In 2024, HSERs told the HSER Program Team that the area of most concern when it came to the health, safety and wellbeing of their teams was Process Safety. Our 2025 HSER Forum in Perth responded with the theme ‘Process Safety for the Frontline’.
With over 50 peer-elected HSERs in the room, representing Operator and Contractor companies from the Australian Energy Production Industry, the event kicked off with an introduction from MC Joseph Aparis(HSER & Process Operator Onshore, INPEX), welcoming delegates and setting the scene for the day.
Maddison Barton (Health, Safety and Environment Adviser, Cleanaway) followed, asking delegates the question “As an HSER, what is currently the area of your greatest concern when it comes to the health, safety and wellbeing of you and your team?” Menti poll designed to focus the Frontline HSER Engagement Program team attentions for the following calendar year, and to feed back our industry’s’ Senior Leaders in the afternoon’s Industry Safety Forum.
After a brief ice-breaker exercise, Kim Pullon (Process Safety Engineer and Principal Consultant and Head of Training, Safety Solutions) facilitated a brilliant, engaging, informative (and fun!) exercise of pass-the-parcel with the audience, with every layer representing a barrier.
Howard Thomas (Principal Consultant, Kent) followed with yet another brilliant presentation on his Process Safety Game, that he designed to give players a feel for the work that goes into designing the right barriers, and learn how the process safety flow is supposed to work. Players are encouraged to think about this the next time another shortcut rears its ugly head:
- Has the necessary analysis been done?
- Has the overall status of all barriers been considered?
- Or is this the critical card in the house of cards?
Following a short break, the HSERs enjoyed a presentation from Sue McCarrey (CEO, NOPSEMA) who began by addressing current statistics for offshore frontline workers, before talking to upcoming legislative changes for the HSER-role.
After taking some questions from the audience, Sue turned over to Joseph for an always-audience favourite, Stories from the Frontline, with HSER Success Stories from:
- Stacey Hawkes (Cleanaway) with collaboration with the Cleanaway engineering team that eliminated the risk of steam release and resulting injury.
- Neil Toms (Woodside) with an absolute game-changing upgrade to sleeping arrangements.
- Ryan Pillar (Monadelphous) with an improvement to Condensate Storage tanks that reduces manual handling risk exposure, improves ergonomics through HSE engineering hierarchy of control and reduces the task requiring 2-3 operators to 1.
Andrew Woodhams (Process Safety Technical Authority, Jadestone Energy and Process Safety Working Group) stepped HSERs through the Process Safety Working Group initiatives, including Contain It and Maintain It.
After a brief presentation from Jenna Frzop (Senior Health & Safety Adviser, INPEX), Daniella Antonucci (Health and Safety, Woodside) guided HSERs through all the HSER-specific tools and resources available on the Safer Together website, before Emma Gauld (HSEQ Manager, Monadelphous) wrapped up the event.
HSERs Representing their Peers!
Later in the day, Senior Leaders at the Industry Safety Forum enjoyed a Panel discussion from Frontline HSER’s, facilitated by Daniella, with HSER representatives, Ryan Pillar (Monadelphous), Joseph Aparis (INPEX), Tayla Ryan (Shell), Neil Toms (MODEC Management Services) and Tim Hall (Woodside). This session provided Senior Leaders frontline HSER feedback from the morning session, and to hear directly from the HSERs about issues currently directly impacting their role.
We are Stronger and Safer Together.