IOGP Report — Increased Fatalities, 2022 Safety Data
IOGP has been collecting and publishing safety performance data from its Members since 1985.
The data we collect drives our industry actions and improvement opportunities in our ambition to prevent fatalities, serious injuries, and major process safety events. Since 1985, the Oil and Gas Industry has made a significant improvement in safety performance; for example, for the IOGP Member reported data, more than a 90% reduction in the fatal accident rate in this period.
IOGP published the 2022 Safety Data on 6th June 2023 and it is with sadness that we report an increase in the number of fatalities compared to 2021. Every fatality is a tragedy for the families, friends, and colleagues of those lost. We seek to learn from each incident, and, as an industry, we remain committed to continuous improvement and our target of achieving zero fatalities.
In February 2023, anticipating the increase in fatalities and with a desire to learn and improve, the IOGP Safety Committee published a position statement examining possible causal factors for the increase and recommended actions. The final 2022 data verifies the causal factors identified in the position statement, including increased activity to maintain energy security and a less experienced workforce due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, ineffective control of work and risk recognition are identified as root causes in the position statement and is verified by the data, with more than 50% of the 2022 fatal accidents involving people struck by objects (including dropped objects) and being caught between equipment.
The suggested actions in the position statement include focusing on activities with the potential to cause fatalities and permanent impairment and creating awareness at the point of risk. The tools IOGP Members have developed to manage these risks include implementation of the Life-Saving Rules, Start Work Checks, and the Process Safety Fundamentals; all designed to help frontline staff identify and manage high-risk tasks that have historically caused fatalities. IOGP recommends that industry leaders focus on the implementation of these tools and use their field time to assess the implementation of the controls to manage these activities. To help with the focus on high-risk activity, IOGP has established a new definition of fatal and permanent impairment (FPI) and is encouraging companies to use this as a primary reporting metric.
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