SEMS Skills & Knowledge
PRESENTATION TO
GULF COAST REGULATORY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS GROUP
JANUARY 9, 2014
Presenters
2
Robert Supple, General Manager
Operator Qualification Solutions Group
 A leader in the evaluation process for DOT pipeline workers
known as Operator Qualifications (OQ).
 Specializing in assisting offshore pipeline clients.
Ken Wells, President
Lifeline Strategies
 A safety and regulatory management consulting company
with a special focus on SEMS.
 Wrote the most used SEMS training tool and works with
contractors to help them meet their customer requirements.
info@SEMSReady.com
337-769-9608
SEMS Skills And Knowledge
3
What We Will Talk About:
1. SEMS Requirements
2. What Industry is Doing
3. OQ Model
4. SEMSReady™ Approach
5. Group Exercise
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SEMS Skills and Knowledge
4
SEMS requires Operators to ensure
Contractor personnel have:
Skills
Knowledge Experience
• Many Operators require personnel
evaluations
• Some require annual evaluations
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SEMS Verifications
5
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Operators must “Utilize personnel with expertise in identifying safety hazards, environmental impacts, optimizing
operations, developing safe work practices, developing training programs and investigating incidents.” (30 CFR
250.1909 (f))
Operators must “Ensure that suitably trained and qualified personnel are employed to carry out all aspects of the SEMS
program.” (30 CFR 250.1909 (i))
“document that your contracted employees are knowledgeable and experienced in the work practices necessary to
perform their job in a safe and environmentally sound manner. Documentation of each contracted employee’s expertise to
perform his/her job and a copy of the contractor’s safety policies and procedures must be made available to the operator
and BOEMRE upon request.” (30 CFR 250.1914 (b))
“You are responsible for making certain that contractors have the skills and knowledge to perform their assigned duties and
are conducting these activities in accordance with the requirements in your SEMS program.” (30 CFR 250.1914 (b) (2))
“Your SEMS program must include procedures and verification that contractor personnel understand and can perform
their assigned duties for activities such as, but not limited to: (1) Installation, maintenance, or repair of equipment;(2)
construction, startup, and operation of your facilities; (3) turnaround operations; (4) major renovation; or (5) specialty
work.” (30 CFR 250.1914 (b)(d))
“Your (operator’s) SEMS program must establish and implement a training program so that all personnel are trained in
accordance with their duties and responsibilities to work safely and are aware of potential environmental impacts. Training
must address such areas as operating procedures (§ 250.1913), safe work practices (§ 250.1914), emergency response and
control measures (§ 250.1918), SWA (§ 250.1930), UWA (§ 250.1931), EPP (§ 250.1932), reporting unsafe working
conditions (§ 250.1933), and how to recognize and identify hazards and how to construct and implement JSAs (§ 250.1911).
You must document your instructors' qualifications.” (30 CFR 250.1915)
The SEMS Plan must include “Periodic training to maintain understanding of, and adherence to, the current operating
procedures, using periodic drills, to verify adequate retention of the required knowledge and skills.” (30 CFR 250.1915 (b))
The SEMS Plan must include “How you will verify that the contractors are trained in the work practices necessary to
perform their jobs in a safe and environmentally sound manner, including training on operating procedures (§ 250.1913),
the safe work practices (§ 250.1914), or the emergency response and control measures (§ 250.1918).” (30 CFR 250.1915(d))
Mechanical Integrity procedures must address “the training of each employee involved in maintaining your equipment
and systems so that your employees can implement your mechanical integrity program.” (30 CFR § 250.1916 (b))
info@SEMSReady.com
337-769-9608
Copyright @ 2013, OQSG/LifelineStrategies
It is Really About Two Questions
6
1. What do workers
need to know to
do job correctly?
2. How do they
prove they know
those things?
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COS Guidelines
7
Center for Offshore Safety
 Subgroups worked through 2013
 Developed guidelines for “Skills and
Knowledge Management System.”
 Addresses
job tasks that impact safety
 Calls for worker assessments
 Gives a common baseline for determining
offshore personnel ability to perform work safely.
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337-769-9608
IADC KSAs
8
 Drillers are working on
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
(KSA) database
 Release estimated for 2014
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Operator Evaluation Requirements
9
 Message from SEMS Audits = Industry has a
long way to go on SK verification.
 Fieldwood, BP and others require annual
evaluations.
 2013 message = Contractors got points for
effort but need to have system in place this
year.
info@SEMSReady.com
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How Pipelines Do it: Operator Qualifications
10
Companies that operate or maintain lines
on oil and gas pipelines must have a written
OQ program and identify covered tasks.
Workers must be:
• qualified on tasks
• be able to react to
any abnormal
operating condition.
info@SEMSReady.com
337-769-9608
How Pipelines Do it: Operator Qualifications
11
OQ process concerned with
three things:
1. Do evaluations accurately
represent the work performed?
2. Are evaluators trained &
qualified to do objective
evaluations?
3. Does the process have
integrity and can you audit
it?
info@SEMSReady.com
337-769-9608
SEMSReady™
12
Program uses the OQ model to
 Develop
 Evaluate
 Manage
competency programs that meet SEMS skills
and knowledge requirements.
info@SEMSReady.com
337-769-9608
Copyright @ 2013, OQSG/LifelineStrategies
SEMSReady™
13
Administrator
Evaluator
Learn to:
1. Develop Skills &
Knowledge Verification
plan
2. Create accurate job
descriptions and
skillsets
3. Utilize form to create
consistent evaluations
4. Oversee verification
process
Learn to:
1. Utilize form to
evaluate individual
workers
2. Perform evaluations
that are:
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 Objective
 Consistent
 Repeatable
SEMSReady™ Process
14
Classes
- Identify &
describe criteria
- Create SK system
- Perform
evaluations
info@SEMSReady.com
Follow-up assistance
Database
Options of:
- Help setting up
system
- Review of system
- Audit of
evaluations
337-769-9608
- Manage records
- Document
evaluator training
- Feed online
systems like ISNet
Skills & Knowledge Exercise
15
 Hire a boat captain
info@SEMSReady.com
337-769-9608
Skills & Knowledge Exercise
16
 Hire a boat captain
A charter
boat captain
info@SEMSReady.com
337-769-9608
Questions?
17
 Robert Supple
OQSG
rsupple@oqsg.com
337-769-9608
 Ken Wells
Lifeline Strategies
kenwells@lifelinestrategies.com
985-789-0577
info@SEMSReady.com
337-769-9608