In July 2006, the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (OGP) lifting and hoisting task force published a recommended practice (RP) in an attempt to significantly reduce the number of accidents and incidents associated with mechanical lifting. The recommended practice was developed for senior management and was designed to provide a systematic approach to the safe management of lifting and hoisting operations. The document was supported with an on-line repository of best practice examples and proprietary "tools."

In November 2008, the lifting and hoisting task force issued a questionnaire to OGP member companies to determine the level of implementation of the RP, how companies make use of the RP, any gaps or weaknesses in the content or structure of the RP, and any suggestions for improvement. This paper summarizes the feedback from the questionnaire and explains how operators have utilized the recommended practice and defined opportunities for improvement.

The paper also defines the work of the OGP lifting and hoisting task force and describes the plan to further promote the recommended practice and expand the implementation beyond operators to service companies, contractors, and consultants.

Keywords:
lifting, documentation, hoisting task force, incident, lifting operation, spe 126607, implementation, task force, gap analysis, upstream oil & gas
Subjects:
HSSE & Social Responsibility Management, Safety, Professionalism, Training, and Education, HSSE management systems
Copyright 2010, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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