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DROPS FORUM - Dubai UAE, 29th November 2010

Andy Nickerson of Baker Hughes opened the Forum and gave a Safety Brief. 

Allen Smith of DROPS Global was introduced and opened the meeting. Introductions were made around the room and the focus of the day’s event was set.

DROPS Update – Allen Smith, DROPS
Allen opened with an overview of DROPS aims and objectives which are focussed on 100% dropped object prevention. We are committed to learning, sharing and collaborating with all industry sectors that face similar challenges, eg oil & gas, construction, mining, fabrication etc. We hold regular worldwide forums and training events. A statistical overview and photos showed that a high percentage of incidents are Dropped Objects, and 8 out of 10 are High Potential. All our products and best practices were highlighted and an explanation of the Supply Chain model showed that Dropped Objects can occur anytime, anywhere. 
Follow this link to download the presentation. 

NDC Dropped Objects Hunt Day – Morched Alila, NDC
NDC gave us a very interesting presentation and opened with a small video clip of an item falling overboard and hitting a boat below. A list of Hi Potential incidents from 2009-2010 was described. Fortunately they have no fatalities but the instances of High Potential Incident’s show that this is a global problem that we are trying to solve. 

A campaign was launched in May 2009 and all 28 rigs participated. As part of their campaign, NDC shut down their rigs for one hour for a Hazard Hunt and found a huge amount of hazards/items. They have already seen huge successes which were shared with the attendees. 

They now also have a Rogues Gallery as a “Raising Awareness” tool. Results showed that the Hazard Hunt is better done in teams than just by one person. 
Follow this link to download the presentation. 

Dropped Object Incidents – Allen Smith, DROPS
Allen presented three brief presentations on actual incidents in the region and associated learnings. The chain hoist failure provides learnings for improvements in the management of change. The retention bar failure is another example of home-made or locally modified and fabricated equipment that failed, resulting in a dropped object. 
Follow this link to download the presentation.

Shell Egypt Lessons Learned – Steve McWilliam, Shell 
Steve presented an incident whereby a snap-hook connector was not used properly and resulted in a dropped wrench whilst man-riding. The tool weighed 1.8kg and fell 14 metres. Using the DROPS calculator, this incident could also have ended with a fatality. What, why and contributing factors were explained and Root causes covered. A list of corrective actions has since taken place and is available to read in further detail from the full presentation. 
Follow this link to download the presentation. 

Egyptian Drilling Company DROPS Status – Richie Adams, EDC
Richie gave a background history of his experiences with DROPS and how he is helping move EDC forward in their challenges. 

Currently EDC are applying DROPS processes and Best Practices to multiple rigs and operations throughout the Middle East. Initiatives being undertaken include Red Zones, Picture Books, DROPS Alerts and Tools at Height procedures. The way forward for EDC includes compiling their own Dropped Objects Prevention manual, translating DROPS documentation in Arabic for local crews and continual follow up and review. The presentation included photos of a couple of recent incidents. 
Follow this link to download the presentation.

Systematic Approach to Inspection Services – Sunny Thomas, Almansoori
Sunny gave an overview of their company systematic inspection process that helps them in their fight against Dropped Objects during their daily client inspections. He stressed the requirement for the Client to be precise with their requirements at the initial stages of a job. This in turn would enable AlMansoori to have the correct procedures in place to undertake this work safely and effectively. This highlights issues around the Supply Chain as covered earlier in the day. 
Follow this link to download the presentation. 

DROPS Asia Successes and Challenges - Lee Hogan, DROPS Asia (and Seadrill)
Lee gave us an overview of the progression that has been made after our inaugural meeting in Kuala Lumpur in 2009. DROPS Asia has held a further 3 forums and workshops which have highlighted areas of concern and successes. The DROPS message continues to be spread through this large region and DROPS Global continue to support and move forward with Focus Issues and shared Learnings. 
Follow this link to download the presentation.

The Way Forward & Closing Summary
Allen and Lee closed the meeting and the below bullet points reflected the mornings’ successful event. 

  • Improved communications are essential
  • Keeping Inspection process updated
  • NDC will push for membership


Volunteers for the Middle East DROPS Chapter are welcomed to inform us by email(secretary@dropsonline.org) of their commitment. DROPS Global will help facilitate this and we will look forward to the future events. 

The next Forum date for Middle East is to be advised in due course. 

If you have any queries or require further information, please explore this website or contact us on admin@dropsonline.org or +44-1224-861811.