STEP CHANGE IN SAFETY Workgroups

Industry collaboration to improve workplace safety

Through collaboration and sharing of good practice, each of our workgroups creates resources, initiatives and events that are designed to act as learning opportunities and provide topics for discussion with the workforce. The members of these workgroup represents their organisation but bring with them their own knowledge, experience and passion. By doing so the aim is to ensure nobody becomes complacent about staying safe.

Every member of Step Change in Safety has the opportunity to join a workgroup, giving them and their company a chance to contribute to raising safety in the UK oil and gas industry.

Contact us

If there is a topic you think one of our workgroups should be covering, please contact us.

Visit the dedicated workgroup pages to discover more about the work being undertaken by each group and its members in order to improve workplace safety.

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Wellbeing

Wellbeing has many aspects including mental, physical, social, financial, and environmental

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Competence

Developing and implementing industry-wide training and competence standards

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OIM Network

The purpose of the OIM Network is to support and influence the Step Change in Safety agenda.

WORKGROUP CHAIRS

Alerts and Moments:

  1. Callum Chesshire
    Callum Chesshire
    Senior HSE Advisor
    Anasuria Operating Company Limited

    Callum has worked in the Oil & Gas Industry for 10 years, starting out in engineering and construction safety, he is now part of the Petrofac installation operator HSE Team. Callum has a passion for sharing and learning, he has led the Alerts & Moments Workgroup in the role of co-chair since 2019.

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  2. Karen Bowman
    Karen Bowman
    Senior Consultant, SSU (Safety & Sustainability)
    Equinor

    From 2006, Karen Bowman was employed as Police officer with Grampian Police and then Police Scotland with a broad range of experience within response policing, intelligence handling and as a Detective Constable within the PUBLIC Protection unit working to investigate serious sexual offences against children and vulnerable members of the public. In 2013, following an injury Karen took the difficult decision to leave behind her career in Policing and commenced studies into Health and safety.

    With a clear passion for working with and ensuring the safety of members of the public , the transition from a policing role into health and safety seemed a natural career path to progress, diversify and build upon the unique skillset gained from her Police Service. Securing a position at Aker Solutions as a Health and Safety Advisor providing health and safety support to the subsea division and onshore workshops.

    Thereafter an HSEQ position with Stork which enabled her to gain a broad spectrum of knowledge and understanding relating to various aspects of the offshore oil and gas industry, including but not limited to, scaffolding, rope access, confined space entry HVAC, NDT, painter blasting, asbestos and TAR campaigns, with work pack preparation for major Operators within the Stork portfolio.

    From 2015, Karen secured a position as a Safety and sustainability Performance advisor with the Norwegian Operator Statoil, before progressing into a Senior Consultant role supporting the project Huc and Operational phases of the Equinor-operated Mariner field and currently supports the Operations teams for the Mariner field. Karen's main passion in regards to health and safety relates to ensuring the sharing and learning of incidents to prevent recurrence in particular the prevention of major accidents and major accident hazards.

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HUMAN FACTORS:

  1. David Jamieson
    David Jamieson
    Human Factors Lead
    Shell UK Ltd

    David Jamieson is Human Factors Lead at Shell, a Chartered Member of the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors and he has 23 years of experience of working in Human Factors, firstly in consultancy and for the last 12 years with Shell Upstream UK. While at Shell, David has developed the strategy and been responsible for the HF programme of work for the business, including safety critical task analysis, HF input to investigations, organisational change, HF in projects and HF assurance.

    David has been involved with the Step Change HF Working Group since around 2015 in which time he has been working with the team to actively promote best human factors practice in a way which will provide real practical value to Step Change member companies.

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  2. Dr. Jared Dempsey
    Dr. Jared Dempsey
    Director of Kognivate
    Kognivate

    An industrial psychologist, Jared has spent over 20 years researching, teaching and consulting in the area of human behaviour and human factors. He has a fascination with how people manage risk. Chartered by the British Psychological Society and a Fellow with the Higher Education Academy, Dr. Dempsey is passionate about making human factors accessible and meaningful for everyone.

JOINED-UP THINKING:

  1. Derek Donald
    Derek Donald
    Senior HSSEA Manager - UK Operations
    Wood Plc

    Derek embarked on his HSE career a little differently from most. He started within local authorities in the early 90s before moving into the training environment in 2001 as an Instructor with RGiT Montrose (latterly Petrofac Training) delivering training solutions to the Oil, gas and renewables sectors in the UK and Trinidad before transferring to mainstream Petrofac in 2008 as an HSE Advisor on their Duty Holder projects. During this time he also spent 11 years ‘on call’ with HM Coastguards local Search & Rescue team conducting shore based SAR operations.

    Derek joined Wood in 2013 and is part of Wood’s EMEA HSSE&S leadership team managing the HSE team in the Operated Assets business within the UKCS. He leads a team focused on delivering safe and sustainable operations to support facilities and producing assets across multiple clients.

    He is an IOSH chartered Safety Practitioner with 30 years multi sector/ industry HSE experience providing a comprehensive and varied knowledge of the industry.

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  2. Joanne Wilkinson
    Joanne Wilkinson
    Senior Operational Safety Advisor
    Serica Energy (UK) Limited

    Jo joined the British Army as a Combat Medical Technician in 1992, during her military service she served operational tours in Rwanda, Bosnia and Kosovo. Jo left the Army in 2000 and moved into HSE after completing her NEBOSH Certificate.

    Jo joined the HSEQ Team at Serica Energy in 2021 as HSEQ Advisor for the Bruce, Keith and Rhum assets, where she supports both operations and projects.

    Jo is a member of IIRSM and a Registered Safety Professional and has over 20 years multi sector/industry HSEQ experience.

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LIFTING:

  1. Kenny Lawtie
    Kenny Lawtie
    Lifting Technical Authority / Head of Lifting
    Wood Plc

    Kenny started his working life in the merchant navy before moving over to fishing. He soon decided that fishing was not for him however, and he then started as a rigger improver at McDermotts Ardesier oil rig fabrication yard where he served his time and became a fully qualified rigger.

    He then worked between offshore, onshore and overseas, rising up through the ranks to Rigging General Foreman/Superintendent before moving into an onshore support role in 2006.

    In 2009, Kenny became Shell's Hoisting and Lifting SME - a role which he currently holds along with being Wood's Lifting Technical Authority and Head of Lifting. Kenny has been a member of the Step Change in Safety Lifting Forum since 2014 and is also a member of the OPITO industry-wide lifting and hoisting workgroup. He says: "My aim is to walk away from this industry at some point in the future being able to truthfully say 'I helped to make a difference.'"

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  2. Chris Stuart
    Chris Stuart
    Lifting TA & LOLER Competent Person Lead
    EnQuest

    Chris has more than 25 years' experience within the energy sector having begun his career 'on the tools' and progressing into management positions. He has a comprehensive knowledge of rigging and lifting operations from technical aspects, competence requirements and project management.

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MAJOR ACCIDENT HAZARD (MAH) UNDERSTANDING:

  1. Fiona Fitzgerald
    Fiona Fitzgerald
    Evolve Consulting (Scotland) Ltd

    Fiona FitzGerald entered the oil & gas industry as an undergraduate where she offered business support to a range of clients. During this time, she discovered a passion for safety and has been working to help organizations manage risk for more than 25 years.

    Fiona has worked extensively across Europe, Africa, Russia and the United States with Baker Hughes. Prior to that, she worked as Facilities Manager in Equatorial Guinea. During her recent 10-year career as Principal Consultant with DNV, Fiona launched the OPITO accredited Elected Safety Representatives’ Development Training.

    In October 2021, Fiona established Evolve Consulting (Scotland) Ltd to deliver quality, safety, environmental risk management services to the oil & gas and renewables industries.

    Fiona is a Fellow of the Institute of Training & Occupational Learning, and she is currently pursuing studies in human factors and organisational psychology.

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  2. Stuart Taylor
    Stuart Taylor
    Area Operations Manager
    Apache

    Stuart has more than three decades of experience in the energy industry working both onshore and offshore in front line operation management, operational improvement, maintenance and project roles.

    Stuart started his career with BP in 1990 within the technician apprenticeship scheme and quickly moved into a supervisory role before progressing to become an Operations Engineer then Offshore Installation Manager where he gained significant experience, including the Forties Regeneration Project and Beryl field / SAGE acquisition with Apache North Sea.

    Onshore, Stuart has also held the roles of Mechanical Engineer, Operations Efficiency Manager, Project Manager, Maintenance Manager and Production Manager. His current role is Forties Area Operations Manager where he is responsible for safe, reliable and efficient operations.

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Wellbeing

  1. Allan Errington
    Allan Errington
    HSEQ Manager
    ESS

    Allan is a dedicated HSEQ professional for the last 8 years, with a further 18 years of experience in various global operational roles and a total of 32 years of experience in the offshore catering and facilities sector; a committed manager, with a successful background in the management of applied Health& Safety, developing and training effective teams, with a keen focus on developing and maintaining a strong safety culture.:

    Over the last 10 years:

    • Co-Chair of the competence workgroup Step Change for Safety delivering industry wide guidance on competence management systems
    • Successfully transitioned our ESS Management System to ISO 9001: 2015, ISO 14001: 2015 and ISO 45001: 2018
    • Graduate Member of IOSH
    • Step Change in Safety Focal Point, incorporating the Human Factors Online Toolkit and Safe Working Essentials into our management system
    • Developed Mental Health and Mindfullness programmes for our offshore employees.
    • Became a Mental Health First Aider
    • Worked for an extended time in Brazil, as International Key Account Operations Manager, mentoring and developing the local team, improving compliance to international standards, both in terms of operations and applied Health and Safety.
    View Linkedin Profile
  2. Laura Hardie
    Laura Hardie
    Occupational Health and Wellbeing Advisor
    Bilfinger UK

WORKFORCE ENGAGEMENT (WEST):

  1. Peter Hepburn
    Peter Hepburn
    Asset Director Morecambe
    Spirit Energy
  2. Stewart Campbell
    Stewart Campbell
    Construction Director (Commissioning & Completions)
    Worley

Competence:

  1. Mike Meen
    Mike Meen
    Consultant
    Add Energy

    Mike is a skilled and knowledgeable professional with a proven track record of establishing the root causes of an organisations issues and delivering solutions. He has implemented value adding programmes across cultures and in a variety of different industries on behalf of his customers.

    Over the past 10years:

    • co-Chair of the competence workgroup Step Change for Safety delivering industry wide guidance on competence management systems

    • Mentoring and Support for MBA, MSc and DBA postgraduates at Robert Gordon University.

    • Creation of Operational Assurance Capability in a Tier 1 contractor. Delivering innovative risk based solutions, benchmarking and creating improvement opportunities.

    • Designed and delivered an integration and start-up capability to improve delivery performance. (2015 CMI Business Excellence award)

    • Delivered client facing learning content for a global mid-level management blended learning curriculum supporting a drive for operational excellence (Shell Learning)

    • Delivered customer programme management capability in Inspection, Maintenance and Repair. Driving improvements in asset availability (Shell Upstream International Total Reliability, >100 asset portfolio)

    • Delivered a global Inspection Management Solution - Ivara CIMS. To optimise cross asset data utilisation.

    • Authored a customer Late Life and Decommissioning strategy. Facilitated Delivery of a multifunctional plan to reduce life of field expenditure.

    • Developed and delivered a company Competence Assurance Standard, improving safety and reducing costs. (2017 ECITB collaboration award)

    View Linkedin Profile

SAFE WORKING ESSENTIALS (SWE):

  1. Gary Begg
    Gary Begg
    Operations HSE Manager
    EnQuest

    Gary trained in IT analysis & design, gaining significant experience in the oil & gas industry with Mobil North Sea in Procurement & Contracts, later moving offshore into a Logistics position. Progressed into HSE role for several years offshore, returning onshore to provide HSE support for UK NNS, SNS & Norwegian assets, later being appointed into his first HSE Lead position.

    He continued to gain broader HSE experience with Talisman Energy, where he was seconded to lead the Production Loss Elimination team to ‘reboot’ the process including a full redesign, software enhancement and development & delivery of training with the offshore teams. Returned to HSE with mandate to develop strategies & plans to prevent hydrocarbon leaks, taking on his first Co-Chair role for the Step Change HCR Prevention Workgroup. Moved to the HSE Assurance Manager role to improve the audit program, ensure value adding execution and promotion of a learning culture. His final role with Talisman (Repsol Sinopec) was leading a redesign of the SMS to eliminate silo activity, develop a new software solution and establish an integrated approach across the business to remove redundant or conflicting elements.

    Gary returned to front line HS&E support with EnQuest, developing improvements on Regulatory engagement and internal process development. Moved to Superintendent role leading both the on and offshore HSE team, including extensive redefinition of the support model and individual role to better support the business and work with our Regulators. Gary is currently EnQuest’s Operations HSE Manager, leading his team across three Directorates and continuing to provide advice to both the site teams and leadership onshore.

    Gary has a significant level of experience leading teams, dealing with Regulators and Senior Management within all organisations. Very focused on delivery of value, both in his own work and for the processes that his teams follow. He's a firm believer in producing work and content that delivers, removing low value activity to improve efficiency and better motivate my teams in their day to day approach.

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  2. Derek Thomson
    Derek Thomson
    Director of Projects
    Global E & C

    Derek Thomson has 25 years in the oil and gas sector, including senior roles within operations, design and project management for both major Operators and Service Providers. Along with a wealth of industry experience, Derek has a Masters in Project Management.

    Currently, Derek is Director of Projects at Global E&C, an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) service provider to the oil and gas sector. This recent appointment sees Derek as part of Global E&C’s senior leadership team where he has overall accountability for a portfolio of contracts where integrated services, across more than 400 employees in the business, works together to execute projects in the UKCS.

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OIM NETWORK:

  1. Dale Checksfield LL.M, Master Mariner, PG.Dip
    Dale Checksfield LL.M, Master Mariner, PG.Dip
    OIM
    Harbour Energy

    A qualified Master Mariner, Dale moved into the offshore industry in 2010. During his seagoing career, spent mostly with the Ministry of Defence, he deployed on operations world-wide including humanitarian operations in Mozambique and the Caribbean, saw service in a number of conflict zones and became the first UK exchange officer to serve afloat with the US Military Sealift Command. Graduating from the Joint Services Command and Staff College Shrivenham, he completed a senior leadership appointment in Navy Command Headquarters, where he was responsible for Navigation and Seamanship policy, training and standards, before moving into the private sector, initially within commercial ship management.

    Commencing his offshore experience on a floating asset West of Shetland as contract marine operator, he quickly secured a permanent role, moving to the Central North Sea. Having passed the Shell OIM selection panel, was promoted to OIM of an FPSO, delivering a return to class registration and operational improvement programme which extended field life and returned significant OPEX reductions and performance improvements gaining recognition in Shells global production awards in the “Effective People” category. In the following years, Dale has undertaken a number of roles including an onshore secondment in a programme management role and, through 2019-20, held responsibility for managing Harbour Energy’s response to COVID-19 as Business Continuity Team Lead.

    Currently an Offshore Installation Manager on one of Harbour Energy’s fixed assets in the central north sea, Dale holds a Master of Laws in Oil and Gas Law with Professional Skills from the University of Aberdeen, a QCF Level 7 qualification in Strategic Management & Leadership and a Post Graduate Diploma (Distinction) in Applied Navigation. Outside of the “day job”, Dale has held executive level and national board roles in the public sector on a volunteer basis and provides pro-bono consultancy to a number of public sector organisations in volunteer management, operational risk management and maritime policy.

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  2. Doug Seivwright IEng MIMechE
    Doug Seivwright IEng MIMechE
    OIM
    Ineos

    Doug Seivwright is an Offshore Installation Manager with INEOS FPS.

    He has 22 years’ experience offshore in major projects, combined operations (ComOps), commissioning and operations on both new and brownfield offshore facilities in the Oil and Gas Industry.

    Aberdeen-born Doug has worked offshore in the Oil and Gas industry since 2000. His offshore career began as an apprentice Mechanical Technician with the ECITB/NASEC Technician Training Scheme onboard the Tiffany Platform. He then moved through various positions offshore to his current role of Offshore Installation Manager on the Unity Platform.

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  3. Shaun Carr
    Shaun Carr
    OIM
    CNOOC Limited

    Shaun has over 30 years’ experience in the UK offshore industry, 25 of which are in operations on fixed oil and gas production platforms.

    Starting initially as a Mechanical Technician, Shaun worked in a number of roles within operations as he moved through the ranks to OIM, including brown field upgrades and field line extensions through to hook-up and commissioning and annual shutdows.

    Shaun started my operational career on what was Phillips Petroleum’s Judy platform before moving to CNOOC where he has been employed for 18 years, initially on the Buzzard field Development Project onshore in Paddington and moving to other roles including OIM on both Buzzard and now Golden Eagle.

    His experience of working on a number of platforms for different operators over the years has given him a good understanding of the challenges faced at different stages of an asset’s field life.

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