The North Sea is not only one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, but it is also a source of energy through oil and gas platforms and wind turbines. How do you ensure the highest possible level of safety in such a complex area? It is crucial for companies in the oil and gas industry to prepare for disasters or emergencies and ensure that their response is swift and effective in order to minimize the impact on the environment.
Practicing safety plans is crucial in this regard. Therefore, an annual OFFEX exercise is held where plans and procedures are tested in practice, with essential communication among involved parties such as the Coast Guard, industry stakeholders, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Rijkswaterstaat Zee en Delta, and the State Supervision of Mines. This exercise is alternately prepared and executed by one of the members of the industry association for the oil and gas sector, ElementNL. Starting from 2023, members of the industry association for the wind sector, NWEA, are also involved.
DANA Petroleum, a member of ElementNL, organized the OFFEX exercise in 2022. They approached us to enhance the outcome of the exercise using video.
Often, a significant amount of time and effort is invested in creating a realistic script, coordinating with different stakeholders, and executing the exercise on the day itself. This is followed by a comprehensive report and recommendations, but they often fade into the background afterward.
In the OFFEX exercise, video supported the outcome in three ways:
During an exercise, a virtual disaster or incident was reported. Crisis teams from various locations then held discussions through phone and computer connections. The exercise was entirely virtual. To make the exercise more realistic, we created realistic 3D animations in advance, providing all participants with a clear visual of the disaster or incident.
One month after the exercise, representatives from offshore oil, gas, and wind operators, as well as members of the steering group and the OFFEX working group, conducted a joint evaluation of the exercise. During the meeting, a video was shown that clearly explained the exercise, who was involved, and how it unfolded in detail. This ensured that everyone had a clear understanding of the exercise and how the participants experienced it.
After the evaluation, the key conclusions and recommendations from OFFEX 2022 were incorporated into a video. Now, there is a comprehensive video that visually presents both the exercise and its results in an engaging and compelling manner. This makes the outcome accessible and enduring for interested parties.
Video provides additional context to the story in various ways. The message is accessible and encourages viewers to become more engaged with the topic.
Are you curious about more safety videos? Watch Ontwaak voor risico for a different approach to raising awareness of risks.
When creating this video to raise awareness among employees, we combined the following expertise: