Offshore injury figures improve

The number of offshore oil and gas leaks that could potentially lead to a major incident continues to fall, new safety statistics have revealed. But the head of Offshore Safety at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned industry not to be complacent following the encouraging figures.

Steve Walker, Head of HSE's Offshore Safety Division (OSD), welcomed the continuing decline in hydrocarbon releases but expressed regret at the first work related deaths to be recorded in HSE's statistics for the offshore sector since 2007. Commenting on the figures, Steve said: "While we welcome the continued downward trend, industry will need continued focus to achieve its target of halving the number of hydrocarbon releases by April 2013. The major gas release from the Elgin platform at the end of March was a salutary reminder of the potential consequences that such releases can present. The deaths of offshore workers are always unacceptable. Although those in 2011/12 are the first ones to be recorded in our statistics since 2007, they are a tragic reminder that this is a high risk industry and safety must remain a priority."