By Kirsten Bank Christensen, Vice President, Group HSEQ

Safety is our license to operate – and there can be no compromises when it comes to ensuring that our people return safely from their work every single day. But getting safety right takes sharp focus, meticulous planning and a carefully coordinated effort from everyone involved. And that’s where A2SEA’s Safety Supplier Days make a real difference.

The venue is Esbjerg or, more accurately, the city’s Hjerting Badehotel with its picturesque facade decorating the unique Danish western coastline. It’s the 23rd of April and, in the cosy atmosphere of the 1914 seaside accommodation, 75 offshore wind and A2SEA participants are gathered with a single, important purpose: to ”get on the same page” with regard to safety.

This is the first event under A2SEA’s new Supplier Safety Days, and this particular day is all about ensuring safety for two up-coming mobilisations: SEA CHALLENGER in Esbjerg and SEA INSTALLER in Frederikshavn. With mobilisation work scheduled for June, A2SEA had sent out an early ”heads-up” invitation to a number of the suppliers and contractors who would be involved. Safety is our top priority, and the agenda for the day was tightly packed both with broad insights on lessons learned and more detailed operational descriptions.

Everyone present was aware of the size and complexity of mobilising a large vessel for a highly specific job: installing 35 x 6 MW wind turbines at DONG Energy’s Westermost Rough wind farm. And, while the day’s focal point was SEA CHALLENGER, many of the points raised would apply equally to the July mobilisation planned for SEA INSTALLER before its next project at Borkum Riffgrund.

Key to the agenda was to communicate A2SEA’s safety requirements. Hundreds of hours had gone into preparing these requirements, and it was vital that everyone understood their significance and could tune their own procedures to suit.

In keeping with the importance of the event, A2SEA’s CEO Jens Frederik Hansen was first on the podium. “We’ve already done much to strengthen safety for our projects. But it takes a concerted effort from everyone here to achieve optimal safety. Mobilisation is a huge issue in our world, and it’s the type of work where there are many interfaces between A2SEA and you, our suppliers. That means many situations where we must be absolutely sure that everything has been coordinated and agreed, so that everyone is 100-percent focused when each task is carried out.”

Safety is everyone’s responsibility

Of course, it wasn’t just A2SEA doing the talking. Joining this Safety Supplier Day were representatives from DONG Energy’s wind power organisation and Certex (known by most as Peter Harbo). Their primary role was to emphasise the importance of this effort, drawing upon their experience and knowhow.

DONG Energy’s Director, Head of HSE, Claus Hviid Christensen, shared his expectations with the audience.

“Offshore wind can become the most competitive source of sustainable energy ever known. But it demands two things: that we bring the cost down, and that safety is increased. Other industries have achieved this, and we can, too.”

At DONG Energy, safety is an integrated part of the way everyone works. The company’s motto: “You see it, you own it” makes it clear that everyone has a responsibility. If you notice something that may endanger safety, then you have an obligation to draw attention to the matter and prevent its consequences.

Unlike DONG Energy, Certex is relatively new to the safety game. And its General Manager, Thomas L. Frandsen, doesn’t hold back when describing the path the company has taken to realise the importance of safety, in taking decisive action to lift its capabilities in this respect. The tragic loss of a life in 2012 was a wake-up call to the company to do everything it could to boost safety for its employees, and a dedicated safety group has now been created within the company. Thomas appealed to everyone to carefully incorporate safety before beginning any type of work.

Safe suppliers only

A2SEA’s Director of HSE Compliance, Niklas Karlsson, and Tony Millward, Director of Site Safety & Logistics, aimed to make sure that everyone was aware of exactly what was required of them from a safety standpoint. The key, according to Niklas, is in the way people behave. “You can come a long way with human behaviour – it’s extremely important to concentrate on each task so that an individual’s focus is directed toward one specific activity.”

Tony Millward outlined the expectations A2SEA has of its suppliers once mobilisation work begins, including certificates, work permits, personal protective equipment, communication and language skills and more. And he made it clear that any carelessness would have heavy consequences for the supplier in question.

Help is at hand

To round off the day, A2SEA’s Vice President, Group HSEQ, Kirsten Bank Christensen, advised anyone who remained unclear on any aspects of safety to contact her directly or others at A2SEA. And Jens Frederik Hansen repeated his appeal to A2SEA’s suppliers to take safety more seriously than ever.

“Your employees must be able to work without fear of injury or worse. We stand ready to help you prepare safety procedures in good time. And together with DONG Energy, we will build a safe and profitable industry where there is room for all, and where everyone comes home safe and unharmed.”

 

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