In the spring we looked back 5 years on the Macondo/Deepwater Horizon accident that forced the industry to change in several ways, and further improvements are still needed.
“We must learn lessons from this” is a common phrase following a major accident such as Macondo, but also after event of minor extent. Evidence from accidents and incidents indicates that it can be challenging for major hazard industries to learn effectively from such events. The barriers to learning can lead to a situation where an organisation neglects the potential lessons from lesser severity incidents, but which could have escalated into major accidents. We have looked into what is required in an efficient Learning From Incidents (LFI) process and the main barriers in achieving this.
Still, major accidents do occur. We have put focus on how training and drills can improve our way of handling unexpected and emergent conditions.
Also, in a time where cost takes priority over other concerns, it is clear that any additional investment or reduction should be scrutinized for its implications with regards to its effect on safety and efficiency of operations. History has shown several examples of major accidents resulting from the effects of cost reductions, and we have discussed how cost-cutting affects safety.
Meanwhile, the DNV GL Safety blog wish you all a fun, sunny and safe summer!