FUEL FOR THOUGHT
Issue 18 – December 2018
by Darvin. R, HSEQ Manager – Meinhardt EPCM Sdn Bhd, darvin.ramodran@meinhardtgroup.com
Year-End Message – Time Pressure & Safety
As the calendar year draws to a close and knowing that
based on the last LE we have an uptick of spending
projected for the month of December. I want to share the
timely message below around Time Pressure and Safety.
Often when we start a job we are aware and cautious. As
time goes on, many of us become comfortable, with a false
sense of security. This behaviour is described as
“normalization” -- also known as habituation. Habituation is
defined as the diminishing of a physiological or emotional
response to a frequently repeated stimulus. It is
why workplace accidents tend to happen later in a project
especially at the eleventh hour because the time pressure to
deliver the works by year-end.
Safety is never something we want to trade off for speed. All
of us as leaders play a role to set the right tone - the
challenge is that perception is everything.
I encourage all the Leaders to incorporate this as a short
discussion topic into any of your existing regular meetings,
toolbox session over next 1-2 weeks with your respective
teams to reinforce the message.
Regardless of the urgency, the following principles of
risk management must be applied
Shell EPCM Manager Reflection
“As I reflect on our Safety performance
for 2018, I am happy to share that we’ve
achieved Zero TRCFs for the entire year.
The fact that we’ve clocked close to
300,000 manhours of work in 2018
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without any serious incidents is something that all of us can
all be proud of.
My thanks goes out to all the front liners in the field ensuring
they get the job done safely day in day out . However I also
want to recognize the people working hard in the
background to put the right systems/improving designs/work
methods that have supported our safety performance.
However at the same time I am deeply concerned that in
2018 we’ve still had 5 different major Near Miss events and
1 Minor (Less Than 100kg) LOPC . In any one of these
cases, we could have potentially hurt someone or caused
some negative impact to the environment. You could say we
were fortunate but we cannot rely on luck. As the year draws
to a close, I urge you to reflect on what you can personally
do to drive Goal Zero in coming year and how you build this
into your own company’s 2019 Safety Plan.
All of you are critical partners for Shell to achieve our 2025
Retail Ambition safely and it’s about getting our
fundamentals right – do your people have the right
equipment and skills/training to do their jobs ; do you have
clear plans to improve safety performance and know how
you will assure progress on these plans ; and most
importantly how can we go beyond just
processes/tools/audits to building the right mindsets.
Even though I am leaving Shell soon, I am heartened by the
commitment to doing the right thing that I’ve seen during our
interactions at Quarterly LCSC meetings and at the quarterly
site audits. Creating a sustainable HSSE culture is not an
easy task – we’ve made some good headway this year as
evidenced by our TRCF performance but this is a journey
that needs everyone to be engaged and plugged in.
It's been a privilege to have worked with all of you. I hope
you give a warm welcome Navin who will be replacing me
soon. Do stay safe if you are travelling at year end (Fill up at
Shell if you are on the road!) and have a great working year
ahead.”
EMPOWERING SAFETY TO THE FRONTLINE
Lifting Operation - Sling Safety Advantages on Using Web Slings

Synthetic web slings have a

number of advantages which
include:

▪ Easy handling – pliable,

flexible, and tend to mold
themselves to the shape.
▪ Minimize twisting and
spinning.
▪ Do not rust and are non-
sparking.
▪ Are elastic and stretch
▪ Quick identification – permanent identification tag sewn
to it and WLL can be easily identified by the nominal
Meinhardt would like to bring into attention on the types of width and colour of the web sling.
lifting slings that is commonly being used in the industry and
▪ Nylon is the most common type used on site. It has an
the risks when there’s no extra care in place maintaining
elastic stretch of 6% at noted capacity.
these gears. One of the typical example is the use of chain
slings where certain hazards are inherent in the operation of
Web Sling Inspection
chain sling and users must exercise intelligence during
inspection, care and common sense to ensure a safe All slings must be inspected “periodically” by designated
working environment. personnel at regular intervals and following the types of
Although chain slings are designed for rugged, lasting damages to look for;
service, it is common that the failures are high compared ▪ excessive abrasive wear on webbing and any fittings
▪ cuts, tears, snags, punctures, holes, crushed fabric
with the web slings. Meinhardt prohibits the use of chain
▪ worn or broken stiches
sling in all our construction sites and only allow the use of
▪ burns, charring, melting, or weld spatter damage knots
web slings. ▪ chemical damage
Following are the reason why we don’t recommend the ▪ broken, distorted, or excessively worn fittings
use of chain sling;

▪ Nitty gritty inspection requirement – it is known that the

inspection requires more time where checks must be
performed on each chain link (link-by-link). It takes a lot of
time if to do this correctly on daily / weekly basis and highly
likely this may be overlooked as relies human inspection
with relevant competence hence tend to fail because of
the human behaviour which is beyond our control.

▪ Maintenance – quicker wear & tear due to poor handling

and storage. Chain sling are usually heavy and requires
lubrication should kept under exposure of weather.
Corrosion can occur anywhere chain comes in contact
with harsh chemicals, water or when it is used in tough
environments.

▪ Chain links prone to finger injuries should they are not

handled with extra care by the riggers.

▪ Missing Identification Tag

Working Load Limit (WLL) -
the identification tag often
missing due to the rough usage
and the user unable to
determine the WLL if this
happens when it’s taken to
another site. If the tag is
missing, the inspector should
remove it from service.

EMPOWERING SAFETY TO THE FRONTLINE