How a medium sized project achieved zero accident record

IN September 2005, Sharjah Pipeline Co (Pipeco) - where Air BP has a 24% stake - signed a lease agreement with Hamriyah Free Zone to build a jet fuel receiving, storage, pumping and other terminal services in the free zone.

Pipeco will build a four tank, 50,000 metric ton storage facility in the free zone to be named Anabeeb, Arabic for pipeline. The facility includes construction of import facilities at Hamriyah Port for discharging fuel from supply vessels.

Covering an area of 45,000 square metres, Anabeeb facilities were slated to cost $32 million including the pipeline to airport. The project will eliminate some 50 round trips by fuel tankers on Sharjah's roads every day, which will benefit road safety and reduce congestion.

The design and construction management services for the project were contracted to Mott MacDonald limited with the actual construction awarded to Sharjah-based contractor Maritime Industrial Services (MIS).

The work, which began in November 2005, is now in its final stages and is ready for commissioning this year.

Air BP wants to make a break through by achieving zero accidents in this project.

This ultimate zero risk goals was inspired by the lessons learnt in the Kent fatality accident in 2003. Four storage tanks were being built in the Isle of Grain Aviation Terminal in Kent using conventional methods. The project was operated by Strath Services on behalf of Air BP.

During construction, an outer and inner boarding system with handrails was used. The accident happened when Stewart McCully was transferring from the outer ring of staging to the inner one. He climbed over the shell of the tank that was about one metre above the staging boards, approximately 18 metres above the tank floor.

As McCully landed on the middle staging board of the inner staging, his harness snapped across a line of knots. The other two boards separated, and he fell to the tank floor. Although airlifted by an ambulance, he died few hours later.

It was found out that board would fail even on a visual inspection, staging boards were laid loose and Stewart did not have his harness clipped on although a requirement from the contractor's work practice.

This led a peer review of tank construction activities in the BP Group. Among the many specific lessons learned, BP concluded that continuous monitoring and rigorous compliance checks are required. In addition, BP must own this responsibility, irrespective of who is operating the site.

While Mott MacDonald was appointed as the design and construction management consultant, Pipeco has also requested Sharjah Aviation Services Company (Sasco) – a joint venture between Air BP and Felix Trading Company- to provide further HSE advice. Air BP has a 49% interest in Sasco making it a minor shareholder in Pipeco.

Bearing in mind the lessons - inside and outside of BP's long line of experience –BP Air devised customised HSE procedures for the Hamriyah -SIA pipeline project.

Air BP came up with huge HSE requirements that the construction contractor has to meet. Air BP created a 90-page HSE requirement that will form the basis of the contractor's HSE plan.

The HSE strategy thoroughly looked on the design; the tender and contractor selection; procurement; construction; and performance testing and commissioning. It also gave great emphasis on HSE reporting; near miss/incident reporting and investigation; incident management; HSE card; stop work notice; and contractors staff performance contract.

Air BP's HSE requirements were stringent. The site specific plan, was guiding document for managing HSE on site. Failure to agree upon the HSE plan would be sufficient grounds for termination of the contract.

The prequalification for contractor has 25% HSE component, in other words, health safety and environment is a major deciding factor. Contractor's HSE management system and past performance were audited and site visit were carried out.

Nine contractors tendered and only three pre-qualified. Maritime Industrial Services (MIS) won due to its stringent HSE initiatives.

MIS is OHSAS 18001 certified and a member of the British Safety Council and winner of 2005 International Safety Award conducted by the British Safety Council.

Although known for its safety, MIS still had to, for the first time, create new HSE guidelines.

Two basic factors tended the success of this project, namely: the permit to work (PTW) system and the control of works. PTW is a formal written procedure to plan and control all project activities which are considered hazardous.

Control of works is an integrated system of hazard analysis and management. It includes FEL or field manual, method statements, risk assessment/task risk assessment and tool box talk.

Prior to the commencement of work, a front-end loading procedure will be produced that breaks down the major activities of the works in order to perform identifiable risk assessments. Such major activity is further broken down to its sub activities and identified against method statements. Each major activity: will be supported by a review dossier.

MIS also introduced BP's modern management experience to provide HSE training and safety advices. MIS regularly held important technical trainings where industry experts were invited to discuss critical issues.

All MIS team members shared knowledge and information on its tool box talks and weekly stand down meetings. It conducted regular training and third party review to raise the project management level of the team.

Thanks to the HSE strategy and HSE plan specific, the project has reached its third milestone in HSE. The project achieved over 750,000 safe working hours and is so far, the only project without a recordable accident, no lost time incident, no first aid case, no medical treatment case.

As of the latest auditing, the project has recorded 761.665 total man hours; 628,215 kilometres driven; 38.214 training hours; 651 advanced safety award; 1,975 stop cards and 15 near miss.