Lessons Learned From The Deepwater Horizon Incident

[john]

In this week's poll we ask what safety lessons have been learned from the Deepwater Horizon incident and if they are being implemented by your vessel.

When answering please don't include mandatory changes required by regulators (Coast Guard, MMS, etc) but please do include changes required by your company.

Click Here to vote but be sure to return to this page to share your experience with post-incident change aboard your vessel.

Also... in light of the incident what are your ideas for making offshore operations safer?

[cmjeff]

It has certainly been a hot topic aboard the rig and the rig has made some changes on its own but, other than USCG breathing down our neck, there has been more of a "wait for the government to finish investigating" attitude from the office.

[tengineer]

It has certainly been a hot topic aboard the rig and the rig has made some changes on its own but, other than USCG breathing down our neck, there has been more of a "wait for the government to finish investigating" attitude from the office.

I hear a lot of that kind of report. They don't want to spend time and money doing something that doesn't cover the requirements of any new regs and that's understandable, to a point.
In my not so humble opinion the majority of the drilling companies have the rules and safety regulations as policy already and have had them for many years. The 'risk management' folks aka lawyers made sure of that for a liability defense if needed. The change needed is not on paper but cultural. Until the mindset changes there will be no real change except for firing a few more lower echelon types for not having the right gloves or a work vest on properly. But that's all theater and we all know it. Until safety trumps money there will be no change and without a strong regulatory body with teeth money will always trump safety.
Anyone who has been in higher level performance management meetings will tell you [once they retire] that what goes on behind those closed doors is far, far different from what is told in front of the average rig employee, TV cameras and stockholder meetings. When all is said and done it's all about the bonuses.

[domer]

Not working offshore, I have to say that I don't know much more than what I've seen in the news or how it pertains to ship safety.

[Orniphobe]

We're a long way from leaving the shipyard but some things on my list are:
1. Email supply boats a copy of the POB daily.
2. Preposition knives or alt cutting devices at lifeboats and liferafts. (even though we don't have a knife free policy)
3. Double check that any hands normally working aft of the Floor knows how to launch aft boats.
4. Investigate Crowd Control training for coxswains and muster takers. (suggestions on good schools welcome)
5. Actually show crew how to inflate rafts when sending them in for annual servicing, instead of just lectures during boat drills. (We don't have davits)
6. Ask the client to require their supply boats to increase medical supplies onboard including meds.
7. Train rescue boat crew to marshal liferafts. Practice with rafts that are due for servicing.
8. Masters and Drilling Sups (we're peers) discuss and agree under what conditions to EDS without each other being there. Ensure Subsea is clear on EDS authorities.
9. Order a small portable voice recorder for Bridge Team or Master to use during incidents.
10. Train on directing using supply boat fire monitors. Give regular boat Captains a tour and/or copy of the fire and safety plan.
11. Have mobile sat phone readily accessible on the Bridge. Assign someone to take it to the boats.

[cmjeff]

I don't agree with every line (e.g. #8 - both should have full authority to disconnect. So should subsea, DP, Drillers & TP's plus anyone else that sees flames shooting from the derrick) but, overall a good job, I think it's worth the time for everyone to put that much thought into improvement ideas.

[anchorman]

I would also require the OSV's working the rig to have a communication plan with any nearby assets - phone numbers, Working VHF channels, Facility Plans, etc... I would leave no stone uncovered when it comes to the communication ability of service vessels. In an emergency, you may need the nearest facility for triaging and transport.

[AHTS Master]

What I've learned is that what I thought would never happen in the Gulf did happen.

[JGWentworth]

Captain Hindsight to the rescue

[john]

I would also require the OSV's working the rig to have a communication plan with any nearby assets - phone numbers, Working VHF channels, Facility Plans, etc... I would leave no stone uncovered when it comes to the communication ability of service vessels. In an emergency, you may need the nearest facility for triaging and transport.

That's an important point. When we first got AIS I would make a point of looking up each nearby rig and boat by MSI # in the ITU manual (or, easier, in the gCapt tools section -> GMDSS) then make a note of their Inmarsat B #.

I like Orni's idea of a sat phone... I purchased one (Iridium - best, by far for this) with long shelve life batteries along with a few other goodies (PLB, extra VHF) for an abandon ship grab bag we planned on keeping next to the portable acoustic release box on the bridge.

I think now I'd combine these methods and make sure all the Inmarsat B #'s along with various #'s ashore) where programmed into the phone.

[anchorman]

Captain Hindsight to the rescue

Only Captain Shortsighted would make such a comment. If you don't mediate or learn from past events, how can you get better? I think that is the purpose of training and learning - It may be new to you, but it's generally in retrospect to something else. An event maybe? Like the Horizon? Nobody to the rescue here.
One thing that has always been lacking in the industry is after-action reports and discussions. Doing pre-jobs, JSA'a, and HAZ-ID's are fine, but very few jobs are done in the perfect manner as discussed prior to the event. Then, we're quick to start the next job, or go home when the job is over without ever regrouping about what could have been done better - while everything is still fresh on the mind. That to me is sometimes more important than the actual preparation.

[Sealion]

I just came on a rig and i can see people had set a system and have no will to change anything. Some think that the way it is on the rig is the only right system.