US - EU Cooperation on Workplace Safety and Health

US-EU CONFERENCE

US-EU Hydraulic Fracturing-Bakken Safety Tour 2016

Outcome of the 2015 US/EU Conference – Fort Worth, Texas

During the closing plenary session, the US and EU experts of the Energy Workgroup recommended the following recommendations:

• Those present shall use existing sites including Step-Change in Safety and the National Steps Network website to post information and exchange best practice in other jurisdictions on oil and gas and renewables.
• A paper will be prepared by the EU delegation to develop a paper on the EU experience of safety cases to be shared with the US delegation and also the international regulators (IRF). They will also host a visit.
• The US delegation will produce a paper on the safety issues arising from hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for the EU delegation and would also host a visit to North Dakota.
• A number of people undertook to participate in a teleconference quarterly (US to coordinate) to ensure these actions are implemented and build on the momentum.

As a result of discussions, and relating recommendations, developed by US and EU experts in the framework of the Energy Workgroup during the 8th US/EU Joint Conference on OSH (See the final presentation) the US delegation hosted a hydraulic fracturing (fracking) site visit to North Dakota for the EU delegation from August 30- September 2, 2016. The venue was held in Williston, North Dakota.

Presentations

1. Erik Milito - Hydraulic Fracturing and Onshore Oil and Natural Gas Development-Industry Standards for Safe and Responsible Development (ppsx)
2. James Ward, DaleHopwood - Waste Water Disposal and Abandonment Philosophy (pdf)
3. Tony Almond - Environmental Regulation and Planning Conditions for Onshore Oil and Gaswell sites in the UK (ppsx)
4. Mark Quint - Role of the Oil & Gas Authority in Licensing, Consents and the Regulation of Induced Seismicity (ppsx)
5. Lynn Helms - ND Regulations, Planning and Permissions (ppsx)
   Lynn Helms Presentation Video – Drilling Voyager Oil Gas
6. Paul Bradley, Craig Norman - Health and Safety Regulatory Regime in the UK (ppsx)
7. Kyla Retzer - Epidemiology Perspective (ppsx)
8. John Snawder - NIOSH Field Studies, ExposureAssessment, SilicaControls and Gauging and Thiefing (ppsx)
9. EricBrooks - Incidents and Lessons Learned (ppsx)
10. Monte Besler - Engineered Safety and Environmental Aspects of Well Construction and Fracturing Design (ppsx)
11. Ron Gusek - Vorteq Manifold Trailer and The Quiet Fleet (ppsx)
12. Paul Able - Environmental Responsibility and Lean Innovations (ppsx)
13. Joan Smith - Training in Support of Career Paths in Upstream Onshore Oil and Gas E & P (ppsx)
14. Rick Ingram - OSHA-NIOSH-National (STEPS) Network Alliance (ppsx)

Video

Additional Links

MonDaks Safety Network Website- US/EU OSH Bakken Safety Tour (interactive conference program)

Site Visit Photos