem.

For more information about our safety services go to http://www.endure-inc.com/