2011 Update Aide Memoir for Geophysical Risk Assessors

User Manual

Excel Spreadsheet Fatality and High Potential Incident Database

INTRODUCTION

General

  • The spreadsheet captures summary information on fatalities and High Potential Incidents (HiPo’s) reported in the Geophysical industry, as well as a selection of incidents from other E&P or industry activities that are considered relevant i.e. could have easily happened in Geophysical operations.
  • The data is kept anonymous, i.e. there is no reference to E&P company, contractor, nor to information on victims (gender, age etc.). Detail from which such information might be derived is modified / avoided as much as possible. However, the year of occurrence is captured, if only to reduce the risk of duplicate entries.
  • Country information is also not recorded, as this could lead a readers’ attitude “does not happen here.” The only exception to this is made in reports on those animal attacks which will only take place in specific countries.

DATA SOURCES

Prime data source for the database are the OGP annual HSE performance reports and the IAGC HSE alerts. Further information was obtained from the Step Change Sadie database, Enform 1995-2005 data, as well as contributions from Companies, Contractors and individuals having first-hand knowledge of incidents. While it is not expected that all accidents from the Geophysical industry have been captured, we are confident that those accidents reported did indeed happen.

INVITATION TO PROVIDE INFORMATION

To maintain the value of the database, it is essential IAGC receives information about new events taking place in the industry, in particular those with high learning value.

IAGC member companies are urged to provide such information to the IAGC, i.e. incidents with an actual fatal outcome and HiPo’s where there was potential for a fatal outcome. This information will be treated with full confidentiality as to from which member company it came etc., in fact we would encourage our members to “sanitize” the information provided beforehand.

Preference is for an IAGC Alert to be provided in the standard IAGC format. This alert will then be summarized in the database and cross referenced and the alert will be published on the IAGC website.

To facilitate such publication, please adhere to the following naming convention for the alerts:

Year-IAGC-HiPo/Fatality-Land/Marine/TZ-Explanatory title

It is very important that a short title be used, which clearly informs the reader of the subject matter to be expected.

Examples:

2007-IAGC-Fatality-Land-Fire Extinguisher Training

2008-IAGC-HiPo-Marine-Hatch fell on engineers head

2010-IAGC-Total disability-Marine-Mechanic severely burned using flammable glue

USING THE DATABASE

General

The database is captured in the form of an Excel spreadsheet, using the following columns:

Record number, column A

Unique identifier for each event, which will not be changed when data is added and the spreadsheet is updated. It can be used to refer a colleague easily to a particular incident.

Year, column B

The year in which the accident took place (not the year it was reported or entered in the database!)

Number of fatalities, column C

The actual number of fatalities in the incident or a reasonable estimate of the number of fatalities which could have resulted from a HiPo. Permanent total disability is counted as a fatality.

Single or Multiple fatality, column D

Single is up to three and Multiple is more than three, as per OGP Risk Assessment Matrix severity scale.

Actual / HiPo, column E

Indicates whether this was an actual accident with real fatalities or a HiPo with only potential fatalities.

Description and Comments, columns F and G

Summary accident descriptions, copied from the reports received. They generally do not contain (root) cause or in depth information. Where appropriate, the Comments column is used to insert further information on the incident, add comments that may be useful to the reader and/or cross reference to an IAGC Alert or other source where more detailed information may be found on the incident.

Geophysical / Other, column H

Incident has occurred in “Geophysical” (including Topographical or Site Survey operations) or “Other” E&P operations.

Type of operation, column I

Broadly distinguishes between Marine, Land and Transition Zone (TZ), but the classification cannot always be made with certainty.

Type of Activity, column J

Classifies on the basis of the type of activity during which the incident took place. The list of activities used is still under review.

Type of Accident, column K

Classifies the accident using a fixed list of 20 types of accident. Most of the accident types are self explanatory. The category “Drowning” is used for incidents with small craft, river crossing and accidental falls from the shore into water. Larger vessel incidents, in which people died probably with drowning as final cause of death, are classified as “Boat”. For people falling overboard of a large vessel, the descriptor Man Over Board (MOB) is used as opposed to “Fall into water”. FRC and workboat incidents in deep water offshore are also assigned to the type “Boat”.

Note that in such classifications “there are different ways to skin a cat.” Several accidents in the database could be assigned to different types, e.g. a worker falling off a ladder after receiving an electric shock is classified as “Electrocution,” while this could also be classified as “Fall from Height”. Along similar lines, pedestrians struck by vehicles etc. are classified as “Struck By” and not as “Vehicle Incident”.

Note that “Type of Accident” is not to be confused with the “Hazard” that may have caused the accident. Several different “Hazards” may lead to the same “Type of Incident” so the database cannot be directly used to populate hazard registers.

Type of accident, finer classification, column L

More detailed classification, allowing sub-classification under a given Type of accident. This will allow better identification of problem areas, e.g. “Struck By” and “Falling tree/branch”.

Keyword, columns M, N and O

Up to three keywords are chosen per incident, to facilitate a search for accident scenarios.

Searching the Database.

Users can search the database using several tools:

a)Search and select by filter

Using the Excel filter function for any column in row 8: Click on the little arrow shown in the box of row 8 of the column one wishes to search on. A drop down menu will then be shown: unclick “Select All” and click on those items one is interested in and click OK. These will then be shown and all other items will be hidden. Several filters can be used simultaneously.

This is shown on the two screen shots below.

Re-click “Select All”, OK, after such a search to again see the full dataset.

Filtering on “Type of accident”

Using the filter on Type of accident, Drowning, and Finer classification, River Crossing. Note that for filters in use, there is a small dot next to their arrow in column 8.

b)Sort

  1. To sort by a single column, the above described filter can be used.
  2. To sort by several columns (e.g. “Geophysical” or “Other” and then by “Year”)the Excel sort function needs to be used (click Data tab in top toolbar and go to “Sort and Filter”.

c)Search by search word. On the left hand top side of the spreadsheet, a box is provided in which one can type in words to search on. Type the search word and click the green “Search” button. A new worksheet will be generated which will contain all rows in which the search word was found. (Bottom of the sheet, click on “Sheet 1” or “Sheet 2” etc.)

The below screen shot shows the result of searching for pipeline.

If your search word does not give any results, try a synonym or look through the lists of “Keywords” for synonyms that may have been used.

You can also do a wildcard search. A ? designates one wildcard character, e.g. p?mp will find pump. Cent?? Will find center, centre, but not century. A * designates any number of characters. Cent* will find center, centre, century, centimeter etc. The ? or * can be inserted anywhere in the search string.

Pivot charts

Four generic pivot charts are provided, to allow graphical representation of the data:

a)Chart year

b)Chart all: by the 20 main Types of accident.

c)Chart Finer classification

d)Chart Activity

Chart year

Chart all: by the 20 main types of accident

Chart Finer classification (Type of accident shown: Drowning)

Chart Activity

These pivot charts can be tailored to the user’s requirements by left clicking on the chart. A toolbar will then appear on the right hand side. In the “Pivot Table Field List”, one can then click on the items one wishes to select. Multiple filters can be used simultaneously

See the example below

Chart Finer Classification

Filters:

“Actual”

“Geophysical”

“Type of accident”: “Drowning” selected

Note: some actions in these pivot table menus cannot be undone. In such a case, close the spreadsheet (do not save changes!) and restart.

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