A dedicated approach to preventing injuries
Published: 10 December, 2014
A dedicated approach to preventing injuries and ill health in the workplace has enabled Wood Group PSN – a leading provider of brownfield services to the oil and gas industry – to significantly reduce eye injuries in one of its North Sea operations. ODEE reports.
Eye injuries are a constant risk for many workers in the oil and gas industry largely as a result of being struck by moving, flying or falling objects which, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) accounted for almost 25% of all major injuries in the offshore sector in 2013. With this in mind and its workers undertaking a wide range of potentially hazardous engineering and maintenance tasks on a daily basis, Wood Group PSN decided to work with Honeywell to develop and deliver a new mandatory safety eyewear policy for its workers. In a bid to reduce eye injuries on site, the new policy used Honeywell’s new Adaptec Safety Eyewear range in tandem with training and education.
As a result of the new approach, Wood Group PSN says it saw eye injuries on the Aberdeen-based contract drop by 73%, with just three eye injuries recorded during the trial in 2013. The company is now rolling out the mandatory Adaptec safety eyewear policy across its other sites.
According to Alistair Inglis, key account manager – Oil & Gas for Honeywell Safety Products UK, Wood Group PSN’s commitment to preventing injuries and ill health to its workers was the driving force behind the success of the programme: “Prior to the trial, Wood Group personnel were already using a range of approved safety eyewear. However there had been 12 recorded eye injuries on site, three of which required medical treatment.” Inglis continued: “The results from the Adaptec trial speak for themselves. Of the three recorded eye injuries, one person was wearing standard safety glasses and another was wearing prescription safety eyewear. Wood Group PSN saw the potential worker safety benefits of using Adaptec eyewear and made the wearing of the Adaptec mandatory across its operations.”
A member of Wood Group PSN’s PPE Forum commented: “Safety and assurance is our top priority because lives depend on it. It is vital to our business and absolutely integral to everything that we do.
“The results of the trial saw significant improvements on this project – improvements that we did not see in other areas of the business during the period of the trial, so we knew we were getting something right here and we put that down to the implementation of the Adaptec range, providing our people with the training, knowledge and tools to work safely and prevent accidents.”
The Honeywell Adaptec range of safety eyewear is available in three sizes and has been designed to provide a customised fit and performance for a wide range of industry sectors including utilities, manufacturing, construction and the offshore sector, thanks to a number of features. These include an adjustable nose bridge to keep eyes centred in the lens for clearer optics and reduced eye fatigue and a vented, cushioned frame allowing optimum air circulation and reducing fogging and ratcheting temple hinges that can be adjusted to seven different positions providing 30° of custom lens angle for greater protection. In addition a proprietary temple design (patent pending) with adjustable temple tension for personal comfort and anti-slip security, allows the wearer to adjust temple tension without removing eyewear. With 99.9% UV protection, the 4A lens coating also ensures excellent anti-fog, anti-static and scratch-resistant properties, and meets the EN1661F European Standard.
For further information please visit: www.honeywellsafety.com
