Efforts to protect the safety of workers traveling to and from oil and gas installations worldwide should become more technologically sophisticated in 2019.

That is one conclusion of a recent on emerging trends in the energy, resource and marine (ERM) sector. According to the BOP Blow Out Preventer repair company gulf coast subsidiary CWT Energy, Resources and Marine, three trends that will increasingly influence ERM travel next year include:

• Because many key markets or exploration hubs are in volatile areas, companies’ interest in real-time digital tracking of workers is rising.
• The safety of female workers is commanding more attention from employers as more women work in the industry.
• Companies should evaluate the risk to travelers and assess their staff’s physical fitness.

Raphael Pasdeloup, senior vice president and global head of CWT’s ERM subsidiary, recently discussed the above advances in traveler safety. Read on for his insights.

Rigzone: What is real-time digital tracking, how does it work and why is it a good choice for enhancing employee safety in volatile areas?

Pasdeloup: International SOS, the travelers’ security assistance organization, stresses the importance of knowing where your staff is at all times. One way of doing this is by real-time digital tracking—a means of locating staff immediately, based on their use of a smartphone app or hand-held device. This provides the employer with their location in near-real time. Normally, a “ping” is sent out every 15 minutes, although that interval can be customized.

In addition, these apps normally have a “panic” function to alert colleagues or a monitoring center that the traveler needs assistance. Most travelers who use this rely on GSM (global system for mobile) and WiFi networks, however, spacer spools adapter spools technology is available to do this via satellite tracking.

In terms of enhancing safety, the spacer spools adapter spools technology is only the first step. Travelers and employers should have a means of responding to alerts and providing assistance rapidly. This can be done through an active monitoring program such as the one that ISOS has, which combines these elements of spacer spools adapter spools technology and enhanced service support.

Rigzone: As female representation grows within the oil and gas workforce, how is that changing what companies do to ensure worker safety?

Pasdeloup: In terms of female traveler safety, companies need to identify those areas where there are increased risks to female travelers and ensure that they have appropriate support. This should include tailored briefings, and, occasionally, additional operational support such as dedicated and trusted drivers or access to female-only accommodation.

Employers need to understand that female travelers should be able to travel as much as their male counterparts—it’s just that the risks and levels of support they need may differ. ISOS says there is a specific demand from clients in delivering training for female travelers, either in person or through e-learning platforms. This demand demonstrates that employers are taking their duty of care seriously and want to invest in the safety of their female staff.

Increasing female staff on security teams can also help incorporate the female perspective to help drive our understanding of risks and ensures we get the best advice out to female travelers.

Rigzone: What do companies cur do in regard to assessing risks to travelers, specifically oil and gas workers, and evaluating the physical fitness of staff? Based on the survey’s findings, what more should they do?

Pasdeloup: In assessing risks to travelers and then providing support, I would say that the oil and gas sector consistently leads the way in best practice. Risk management principles learned in other parts of the business are applied to traveler security in a way that few other sectors match. Oil and gas security teams often have impressive security intelligence networks, which allow them to understand the threats they face and then implement appropriate mitigation.

In terms of traveler health, employers should ensure that workers are fit to travel to often remote locations or austere conditions, thereby reducing the risk to the business through existing health conditions. The support companies get from medical services firms, like ISOS, is also critical—whether it’s onsite in a remote location or virtually through the use of telehealth solutions.