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13 Oct 2009 : Column 13WH—continued
I want to reinforce that point, because there is a view among those who are not engaged in this industry on a day-to-day basis that somehow it is just fading into the
sunset and that it is a declining industry. The number of times people say to me, "Well, you must be worried now that the oil is finished, what are you going to do next?" And yet the information that we have is twofold. First, there is probably nearly as much oil and gas still to be recovered from the UK sector as has already been recovered. Secondly, there is a huge export industry that we are supporting internationally, from the collective capacity and technical ability of companies that have derived their success from operations within the North sea.
It is important that we have a taxation and economic regime that gives confidence to the industry that we will continue to invest, because as the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North rightly pointed out, the integrity of the structures and their inherent safety depends significantly on continuing investment. We must ensure that that investment is stimulated, encouraged and-this is the important point-is made at a level that guarantees that we have the platforms and the installations that we deserve and need.
Key Programme 3 was a very good check and one that reinforced the safety case culture. It is the responsibility of the operators to ensure that their installations are safe, but it is also the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive to test those operators all the time, in terms of establishing what is the safety culture and what is the operation of those safety cases on a day-to-day basis. It seems to me that KP3 was an extremely useful check.
Similarly useful is the helicopter taskforce, which is chaired by Bob Keiller, whose company is also located in my constituency, beside the airport. Indeed, if one visits his company and many others in the industry, before anything else is discussed they will give a safety briefing, which is not just about the building that they are in; it is part of the recognition that, before anybody goes anywhere in the industry, they should think about safety. I do not think that any of us would deny that that culture is much more sharply defined now than it probably was in the past.
What is clearly important is that we put in place at all levels all the mechanisms that are necessary to ensure that we can have confidence that this industry will invest for the future, will operate for the future, that the people who work in it will have an environment that is as safe as it can be, that its international image is one of high integrity in every sense and that it has a long-term future.
Helicopters are an obvious point of concern, but there is no other practical way to take crews on and off platforms. It is true that the investment in higher technology and automation over the years means that the number of people at any one time on a platform now is smaller than in the past. However, the number of people flying backwards and forwards to platforms is sometimes greater now than in the past, because those people have specialist roles to play.
In that context, after the last crash there was a discussion about what we would do with helicopters. Clearly, there were very many workers who said, "I am very uncomfortable about taking that journey out". However, being the kind of people they are, they also say, "There isn't actually any option, that is my job and I will have to accept it, take it on trust and hope that the accident was something that happens rarely and won't happen again". Nevertheless, I think that anybody can
understand the atmosphere that would have been pervasive within the industry after that last crash. Therefore, we need to ensure that we have helicopters of the highest integrity and operation systems that are as thorough and rigid as they can be, in terms of maintenance and actual operation environment.
Of course, there has been some concern about the competition for helicopters. We have had separate debates in this House about the need for helicopters, for example in Afghanistan. I do not know whether the Minister will be able to comment, but we have concerns that there is some pressure on the numbers and availability of search and rescue helicopters. I hope that it is not true, but it has been suggested to me anecdotally that there are some people in the search and rescue business who are not sure that they can absolutely guarantee 24/7 cover around the UK coast. As I say, I hope that that is not true. I do not know if the Minister is able to give any reassurance on that issue or, if necessary, could write subsequently. It is important that, if there is a problem, we address it. Of course, that issue does not just concern the North sea; it concerns people operating in the industry, but it also concerns anybody else operating around the UK coast.
I believe that this is a very timely debate. It is important to stress that we have an industry here that has a very substantial past-I myself first went offshore in the North sea 36 years ago-and a very substantial future, whereby people will still be travelling offshore in the North sea in 36 years' time. We must also ensure that this is an industry that operates to the highest standards internationally and that people see it as a beacon of high standards, so that they can be attracted to work in it because they know that the environment may not be 100 per cent. safe-nothing can ever be 100 per cent. safe-but is as safe as it can reasonably be and that safety is the paramount priority of everybody engaged in the industry.
10.25 am
Paul Rowen (Rochdale) (LD): I congratulate the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Doran) on securing this morning's debate, and I welcome the contributions made by my hon. Friend the Member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (Sir Robert Smith) and my right hon. Friend the Member for Gordon (Malcolm Bruce). I do not intend to repeat the many excellent points made by those Members; I just want to reinforce what I think are some of the main issues that have arisen from the debate.
Our debate this morning is certainly timely, given that the KP3 review was published in July and that this week is the first opportunity for right hon. and hon. Members to debate it. It is also good that progress has been made since the original report was published: remedial work has been done on serious problems, such as fire doors; there is a higher level of awareness about safety management and hazard risk control; and companies, despite the economic conditions, have continued to invest in training and hazard awareness.
It is true that there has also been progress, although perhaps not across the piece, on plant maintenance. As previous speakers have said, that will continue to be an
issue, given the fact that the industry's plants and equipment are ageing and are likely to remain in place for a number of years. It is also good that organisations are being more co-operative and are sharing evidence.
However, as the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North said, despite the fall in the number of people killed in the industry-except for the figures for those killed in helicopter crashes-the number of hydrocarbon incidents and releases has not changed in the past few years. Although the number is considerably lower than it was at the time of Piper Alpha, I understand that there were 21 major or significant hydrocarbon releases in the second quarter of this year. There were 74 such releases in 2007-08, 74 in 2006-07, and 73 in 2005-06. If there is one lesson that needs to be learned from those figures and the fact that Piper Alpha was caused by a significant hydrocarbon release, it is that we need to do something to improve those statistics.
I believe that it would be of benefit to both the UK and Norway if the Health and Safety Executive's offshore division were to work with Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority. For example, an issue identified by the Petroleum Safety Authority that has not been mentioned already this morning is the fact that, in the Norway sector last year, there were 350 instances of work-related hearing damage. The authority says:
"A continuing high number of hearing damage reports is an indication that personal protective equipment is an inefficient barrier".
Perhaps that matter could be examined.
Until the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North stated it, I did not know how many people had been killed in incidents involving helicopters. Forty crew members and 150 passengers killed since 1976 are certainly considerable numbers. I agree with what my right hon. Friend the Member for Gordon said: in the current circumstances, there is probably no other easy way of getting people to the platforms. However, continuing efforts are needed to ensure that the equipment is maintained and performs to the highest safety levels.
As several right hon. and hon. Members have said, the matter of personal locator beacons illustrates the need for the Civil Aviation Authority and the HSE to work together. Clearly, although that issue of collaboration may now be in the process of being resolved, it was not being resolved until the helicopter incidents earlier this year occurred. I agree with my right hon. Friend the Member for Gordon about rescue times. In February, it took two hours for the helicopter to locate people in the sea. That is clearly too long. I realise that the Government are under pressure to put more helicopters in Afghanistan, but that must not happen at the expense of the 24-hour, seven-day cover provided around UK shores. I hope that the Minister can give us an assurance on that.
As has been said, the UK oil and gas industry contributes significantly to our economy and is likely to continue to do so. It is a major employer, particularly in Aberdeenshire. It is important that the health and safety issues raised by the KP3 report and review are kept in people's minds and that there is no room for complacency.
10.30 am
Mr. James Clappison (Hertsmere) (Con):
I congratulate the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Doran) on securing the debate. He made the important point that
this subject is not debated often enough; it is good that he has given us an opportunity to debate it. As he rightly says, it is of great importance to the safety of those who work in the industry, which employs hundreds of thousands of people in hundreds of installations, many offshore. The industry is of huge economic importance to the country, but the safety of the work force must be paramount.
The hazardous conditions in which such men work were brought home to us recently by the tragic crash of a Super Puma helicopter in the North sea on 2 April, in which, sadly, 16 lives were lost as the helicopter made its way to Aberdeen from one of the offshore platforms. Our thoughts must of course be with those who lost family and loved ones on that day. The hon. Gentleman gave us the background to that incident: not only had there been a similar incident some weeks before, in February-no lives were lost, but it was similar in other respects-but lives had been lost over the years in a number of other incidents involving helicopters.
I support the hon. Gentleman in the points that he made. I do not propose to go over all of them, but they were all well made, especially the points relating to the new helicopter taskforce set up by the UK offshore industry group. The taskforce has been meeting and performing a useful function, and he told us about some of the improvements made as a result. We are told:
"Its purpose is to act on behalf of the industry as a communications focal point for sharing information, advice and learning across the industry and with other stakeholders on matters arising from this and other helicopter accidents, including assisting with the implementation of any recommendations from the Air Accident Investigation Branch inquiries."
Clearly, that is an important function. I am pleased that the hon. Gentleman mentioned it to the Minister, as it gives us the opportunity to ask the Government what their approach is to the taskforce. One imagines that the Government are one of the stakeholders described by the group. It will be interesting to hear from the Minister what role Departments, the Health and Safety Executive and the Civil Aviation Authority have played. It would also be interesting to hear what other steps the Government have taken to promote helicopter safety since the tragic incident in April. I support the points made about the need to have search and rescue helicopters available, and I hope the Minister will answer those as well.
On more general issues of North sea gas and oil safety, the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North was right to ask about the HSE's review of key programme 3, which came about as a result of the KP3 report of November 2007 and was published in July. The review found
"evidence of good progress in addressing the issues identified by the KP3 work"
since November 2007, but in safety, of all fields, it is important to ensure that all issues are properly addressed, and it is clear from the review that some still need to be dealt with. I shall briefly highlight some of them, although there are others of importance.
The review made important points about asset integrity, saying that
"further progress in the management of asset integrity is required. The industry must also focus effort on greater reduction of significant hydrocarbon releases to build upon progress already made."
Once again, I would like to hear from the Minister what the Government's view is on that matter. Also, will he give us the most up-to-date figures on hydrocarbon releases, including the figures for April to June-the second quarter of this year-when there were apparently a number of significant hydrocarbon releases? The hon. Member for Aberdeen, North told us why it is so important that we bear down as much as possible on hydrocarbon releases.
The review made some points about corporate and cross-industry learning and communication, stating that
"more effort is required by the industry to break down barriers which are preventing more effective integration of the work of their independent verification bodies, and...concerns still exist over effective auditing and knowledge sharing within companies."
Again, one wonders what impetus the Government have given to the promotion of that important knowledge-sharing function. Does the Minister wish to comment on that?
Finally, among a number of important points, the review mentioned work force involvement in controlling major accident hazards. The hon. Member for Aberdeen, North was right to deal with that important point. It would be good to know the Minister's view on it, as the review said that further work was needed to develop work force involvement.
We must all be concerned about the safety of such a substantial and important work force. Safety must be paramount. We all remember the Piper Alpha tragedy of 21 years ago. The Government and all of us must play our part to ensure that there is no repeat of that tragedy, or indeed any tragedy at all, in this important field. We must do all we can and take all the time possible to bear down on the safety hazards that give rise to such incidents.
10.38 am
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Jonathan Shaw): I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Doran) on securing this important debate. It is important that we have the opportunity to explore the progress made on these key issues, and I think that the Chamber recognises his contribution to health and safety standards in the North sea and his campaigning both in and outside the House on those matters.
It is important that we remember those who have lost their lives, as all hon. Members have said. The communities of north-east Scotland take huge amounts of wealth and resource out of the North sea, both in oil and gas and, as I know from my previous portfolio, by fishing. However, we know what perils the sea holds for many. We know of the 167 lives lost in Piper Alpha and of the 16 individuals who died more recently. As my hon. Friend said, his community has felt all too often the tragedy of loss of life and its lasting effects. It is important that we remember that in our reflections on how to improve safety.
That brings me to key programme 3. On the 20th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions commissioned the Health and Safety Executive to review the UK offshore oil and gas industry's progress on addressing the issues in the KP3 report on asset integrity. Hon. Members have referred to that today and my comments will concentrate on it.
Worryingly, even after 20 years of great attention being paid to health and safety issues, the report drew attention to a number of weaknesses, such as the offshore industry's poor performance and a lack of progress on improving areas of asset integrity. This year's KP3 review by the Health and Safety Executive found that the offshore industry leadership had responded well by allocating considerable resources to tackling the issues identified in the KP3 report.
The review found evidence that good progress had been made. KP3 and the review have raised awareness of the need for effective process safety management and major hazard risk controls. Good progress has been made on fabric and general plant maintenance, although ageing infrastructure means that that will be an ongoing challenge. Remedial work has taken place to rectify the serious causes for concern identified by KP3, such as fire doors and deluge systems. Leadership in asset integrity management is now firmly on the industry's agenda and has been effectively promoted throughout the sector. The industry is now more open to sharing good practice in asset integrity.
Although the findings of the review were encouraging, the challenges are ongoing and should not be underestimated. Offshore infrastructure continues to get older and remedial work is yet to be completed in some areas. Momentum must continue to prevent the assets degrading to unacceptable levels. The HSE will maintain the momentum by ensuring that asset integrity is one of the four priorities in the offshore division's plan of work. It will remain a key priority for interventions dealing with major hazard risk management, particularly in the light of the ageing infrastructure.
The KP3 review considered work force involvement, to which my hon. Friend referred. The Government recognise the important role that the work force and their representatives play on offshore installations, and the valuable contribution that they can make in managing major hazards offshore. The HSE gives a long-term commitment to promoting and facilitating work force involvement in its new strategy, which includes a specific goal dedicated to that. The work force are closest to the hazards and are often best placed to alert managers to problems and ways of improving safe practice. They have the benefit of an excellent network of safety representatives and committees covering all staffed installations. I commend their commitment and initiative, but that network can work effectively only in an atmosphere in which everyone is encouraged to have an open discussion on health and safety problems and solutions.
Such a culture was at the heart of the comments made by hon. Members. The review said that although there is increasing work force awareness of major hazard risks, improvements are required to strengthen the safety culture. My hon. Friend referred to the "not required back" system. In a recent HSE survey, one in 10 workers who responded said that they would fear losing their jobs if they raised health and safety issues. As he said, we must keep a close eye on that because such a culture is not conducive to the promotion of health and safety. People must not be afraid of losing their jobs if they raise legitimate concerns about their health and safety and that of their colleagues in such dangerous environments.
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