Press Release

IMCA'S ANNUAL MARINE SAFETY SEMINAR TO BE HELD IN HOUSTON
News too of the new IMCA Americas Deepwater Section

2003 DIARY DATES
Title:          IMCA Annual Marine Safety Seminar
Dates:          5-6 November 2003 
Venue:          Sheraton Suites, Galleria, Houston, Texas, USA
Organiser:      IMCA - The International Marine Contractors Association
E-mail:         events@imca-int.com
Website:        www.imca-int.com/events

The annual Marine Seminar has been a key date in the IMCA - The International Marine Contractors Association - diary since the early 1990s. The 12th annual seminar, with its joint topics 'Marine' and 'Safety' will take place on 5th and 6th November in Houston, Texas at the Sheraton Suites near the Galleria. Further information, including the outline conference programme, will be available on the IMCA website at www.imca-int.com/events. The event is open to members and non-members alike.

"Safety lies at the heart of all IMCA policy so it is fitting that this year's seminar should have parallel sessions on safety," explains IMCA's Chief Executive, Hugh Williams. "This will be the first USA-based seminar since the formation of the IMCA Americas Deepwater Section.

"We are delighted by the speed and enthusiasm with which the Americas Deepwater Section has been greeted. It was just a year ago, in Spring 2002, that the Council and Overall Management Committee decided that a new geographical section was required for members active in the Americas. In the past, IMCA members in the Americas have had to travel to meetings elsewhere and have been unable to get together to discuss common issues. There were obviously a number of steps to be taken before the first section meeting could be held in late October, but since then things have been moved forward fast and there has been much stimulating discussion - and action.

"The importance of the region cannot be underestimated given the huge number of projects, both ongoing and planned, including those managed from the region but carried out elsewhere, for example in West Africa. The numerous contractors supporting these provide a very important raft for sharing good practice."

The section has a remit to maintain, promote and exchange information on good practice. Members in the region are mostly involved in deepwater activities - hence the section name - and so the focus is on Marine, Offshore Survey and Remote Systems & ROVs. Sub-groups have been formed for Safety, Environment & Legislation; Training, Certification & Personnel Competence; and each of these three technical divisions. The five sub-group chairmen have been co-opted onto the relevant world-wide committees to enhance the international nature of their work and teleconferencing of committee meetings is ensuring that IMCA is operating very much as a 'joined-up' organisation. All have played a role in the planning of November's Marine Safety Seminar.

Previous annual marine seminars have been held in Brazil, France, The Netherlands, Norway and USA as well as in the UK. The 11th Seminar, sub-titled "Learning from Experience" was held in Aberdeen in early November 2002 and attracted over 250 delegates from at least 14 countries. Focusing on marine and diving, it brought together key operational and managerial personnel from across the industry and around the world, along with equipment suppliers, specialist consultants and client and regulatory representatives, giving the opportunity for wide ranging discussions, sharing of lessons learned and to air key subjects of topical interest. The CD-ROM of the 2002 Seminar is now available priced £30 to members, £60 to non-members, from publications@imca-int.com or via the website at www.imca-int.com/publications.

Looking back - start of year 'members only' event IMCA's second 'members only' annual safety seminar "No Harm - What's the Problem?" was held in early February at the Newcastle United football stadium and built on the success of the earlier "Working Safer Offshore" seminar held at Manchester United's Old Trafford ground.

"This year's event looked at where delegates left off last year, how far we've come since and how we can, and will, continue improving safety performance," explains Hugh Williams. "Early in 2002 our Council published a safety statement that very much set the scene: 'The target for IMCA is an injury-free work place. As part of the process to achieve this, a substantial continuous improvement in the LTIFR (lost time incident frequency rate) figures is to be achieved in 2002 by making use of the IMCA initiatives and by each member's use of its safety management system. Accordingly, IMCA encourages all members to set aggressive targets in order to achieve the ultimate goal of an injury free workplace.'

Some 87 delegates from at least 9 countries attended the sessions that focussed on current IMCA safety initiatives and they rose to the invitation to provide input based on their experiences either implementing their own safety initiatives or as part of the offshore workforce striving to stay injury free; our small group discussion sessions worked well and reported back to the seminar as a whole, on how management and workforces can work together to enhance safety. It was a highly stimulating couple of days with really frank presentations from those involved in offshore incidents, including what went wrong, the effects on those involved, what had been leant and how similar incidents can be prevented in the future. There's a face plus family and colleagues behind every statistic and all can be harmed by an accident"

This year's event included a Safety Share Fair with IMCA members exhibiting and sharing their good ideas, current initiatives, experiences and best practice from their own organisations and providing an opportunity for delegates to spend time discussing with each company various aspects of how they are trying and succeeding to improve offshore safety; and learning from each other.

Further information on IMCA and its events is available on the IMCA website at www.imca-int.com/events or by e-mail: events@imca-int.com

Note to Editors: If you would like a review copy of the 2002 Marine Seminar CD please contact Judith Patten at judithpatten@blueyonder.co.uk or on +44 (0)20 8241 1912. You are very welcome to register as a press delegate at the Marine and Safety Seminar in the USA - further information will reach you automatically during the coming months.