OTH 92 374 THE SELECTION AND TRAINING OF OFFSHORE INSTALLATION MANAGERS FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT Authors Professor Rhona Flin and Georgina Slaven Offshore Management Centre The Robert Gordon University Viewfield Road Aberdeen AB9 2PW HSE BOOKS Health and Safety Executive - Offshore Technology Report © Crown copyright 1994 Applications for reproduction should be made to HMSO First published 1994 ISBN 0-7176-0776-3 This report is published by the Health and Safety Executive as part of a series of work which has been supported by funds formerly provided by the Department of Energy and lately by the Executive. Neither the Executive, the Department nor the contractors concerned assume any liability for the reports nor do they necessarily reflect the views or policy of the Executive or the Department. Results, including detailed evaluation and, where relevant, recommendations stemming from their research projects are published in the OTH series of reports. Background information and data arising from these research projects are published in the OTI series of reports. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank all those individuals in the offshore industry both in the UK and Norway, without whose co-operation and assistance this project would not have been completed. Gratitude is also extended to all the staff at The Montrose Fire and Emergency Training Centre for their assistance and for granting us access to their training course delegates: and to other training providers for information and the opportunity to observe their training courses. We also wish to thank all the individuals from the armed forces and other organisations who select and train individuals for command positions, for their helpful co-operation. Finally, our special gratitude goes out to the OIMs who have been unfailingly helpful and supportive throughout this project. iii CONTENTS GLOSSARY vi SUMMARY vii 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Project Objectives 1 1.3 Research Method 2 1.4 The Legal Responsibilities of the OIM 3 1.5 Managing an Offshore Emergency 4 1.6 Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 5 1.7 Selection and Training of OIMs 6 1.8 Standards of Competence for OIMs 8 2. SURVEY OF UK COMPANIES 9 2.1 Introduction 9 2.2 Objectives 9 2.3 Method 9 2.4 Sample of Companies 10 2.5 Survey Findings 10 2.6 Conclusion 11 3. OIMs' EXPERIENCE OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS 13 3.1 Introduction 13 3.2 Objectives 13 3.3 Method 13 3.4 Type of Installation 14 3.5 Work history of OIMs Sampled 14 3.6 Utility of Previous Experience and Training 15 3.7 Utility of Offshore Exercises 17 3.8 Contribution from Knowledge of the Installation 18 3.9 Faith in own Abilities 19 3.10 Support from Colleagues 22 3.11 Lessons Learnt from the Experience 24 3.12 Conclusion 26 4. SELECTION AND TRAINING OF NORWEGIAN OIMs 28 4.1 Introduction 28 4.2 The Norwegian OIM 28 4.3 Objectives 29 4.4 Method 29 4.5 Sample of Companies 29 4.6 Survey Findings 30 4.7 Conclusion 32 iv 5. COMMANDING OFFICERS 34 5.1 Introduction 34 5.2 Objective 34 5.3 Method and Sample 34 5.4 Selection Criteria 35 5.5 Selection Procedures 37 5.6 Psychometric Tests 39 5.7 Training for Emergency Command 40 5.8 Competence Assessment 43 5.9 Conclusion 44 6. OIMs' PERSONALITY AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT 45 6.1 Introduction 45 6.2 Objectives 45 6.3 Characteristics of Effective Leaders in Emergencies 45 6.4 Identifying a Suitable Psychometric Test 47 6.5 Method 51 6.6 Results 52 6.7 Conclusion 64 7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 67 7.1 Introduction 67 7.2 Selection Criteria 67 7.3 Selection Methods 69 7.4 Training Procedures 70 7.5 Simulated Emergency Exercises 72 7.6 Competence Assessment 73 7.7 General Conclusion 74 REFERENCES 75 APPENDIX A - Emergency Simulation Exercises 80 APPENDIX B - Personality Profiling of OIMs 83 APPENDIX C - HSE Notice of Appointment of OIM 91 OIM Standards of Competence (OPITO) APPENDIX D - Selection and Training of UK OIMs 100 APPENDIX E - OIM Crisis Incident Interview Schedule 157 APPENDIX F - Selection and Training of Norwegian OIMs 160 APPENDIX G - UK and Norwegian Training Centres 187 APPENDIX H - Detailed Reports on Commanding Officers from 193 Chapter 5 v GLOSSARY DTI Department of Trade & Industry EPI Eysenck Personality Inventory IADC International Association of Drilling Contractors MCI Management Charter Initiative NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration (USA) NMD Norwegian Maritime Directorate NPD Norwegian Petroleum Directorate OCTO Offshore Command Training Organisation OFTC Offshore Fire Training Centre (now The Montrose Fire and Emergency Training Centre) OIM Offshore Installation Manager OLF Norwegian Oil Industry Association OPITO Offshore vi SUMMARY This HMSO report OTH 92 374 presents the findings from project (P2719) which investigated the selection and training of Offshore Installation Managers (OIMs) with particular reference to their ability to take command during an emergency. There were five main elements in the project. (i) A survey of 38 operating, drilling and service companies employing OIMs for the UKCS, examined their current procedures for selecting, training and assessing OIMs. (A detailed report of this survey, interim report OTO 92 004 is available from the authors.) (ii) A survey of nine operating and drilling companies based in Stavanger, employing OIMs for the Norwegian Continental Shelf, examined their current procedures for selecting, training and assessing OIMs. (iii) In-depth interviews were carried out with 16 OIMs who had managed an offshore emergency to determine what had helped them to cope with the incident and what they had learned from the experience. (iv) Information was collected from organisations outside the oil industry whose staff may be required to take command in an emergency, in order to discover the procedures used to select, train and assess these on-scene commanders. (v) A psychometric test validation examined the relationship between OIMs' personality and their ability to manage a simulated emergency. It should be noted that this was a relatively small scale validation exercise and the findings should be regarded as preliminary trends which would require replication on a larger scale before more definitive conclusions could be drawn. On the basis of these studies, a set of 27 recommendations are made which relate to selection, training and assessment of OIMs, with particular reference to their ability to take command in an offshore emergency. These are subdivided into five sections: selection criteria, selection methods, emergency command training, the use of simulated emergencies and formal competence assessment procedures. vii viii 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION This is the Final Report (OTH 92 374) for project P2719 funded by the HSE Offshore Safety Division on the selection and training of offshore installation managers for crisis management. The results of the initial stages of work from this project have already been published as two interim reports (OTO 92 004 & OTO 92 011) (Flin & Slaven, 1992). At current levels of oil industry activity in the North Sea there is a workforce of 33,2000 (DTI, 1992) on approximately 200 installations which are managed by 400-500 OIMs. There are also a significant number of men who are registered as OIMs, who can deputise for the OIM if required. Thus the total number of individuals registered as OIMs with HSE probably numbers well over 1000 persons. (As there is no published register of OIMs it is impossible to verify these estimates). OIMs work on installations which range from small gas platforms, to mobile and jack-up drilling rigs, to large production platforms which may have 300 or more persons onboard. The job requires not only day-to-day management responsibilities for a wide range of functions but also the ability to take the role of the on-scene commander should an emergency arise. Given the potential hydrocarbon and maritime hazards on an offshore installation and their isolated location in the North Sea, the level of command ability which may be demanded of these managers is clearly out with the range of typical managerial responsibilities. The OIM's position has similarities with that of a ship's captain or an onshore petrochemical plant manager, however, the job is also unique in some respects and therefore may require special qualities, training and experience. This is currently an important issue for the oil industry as the new safety case regime, which emerged after the Piper Alpha disaster (see below), makes it necessary for oil companies to demonstrate that their offshore managers are competent to take command in an emergency. 1.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES This project was designed to examine the practical implications of Lord Cullen's recommendations (98, 99) from the Report of the Public Inquiry into the Piper Alpha disaster, (Cullen, 1990). 98. "The operator's criteria for the selection of OIMs, and in particular their command ability, should form part of its SMS [Safety Management System]." 99. "There should be a system of emergency exercises which provides OIMs with practice in decision-making in emergency situations, including decisions on evacuation. All OIMs and their deputies should participate regularly in such exercises. 1 The project objectives were: 1. To identify the particular personality characteristics and skills required by Offshore Installation Managers to enable them to perform effectively as the senior manager on an installation, with particular reference to their ability to undertake the command role in an emergency. 2. To identify the methods being used to select and train OIMs for crisis management and to evaluate the effectiveness of simulated emergency exercises (onshore and offshore) for the assessment and training of OIMs. 3. To determine whether psychometric tests would be of benefit in selecting and training candidates for the post of OIM, with particular reference to their command and crisis management responsibilities.