Application and Use of Standardized Safety Questionnaires for Contractor Management in Upstream Oil and Gas

Abstract

Abstract Petroleum exploration and production (E&P) operations are inherently hazardous and dictate the need for prudent approaches to job planning and execution. Contractors are used extensively to support drilling, construction, and production activities and diligence should be exercised in their selection, monitoring, and management. Effective contractor selection from a Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) perspective is predicated upon access to current and reliable information on contractor programs and performance. That need could be partially fulfilled by on-line questionnaires which offer the advantages of convenience, expediency, and cost-effectiveness, compared to conventional information-sourcing methods. This paper discusses how an integrated oil and gas company (Operator) has successfully used questionnaires for contractor prequalification, evaluation, selection, site management, and auditing. An analysis of the contractor HSE audits, to validate the questionnaire over a two year period, identified limitations in the process and instances of inaccurate reporting by the contractor. Those inaccuracies were attributed to question phrasing, perceived question threat, lack of understanding of HSE management principles and legislation by the respondent and, in some cases, untruthful answers. This study also found that when an online questionnaire is weighted on HSE "management" questions to the detriment of "compliance" questions, its usefulness as an information source gets diminished. Further complications arise when the compliance questions are answered simply by copying appropriate regulations or citations without evidence of implementation. Recommendations, supported by John Maxwell’s laws of leadership, are made to address the areas of concern and increase the validity, reliability, and usefulness of online questionnaires as a valuable information source for contractor HSE risk assessment.