Canadian Safety Reporter

MAINTAINING A STRONG safety culture is always a priority in the oil and gas sector, but it should perhaps be even more of a priority during times of a reduced workforce. That was among the points raised in Enform's annual executive summit of industry leaders to discuss best practices and listen to stakeholders. This year, the National Energy Board along with three provincial regulators gathered to speak at the summit about the importance of safety cul- ture in a challenging employment landscape. "There has been no increase in accidents or environmental incidents," said Jim Ellis, Calgary- based president and CEO of the Alberta Energy Regulator, at the Enform summit. "Companies don't seem to be cutting back on safety — even as they look for efficiencies." Peter Watson, chair and CEO of the National En- ergy Board in Ottawa, also spoke at the summit. "Canadians want to know that we care about public safety and environmental protection," he said. "We have to continue to make sure our com- mitment to our values and our commitment to safety and operational excellence are explicit and observable." "One of the things that we recognize is the ups and downs of employment in an industry which is driven by commodities," said Cameron MacGillivray, presi- dent and CEO of Enform in Calgary. "Right now we've lost perhaps one-third to one- half of our workforce, depending on the sector that you're looking at," he said. "But the focus on safety through all of this is a constant. Safety is critical to the success of our industry, so there's a great deal of focus on protecting workers… and that was kind of the recognition of the current circumstances we find ourselves in." Boom versus bust We're always challenged by cycles of boom and bust, said Alan Quilley, president of Safety Results in Edmonton. "So during boom times, we have a tendency to NEWS BRIEF Safety Reporter Canadian www.safetyreporter.com June 2016 Establish > pg. 4 'WORKPLACE' DEFINITION CONFIRMED FOR SAFETY PURPOSES Federal Court confirms decision tying obligation to conduct safety inspection to employer's control over location pg. 2 FORMER COP'S PTSD AND DEPRESSION MAKE HIM UNEMPLOYABLE: TRIBUNAL pg. 3 Existing mental issues worsened after accident while trying to make arrest LACK OF ENTHUSIASM FOR ASSIGNMENT NOT REASON FOR WORK REFUSAL Worker's restrictions on file didn't indicate he couldn't perform assignment and he had done similar duties before pg. 5 INSIDE Sweeping oilpatch layoffs should mean extra attention to safety What are Alberta organizations doing to maintain safety cultures during mass layoffs? BY LIZ BERNIER U.S. SUPREME COURT REJECTS APPEAL IN BP SHAREHOLDER SUIT WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The U.S. Supreme Court has declined a request from share- holders to revive their class action lawsuit against BP claiming the British oil company misrepresented its safety procedures prior to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The court left in place a September 2015 ruling by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that refused to cer- tify the lawsuit filed by investors who bought shares two-and-a-half years before the spill. BP's share price plummeted after the disas- ter, which has cost the company more than $55 billion. BP said in court papers the lawsuit should not be allowed to proceed because the plaintiffs were improperly seeking damages for the entire decline in stock price as a re- sult of the spill. The appeals court said some of the inves- tors might have bought the stock even know- ing the risk, and these investors may still sue BP individually. In the same ruling, the appeals court al- lowed claims by investors who bought shares after the spill to move forward. The April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion and Macondo oil well rupture killed 11 workers and caused the largest offshore environmental disaster in U.S. history, polluting large parts of the Gulf, killing marine wildlife and harming busi- nesses. It took 87 days to plug the leak on the ocean floor. Credit: alexjey (Shutterstock)

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