Annual report 2010 - Aker Solutions

Aker Solutions annual report 2010Board of directors’ report13A common HSE cultureEducation occupies a central place in AkerSolutions’ HSE programme. Since it wasintroduced in 2005, the tailored HSEleader ship programme has been completedby more than 2 700 leaders. 200 participatedin 2010. This programme equipsmanagers with the competence required tobecome better role models and to driveHSE improvements.To reach out to all employees in anefficient way, the group has also developedeLearning programmes for key areas withinHSE. These include the Just Care cultureand HSE as a core value, as well as morespecific topics on mastering stress andprotecting the environment. More than77 000 eLearning sessions have beencompleted since these programmes wereintroduced in 2007.Clear expectationsA common HSE operating system for thewhole company sets standards for themost important elements in HSE managementand leadership. Regular audits uncoverpossible gaps in relation to expectations,and the necessary counter-measuresare identified and initiated. This systemalso functions as a framework for crossorganisationalsharing and learning.Learning from incidentsOn the basis of an analysis of incidents inrecent years and exchange of experience inthe industry, Aker Solutions developed anew component in its HSE programme in2008. Entitled Just Rules, this is a set ofsimple but specific safety regulations forparticular work operations which arejudged on the basis of experience to posehigher risks.Since the implementation more than32 000 employees, contract staff andsubcontractor personnel have participatedin presentations of Just Rules. By makingthe most important preventative measuresmandatory, clear and simple, Just Rulesessentially contributes to preventingserious incidents.AchievementsDespite continuous efforts to avoid seriousincidents, Aker Solutions regrettablysuffered 19 serious personal injuries in2010, compared to 23 in 2009 and 18 in2008. No fatalities occurred in 2010.Of these 19 injuries, five involved workingat height, two occurred during liftingoperations, two from falling objects, threefrom energy isolation, three from trippingand four from operating hand tools.The total recordable injury frequency(TRIF) per million working hours fell from2.7 in 2009 to 2.6 in 2010. The lost-timeinjury frequency (LTIF) per million workinghours declined from 0.9 in 2009 to 0.8.These figures also include Aker Solutions’sub-contractors.All serious incidents and near misses areinvestigated and the lessons from themimplemented with the aim of preventingsimilar incidents in the future.In 2010 the company’s umbilicals manufacturingfacilities in Mobile, US and Moss,Norway both celebrated five years withoutlost time incidents and received companywiderecognition for their results. Also in2010 Aker Solutions was named the winnerof the prestigious Malaysian NationalOccupational Safety & Health Award in theheavy industry manufacturing category.Sick leaveSick leave amounted to 2.0 percent of totalworking hours in 2010, compared with 2.2percent the year before. Sick leave hasremained stable at a low level after a cleardecline in 2003-2006. However, it shouldbe noted that differences in local regulationscomplicate a direct comparison ofsick leave between different countries.Although low in comparison withnational average, company statistics showthat sick leave in Aker Solutions’Norwegian operations is relatively higherthan in other areas of the group, with anaverage 4.1 percent in 2010.Special initiatives have been introducedin 2010 with a focus on exercise andnutrition. The company’s sponsorship ofthe 2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championshipand participation in the Aker Aktivprogramme is part of this.EnvironmentThe board takes the view that AkerSolutions’ activities pose only a limiteddirect burden on the environment. Nosignificant unintentional discharges oremissions to the surrounding environmentwere recorded in 2010.Total energy consumption by thebusiness in 2010 (figures for 2009 inbrackets), based on recorded use of oil,gas and electricity, amounted to 473 950(588 206) megawatt-hours. Carbonemissions related to this usage areestimated at 109 573 (136 797) tonnes. Themethodology used derives from the GreenhouseGas Protocol – GHG, and GlobalReporting Initiative – GRI.Waste recorded in connection with thebusiness totalled 42 171 (45 744) tonnes, ofwhich 86 percent was recycled. Reportingprocesses for environmental parametershave been improved, and the figures aboveare being reported since 2008 with greateraccuracy than before.At the end of 2010, 20 out of 50 operatingunits were certified to the ISO 14001environmental standard. An eLearningprogramme with a particular focus on theenvironment was introduced during 2008,and 15 000 employees have so farcompleted it.The above mentioned HSE leadershipdevelopment initiatives, eLearning and themanagement system incorporate clearcomponents which focus attention on theenvironment. Collectively, these contributeto continuous improvements in environmentalawareness and attitudes amongmanagers and other employees.This inspires the organisation to achievefurther gains in environmental performancein Aker Solutions’ own activities, and toassist customers in making environmentalimprovements through the productsdeveloped by the group.Examples can be found in such areas ascarbon capture, drilling rigs with a strongenvironmental performance in arctic conditions,treatment of volatile organiccompounds, treatment of sulphur andammonia discharges, installation equipmentand support structures for windturbines, as well as the next generation ofbio fuels.People and teamsKeeping a workforce of highly skilled andmotivated employees and leaders is a keysuccess factor for Aker Solutions. Thecompany continuously strives to increaseattractiveness, recruit new talent anddevelop the competence of people andteams. For most operating entities in AkerSolutions, lack of skilled personnel isregarded as a potential challenge andtherefore systematically addressed.The attention paid by Aker Solutions to