QGC: O&G Explorers Must Focus on Safety (Australia)

QGC: O&G  Explorers Must Focus on Safety

QGC has told Queensland oil and gas explorers that they must maintain a focus on safety to be good neighbours.

In an address to the Queensland Petroleum Exploration Association, QGC Operations Director Walter Simpson said that keeping employees safe was necessary to work well with others.

“Our approach to safety and how we deal with our neighbours sets the tone for how the community at large views our industry,” Mr Simpson said.

He said that safe working applied to the environment, property and to maintaining the integrity of gas infrastructure.

“With our 1,600 landholder agreements we must be doing something right – but we know there is much room for improvement,” he said.

“Keeping safety at the forefront of our minds is a demonstration of respect for ourselves and respect for others – for all of the people associated with our activities.”

As industry construction and operations increased, the importance of having the right approach would only increase.

“In a practical sense, we have to conduct our operations as if our children were watching us,” he said.

Mr Simpson said the industry had agreed several years ago not to compete adversely on safety and was working together.

Examples included driver training and heavy haulage standards, well-head leak management, fatigue management, bushfire safety and mutual emergency response capability.

“During the recent flooding we served the community well by supplying two of the three industry- funded helicopters for 120 rescue and recovery flights in flood-stricken areas, primarily around Bundaberg,” Mr Simpson said.

“It is vitally important that, as an industry, we share knowledge, learn from best practices and innovate to limit the impact and maximise the benefits of our projects while we work together to put safety first.”

[mappress]
LNG World News Staff, February 20, 2013; Image: QGC