A call for the renewables industry to seriously consider safety above all else is being made by at this week’s All Energy event in Aberdeen by Subsea UK, the industry body representing the UK's subsea sector.
In his presentation to delegates at the two-day renewable energy event, which opened today, Subsea chief executive Alistair Birnie encourages the industry to take stock of the risks involved in offshore operations and ensure it has a supply of safe and competent people.
“In oil and gas we have seen what can happen if safety is not a priority and the risks are not fully understood and managed,” says Birnie. “We learnt the hard way and lives were lost. The offshore renewables sector must appreciate the hostile environment in which it is working and ensure that it has done everything it can to ensure the safety of its people and mitigate the risks.”
With the projected expansion in offshore construction and maintenance operations, Birnie warns that there will not be enough skilled and competent people around to do the work. “A key underlying finding on many incidents, arguably all, has been the need to develop competency and experience, he says.
“We must therefore be even more diligent in understanding and managing the risks in terms of competency, capability and capacity. A safe and competent workforce requires training and education, as well as codes of practice and standards.”
The offshore renewables industry is just starting out and forging ahead in developing new technologies. But Birnie reckons it has not properly thought through how it will manage safety when it comes to marine construction and maintenance.
