ARTICLE: COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEMS. WHAT IS THE BEST FOR YOU?

It is important to reiterate that oil and gas installations (on and offshore) can suffer catastrophic events in a very short period of time (minutes to hours). It is, therefore, important that the system of command and control utilised at an installation during an emergency be of such character that it can readily cope with rapidly escalating events that, when not controlled, may well become disasters.

As there are several command systems that can be put into practice for different types of emergencies, the intention of this article is to discuss the benefits and appropriateness of each as it pertains to an oil and gas installation.

Incident Command System (ICS)

While originally developed for wildland incidents, the ICS can be applied easily to a broad range of day to day operations in urban interface areas and is flexible enough to manage large catastrophic events involving thousands of emergency response and management personnel from industry and government at all levels. Therefore, to respond to a flood, oil spill, forest fire or earthquake, etc., or any emergency that may take weeks or even months to control and / or recover from, installations (on and offshore), other industries, government and response agencies tend to utilize the all hazards approach offered by the ICS. While I strongly support the use of the ICS under the circumstances mentioned previously, it is not the emergency management system that I recommend for managing technical or process based installation emergencies (fires, explosions, etc.) that must be responded to and controlled within minutes and not weeks.

Attempting to utilize the ICS could limit an Installation Manager’s (IMs) ability to manage and control an emergency effectively when one considers the basic structure of the ICS (Incident Commander, Finance, Planning Logistics and Operations) and its methodology and reporting structures.

Alternatively, an IM must rely on a systematic approach that provides for immediate and uncomplicated action within minutes. Supporting this process is a team of discipline specific experts (engineers, muster coordinators, radio operators, etc.), information related to the status of the installation and its safety systems, and well defined incident specific emergency response checklists that can rapidly cope with complicated oil and gas drilling, production and process related emergencies as they occur (either individually or in combination). Simply put, without this type of systematic approach, the IM and his command team would very quickly suffer from information overload, most likely become stressed, forget what to do, possibly panic and unwittingly contribute to the escalation of the emergency and loss of the installation. Even worse, the confusion may contribute to the loss of life. It is for these simple reasons that the ICS is not the system that I recommended for use at an installation during the management of major emergencies.

From the perspective of corporations, it is equally as important that the IM not be forced to utilise an emergency management system that may not be the most appropriate for managing major emergencies. Accordingly, the most appropriate emergency management system is that which is most suited to the emergencies being faced and the installations operations and its inherent risks and should never be the system that is more commonly understood or easiest to implement. One shoe does not always fit all.

Onshore-Offshore Emergency Management System (OEMS^TM)

The same as the pilot of a 747 or the Captain of a ship, it goes without question that during any emergency at an oil and gas installation the IM has to be the person with absolute command which means there is no superior authority or other external influence that may make decisions on behalf of the IM during a major emergency. He alone (with the advice of others) must give orders and instructions rapidly and, as the person in command, accept responsibility for actions taken or not taken.

Because of this the OEMS^TM is specifically designed to provide the IM with the appropriate methodology, tools and information systems in order to enhance the chances of managing and controlling an emergency before it becomes a disaster, but under the premise that all that is done is done to protect life first.

As an example, the following table shows where the ICS methodology, as opposed to the OEMS^TM may be most appropriate.



It is important to note, however, that the OEMS^TM  has been successfully integrated into the existing response infrastructures of many oil and gas companies internationally, even when the ICS is utilized corporately. In the following example, we assume that an installation experiencing an emergency will implement the OEMS^TM .



As part of the same process, an OEMS^TM  based Onshore Support Team will also mobilise and provide support, but only when requested. Providing support, as requested, and not independently is important if the Onshore Support Team is to avoid interfering with the critical response activities at the installation. Personnel working as part of the Onshore Support Team could include:

• Onshore Support Leader (person in command of the onshore team)
• Logistics (Emergency Marine and Aviation Support and liaison with Rescue Centres)
• Technical Support (drilling / production)
• Offshore Liaison - The only person who speaks to the installation’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)
• Family Support (Assistance and notification to families of installation employees).
• Public Affairs.
• Safety, Health and Environment Support (Including liaison with regulatory bodies).

While the titles of the team members may change from company to company, the basic functions and processes they employ do not.

As an example, if, the installation emergency (fire, explosion, etc.) also involves an oil spill or salvage operation, the ICS system is implemented to manage those elements of the response and, for a while at least, will operate in parallel to the OEMS^TM or until such time as the Onshore Support Team close their response centre (normally when the installation is stable and all personnel onboard are safe). In my experience, I have rarely seen an onshore or offshore OEMS^TM  based support centre operate for longer than several hours.

Both the ICS and OEMS^TM  are, therefore, complimentary and non competitive systems of response. Importantly, the OEMS^TM  has also been adapted and successfully implemented at Marine Terminals, Refineries, Pipeline Systems, Mines, Airports, Utilities and other industries.

At the end of the day, when you consider the billions of dollars that it costs to build and operate installations, the price to implement the most effective emergency management system is negligible, especially if it may save the installation and, more importantly, life.

The following diagram provides a general overview.

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