Working together to reduce land transport safety risk in the CSG sector: can we ever do enough?

Keywords: assurance, coal seam gas, driving behaviours, fatalities, safe drivers, safe roads, safe speeds, safety, supplier relationships, technology, training.

The purpose of the present paper is to examine transport risk and the strategies adopted to ensure that the risk is as low as reasonably practicable. The paper explores the strategies that Arrow has adopted for best results in working with contractors to improve safety performance. It also includes specific examples of good practices adopted by Arrow and the positive results observed from them. The paper also looks at opportunities for future improvement, to drive safety risk to an even lower level.

The present paper features Arrow Energy (Arrow), an Operator company active in the Queensland coal seam gas (CSG) sector, and examines how the company is applying a strategy to reduce land transport safety risk. Land transport-related incidents are historically the main cause of fatalities in the sector. Arrow has implemented several strategies, with a significant improvement to the number of vehicle incidents since 2011. However, it does not believe that it has solved the problem; rather, that it is on a journey to improvement.

Statistically, transport-related deaths have been the highest among work-related deaths in 2016 and 2017 (Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities 2017a). According to Safe Work Australia (2018), in 2015, almost half (47%) of worker fatalities occurred within the transport, postal and warehousing, and agriculture, forestry and fishing industry. Figures 1 and 2 highlight the road deaths and industry types with the highest proportion of deaths.

Fig. 1.  Road safety statistics. Road deaths by road-user group: 12 months to October 2017. Source: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities (2017a).

Fig. 2.  Worker fatalities: proportion by industry of employer, all years (2003–2015 combined). Source: Safe Work Australia 2018, fig. 2.

Arrow utilises a large number of heavy vehicles as part of its transport operations both for warehouse freight movements and rig operations. In the 12 months to the end of September 2017, 216 people died in Australia from 197 fatal crashes that involved heavy trucks or buses (Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities 2017b). Figure 3 tracks the counts of fatal crashes that involved heavy vehicles.

Fig. 3.  Fatal heavy-vehicle crashes Australia: quarterly bulletins. Source: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities (2017b).

Given the significant amount of reliance on inland freight movements, land transport-related incidents are the single largest cause of fatalities in CSG company operations. It is an industry expectation that all companies operating land transport vehicles, or providing services involving land transport, have in place a management system for these operations and that this is based on a full assessment of the risks and measures to address such risks.

To address risk, Arrow has developed a multi-pronged strategy that relies on key parts of the organisation working together, notably Contracts and Procurement, Transport and Logistics and HSE. The other key aspect has been the Arrow internal contract holders and the contractors themselves that have been actively working hard to improve driver safety through regular meetings and tool box sessions. The seven pillars of Arrow’s strategy are detailed in Table 1. This strategy applies equally to light and heavy vehicles and professional and non-professional drivers.

Table 1.  Arrow Energy seven-pillar strategy
Source: Arrow Energy (2017a)

There are multiple aspects to consider in managing land-transport risks. Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution where a single control will result in elimination of a land-transport risk for the resource/CSG industry.

In-vehicle monitoring system (IVMS) has helped make a dramatic change in driver behaviour, but the improvement is largely due to driver compliance. This does not take into account external factors such as road hazards, vehicle load, weather conditions, night time or personal factors such as fatigue. As such, Arrow has commenced a Driving to Conditions Conversation Program, specifically to address these factors. This program sees managers conducting one-on-one conversations with staff who have work-related driving as part of their role. The manager is prompted to consider how to help staff deal more effectively with the road and driving conditions. The aim of the program is for Arrow drivers to consciously consider driving to conditions every time they drive. This would change driver behaviour and improve their road awareness, thereby reducing transport incidents. Figure 4 shows an extract of a completed template from the Driving to Conditions Conversation Program. This tool provides a process for discussing recent driving in general, then discussing specific driving-to-conditions issues, and then discussing potential learning and/or actions.

Fig. 4.  Driver conversation sample completed document. Source: Arrow Energy 2017b.

Figure 5 summarises Arrow’s driving-related IVMS breaches since 2011. These data allow Arrow to determine any trends that may be of concern at an early stage and put in place controls to prevent them from escalating to a more serious issue.

Fig. 5.  Summary of in-vehicle monitoring system (IVMS) breaches (trend analysis). Source: Arrow Energy and Contractor (2017).

Looking to the future, Arrow believes that driving to conditions is critical to protect the safety of its drivers and other road users. Further development of initiatives to promote awareness of driving to conditions will include using technology to assist drivers. For example, development of a GIS road map with geographically linked speed zone changes and road hazards, then linked to voice technology for advance notifications, is under development to further improve driver safety. Imagine a driving experience where voice technology informs the driver well in advance of approaching speed limit changes, and associated road hazards such as narrow bridges, tight corners, river crossings, loose gravel or busy crossroads. Voice technology would inform the driver of the speed zone changes and would remove the punitive nature of the IVMS arrangements. This allows drivers to better focus on driving and reduce any unnecessary distractions.

In conclusion, land transport safety is an ongoing and evolving challenge for Arrow and the CSG industry. The present paper has highlighted the importance of having an overall land transport strategy, provided examples of good practices that have worked for Arrow and looked at further improvements. Opportunities for better outcomes exist with targeting safety culture and driving behaviour through transport safety education, industry focus group participation (Safer Together), better vehicle technical standards and having supplier relationships to drive outcomes.

The area that offers significant opportunity for safety improvement is encouraging drivers to consciously consider driving to conditions every time they drive. Arrow has embarked on this journey with the Driving to Conditions Conversation Program. In the near future, the company will use technology to further enhance driver safety.

Arrow, and the Queensland CSG industry, must continue to strive to make the land transport risk component of our operations as low as reasonably practicable, so as to ensure the safety of staff and other road users.

Arrow believes that all staff and contractors play an important role in reducing safety incidents by sharing and learning from our collective experiences.

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