Issue 68 – September 2013 news from the International Marine Contractors Association Lifting: IMCA’s work programme continues PLUS LATEST SAFETY STATISTICS SPOTLIGHT ON CARL ANNESSA MORE SUCCESSFUL COMPETENCE SEMINARS THE MARITIME LABOUR CONVENTION COMES INTO FORCE Image: Seaway Heavy Lifting International Marine Contractors Association www.imca-int.com From the President issue 68 CONTENTS Massimo Fontolan, Saipem IMCA President 2013 As the industry moves inexorably forward and looks further into the future, evolution is of course inevitable. In addition to working in new geographies and topographies, there are also changes to regulation, legislation and the environment, including the political one. These issues combine to make our contracting activities increasingly difficult; ever more complex, challenging and risk laden. This requires us all to deliver to high standards, and places an emphasis on the need for sustainable and viable contractors in all segments of the market. 3 4 Whilst the business is high profile and often high value, that profile is not FEATURE IMCA always recognised, firstly by our clients and outside the energy sector itself. Recently though, there are signs that the financial world is taking more of an interest in our activities, with the advent of financial investors seeking to take a stake in the funding and control of offshore construction. Although greater involvement and understanding from the wider world is to be welcomed, there should also perhaps be a word or two of caution due to the sensitive nature of the work we are engaged in, as, particularly in the environmental sense, the need for a greater emphasis on safety becomes more and more fundamental to all that we do; on the capacity and capability of the contracting supply chain to deliver, within safety, quality, schedule, and still making a sustainable fair amount of profit. This emphasis should not be diluted by commercial considerations only. We are constantly striving to enhance risk cultures within contractors, 5 8 clients, countries, governments, regulators and legislators. The motivation CORE REGIONAL here is purely to improve global standards. These are long-term strategic goals, designed to further the industry, our reputation and efficiency. There is no short-term profit motivation here, as we all recognise that the cultures of companies, organisations and countries are not radically altered overnight. There is significant evidence that, where companies and organisations are driven by profit and returns, risk cultures deteriorate, often with deleterious results. There are many instances where one single incident or poor decision, based on an inadequate understanding or analysis of the risk factors, can result in total disaster. These risk factors are sadly often subservient to commercial or cultural drivers. At the highest level, businesses, industries, communities and societies are impacted by the catastrophes which result. Just to name 10 12 the more conspicuous: the Challenger space shuttle disaster set back NASA MARINE DIVING and the US space program, Piper Alpha had a huge impact on the industry and caused the Lloyd’s Insurance market to initiate radical changes, and the ramifications of Macondo have had a global effect, in addition to the continuing erosion of the balance sheet, status and share price of BP. These are not the outcomes boards, investors, governments, regulators or the public are seeking. Working in riskier environments requires a greater focus on risk management, which should not be diluted by short-term drivers such as share price and shareholder returns. Current business structures use safety and risk management as a tool for healthy competition and a competitive tendering success, where contracts are awarded not solely on price, but on a best fit. Factors considered by client companies include the quality of the supplier, using attributes such as: their safety record, their sustainability, their 13 14 viability, and their risk culture. SURVEY & ROV SPOTLIGHT Turning the market into one driven by price and returns will not add value to the sector, but could perhaps introduce an unwelcome reduction in the available pool of contractors, where financial considerations lead contracts to be awarded on the basis of cost, not culture. Ultimately, as a trade association, IMCA’s primary function is to do whatever is possible to make the contracting supply and value chain stronger and more sustainable, starting with the offshore contracting industry leaders and through the hierarchy. This must be achieved by focusing on managing risk and complexity (which are inherent throughout our business) in a safe, controllable and predictable fashion. Clients should acknowledge and recognise that their quest for competition has to take these factors into account, for it is paramount that balance exists between competition and sustainability, in order to create value. DIRECTORY15 EVENTS20 2 A FOCUS ON LIFTING On a typical offshore vessel, lifting is fundamental to operations this sub-workgroup was held on 18 July 2013 at Bridon Ropes, and ranges from the routine lifting of stores and spares through Wallsend, UK with a follow-up meeting scheduled to take place to complicated and heavy lifts. Each lifting operation has a on 7 October 2013 in Amsterdam. risk of injury to people, equipment damage and pollution to The next Wire Rope Workshop is to take place on 8 the environment. Although many tasks are repetitive and are October 2013 in Amsterdam at the Radisson Blu Hotel, on assumed to be low risk, a percentage of them will be of greater the topic of wire rope lubrication for subsea applications. The risk and will require appropriate analysis and input to reduce provisional programme was sent out in August 2013 and there risks to an acceptable level. will be a good selection of speakers from vessel operators, It is worth noting that many accidents occur in what are rope manufacturers and lubricant and equipment suppliers. perceived as low risk everyday operations. It is therefore Presentations will cover the latest developments in the field important to ensure that appropriate procedures are in place of wire rope lubrication. To register for this workshop please to try to ensure that lifting teams remain alert to all likely risks email [email protected] regardless of the ease or difficulty of an operation. MF IMCA’s Crane & Winch Operations Workgroup (established under the Marine Division Management Committee) holds quarterly meetings to discuss these lifting operations and how the processes and systems involved in lifting operations can be made safer and more efficient. The workgroup has recently formed a sub-workgroup to revise IMCA M 179 - Guidance on the use of cable laid slings and grommets. The first meeting of SUBSEA LIFTING The IMCA Diving Division Subsea Lifting and Rigging Some of the matters that are under consideration include: Workgroup has been rejuvenated. Regular meetings have been the composition of a diving lifting team and the roles and held this year with the intention of developing guidance on responsibilities of team members; categorisation of lifts for this Lifting Operations in Support of Manned Diving Operations. The type of work; dealing with the movement of loads during water- proposed new document is intended to complement existing borne lifting; Archimedes principle and snatch loading; security advice contained in IMCA SEL 019, IMCA M 187 - Guidelines of loads; blind lifting; overhead lifting; monitoring the location for lifting operations and in other IMCA documents relevant (including the depth) of loads in the water column; establishing to subsea lifting operations such that it should be consistent a place of safety for the divers during the lowering and raising of with existing offshore industry guidance. However, the aim is loads; the importance of designating and observing stop points to cover more fully the particular challenges of subsea lifting during subsea lifts; dealing with poor or nil visibility; dealing with operations in support of manned diving operations and to the effects of seabed suction; safe recovery of old, damaged capture actual best lifting practice in the offshore diving industry. or deteriorated infrastructure from the seabed; command and control issues; training and competences required for members of diving lifting teams. BM Main image: Seaway Heavy Lifting 3 around IMCA CHARITY BALL Image: Martin Parker Photography Finding a theme for the IMCA of course this now makes reducing plastic pollution in contact Chris Charman, if you Midsummer Ball is clearly life even more difficult for the oceans. wish to get involved. always a challenge, and this next year, so the suggestion The objectives they have Collectively we raised £4,000, year we opted for a Venetian box is well and truly open. taken on are long haul ones, a new IMCA record. Many theme. All the feedback The charity chosen was and they continue to look for thanks to all who participated received has been extremely Plastic Oceans, a foundation partners and support from the and contributed with such positive, and the event was dedicated to protecting and membership to help achieve great humour and enjoyment. a resounding success, but improving the environment by these. Please don’t hesitate to CC IMCA TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS ADVISER ROLE ONLINE IMCA is seeking a Technical/Marine Adviser - Offshore All of our guidance documents are available to all, including Operations & Construction. non-members, as a free PDF download on the IMCA public The role would suit an offshore professional such as a Master website: www.imca-int.com/documents/publications.html. This is or DPO, deck officer, engineer, offshore diving supervisor to encourage them to be widely used for the good and safety of with extensive experience and knowledge of offshore marine all in the industry. We hope companies and other organisations operations and construction wishing to be shore based. will provide links to our documents on their websites and intranets making our best practice guidelines much more widely The role will cover a wide range of activities, including: available and easily accessible to their employees.