July 1, 2015 in New Jersey: Multiple flash flood warnings were issued between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., triggering the federal governments Wireless Emergency Alert System

 

 Powerful storms struck Warren County on June 30, downing trees and power lines and closing roads. (photos by Rich Maxwell for the Warren Reporter)

If storms didn't wake you up last night, your phone probably did. Here's why

The yellow boxes indicate where flash flood warnings were issued in New Jersey early this morning. 

July 01, 2015 at 12:13 PM, updated July 01, 2015 at 4:05 PM

 

A line of thunderstorms pushed through New Jersey early Wednesday morning. Well over half the state's population is likely well aware of that, but not because of thunder and lightning.   

Multiple flash flood warnings were issued between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., triggering the federal governments Wireless Emergency Alert System, perhaps for the first time for some people. The WEA system is automatically programmed on most smart phones, and pushes out alerts when imminent threats to life or property occur in the form of a text-like message accompanied by what the Federal Communication Commission describes as "special tone and vibration, both repeated twice."

That "special tone" had many convinced people their home was under attack as they slumbered last night. 

I'd like to thank the "flash flood warning" alert for waking me up at 4AM making me think there's a nuclear war in my bedroom

— Sabrina ღ (@sabrina_sergio) July 1, 2015

Flash flood warning woke me up at 5 AM and in my daze I must have shut off my alarm. Woke up late. Needless to say, miserable.

— Erik Smith (@thoughtxriot) July 1, 2015

Shoutout to my phone for waking me up & alerting me about a flash flood WARNING . 😐😑😕

— Scarlett Lov (@HunnieL0ve) July 1, 2015

Why do I get these alerts?

WEA alerts are chiefly designed to warn people of imminent threats or other information wherever they are.  

Law enforcement will use it to issue Amber Alerts or other emergency information, like evacuation orders. The President can issue statements during national emergencies through the service. And, as was the case last night, the National Weather Service can issue the alerts during flash floods and tornados.
  
Why? This is how the National Weather Service puts it: 

"Imagine this: You're driving down the highway, humming along to your favorite tunes, when the cell phone stowed in your bag suddenly makes a strange noise. To investigate, you take the next exit and safely pull over to check the screen. Good thing you did: Your phone just alerted you to a tornado a few miles away in same county you're driving through."

The service is designed with good intentions -- flash floods and tornados are two of the most dangerous, spontaneous and highly-localized weather events the United States faces and people aren't always parked directly in front of a television or radio to hear about them.  

Unfortunately, the system is also standardized and automated. So while a flash flood is not likely to float your bed down the road at 4 a.m., the alert is issued just the same.   

Can I turn them off?

Yes, for the most part anyway.  

The toggle for emergency alerts on most smart phones is located in the notification menu in the settings section of the device.  

On iPhones, for example, a user can go to notifications and find two switches at the very bottom of the screen, one for Amber alerts and one for emergency alerts. Changing the switch will disable the alerts on your phone -- all except one. 

Presidential alerts cannot be disabled. If President Barack Obama decides there is a need to alert you to something at 3 a.m., you will receive the alert no matter what. Though one would imagine if the President decides to text America in the middle of the night, you'll probably want to know about it.

Federal officials urge people to keep the alerts on, with good reason. While a situation like last night may be a minor inconvenience, a flash flood or tornado alert could be life-saving down the road. 

Different mobile carriers and devices may also have different settings to limit or silence the alerts. More information on the WEA program can be found here. 
Stephen Stirling may be reached at sstirling@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @sstirling. Find him on Facebook.

The Real Costs of Decommissioning: Costs are Much Higher Than Previously Estimated

Published in Oil Industry News on Wednesday, 1 July 2015

The North Sea’s decommissioning phase has been a long-time coming, with production cessation dates perennially set back, and ultimate costs always based on estimates.

Now, however, activity has started in earnest and the real costs are showing a worrying upward trend.

Up until recently, the estimated decommissioning cost for assets in place in the UK North Sea has been about £35-40 billion (US$54-61 billion). Oil & Gas UK’s 2015 Activity Survey increased the estimate to £41-46 billion ($63-70 billion). But attendees at the SPE’s European Well Abandonment Seminar in Aberdeen this past April were told that, based on real costs, the figures are closer to £40-70 billion ($61-107 billion).

The new estimate is based on work by the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and Genesis, an engineering consultancy subsidiary of Technip. The work looked at the cost over time of decommissioning in the North Sea, with the aim of understanding cost trends to enable operators and DECC to determine where costs could be reduced and efficiencies could be made. The scope covered wells, tonnage, and unit costs.

Audrey Banner, head of offshore decommissioning at DECC, says while “high-level” costs have already been forecast, those forecasts have been based on nominal costs. Now that decommissioning activity is underway, and real costs are available, it has been found that costs are higher than expected. The reasons she says, could be inaccurate cost estimates, lack of scope definition (including not knowing what is in wells) and inadequate planning.

According to Oil & Gas UK figures, average cost-increase estimates are going up by about 14% per year. But the study, which took a detailed look at four actual projects, found that costs overruns had been over about 60% of the estimated decommissioning costs. As a result, the study found costs could be around £40-70 billion, or £58 billion ($88.8 billion) based on a mean estimate.

Plugging and abandonment is one of the highest cost areas – comprising about 60% of the total decommissioning cost, followed by topsides at 9.8%, then subsea structures at 6.2%. Based on real data, platform wells range from £2-8 million ($3-12 million) per well and average £3.8 million (45.6 million) per well. Subsea wells have been as high as £13 million ($19.9 million), with the low at £4 million ($6.13 million) and the average £6.8 million ($10.42 million).

Facilities removal costs have been £2200/tonne ($3371/tonne) for topsides and £4100/tonne ($6282/tonne) for subsea infrastructure.

“The largest cost sensitivity is around plugging and abandonment,” Banner says, where a change in scope can increase costs, due to rig rates and vessel service rates. “They [costs] could drop 30% or go up 20% depending on rates. Rigless abandonment could increase or decrease costs by about 50%.”

Using single lift vessels to remove topsides, such as Allseas’ Pioneering Spirit (formerly Pieter Schelte), could reduce costs by 30% or increase them by 20% depending on vessel and people costs. Changes to derogation rules could also impact costs, if the derogation rule was increased to facilities weighing more than 5000-tonne, instead of 10,000-tonne, for example.

The industry is, however, only just really starting its decommissioning curve in earnest. Delaying of decommissioning dates has been seen to hinder supply chain and skills and experience development, which would help reduce costs.
However, that should change in coming years. From 2014-2023, the industry will undergo a big increase in activity, Banner explains. “£58 billion is not a fait accompli,” she says. “There is work we can do to get the costs down.”

Banner suggests operators focus on their plans and commitments and share such information with the supply chain. Operators should also look at capability and career paths, reduce staff “churn” in decommissioning teams, create a small team that moves around projects, and have fit-for-purpose standards on wells and share information with peers.

The supply chain, on the other hand, needs to ramp up capability, she says, with fit-for-purpose technology and equipment. i.e. rigless plugging and abandonment capabilities and diverless subsea operations. The regulator also has a role to play, by offering clarity and guidance on decommissioning requirements, she says.

“[The] entry of specialist decommissioning players should be considered to late-life manage and lead in to decommissioning,” Banner says.
Source: www.oedigital.com

U.S. Crude Production for April Rises to Most Since 1971. Production Decline Expected Starting in June.

Published in Oil Industry News on Wednesday, 1 July 2015

U.S. crude oil production rose 9,000 barrels a day to 9.701 million barrels a day in April, the highest since May 1971, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in monthly data released Tuesday.

Technology for tapping shale oil has helped the U.S. unlock vast reserves of crude that were previously inaccessible, boosting production.

The modest increase from last month may suggest that a production plateau is approaching, which could deal a blow to U.S. crude prices, which have been generally rallying since March.

The flood of oil was one factor contributing to a price rout in the second half of last year, but production has continued at high levels even as drillers have shut in rigs in an attempt to scale back production.

The EIA, the statistical arm of the Department of Energy, expects that crude production will decline on a monthly basis starting in June.

Because U.S. crude production has risen, while regulations limit exports of oil but not fuel, overall petroleum product exports were the highest for April on record at 2.873 million barrels per day, according to the data released Tuesday.

U.S. April gasoline demand domestically rose 1.8 percent, or 160,000 bpd, versus last year at 9.139 mln bpd, compared with a 4.3 percent rise in March.
Source: www.reuters.com

Shell Fined Over North Sea Leak

Published in Oil Industry News on Wednesday, 1 July 2015

Shell has been fined over £6000 after a diesel leak on board a North Sea platform.

Between 13 and 15 tonnes spilled into the sea from the Brent Bravo, 116 miles north east of Lerwick, in May 2013 while the platform underwent a scheduled shut-down for routine maintenance.

An offshore supply vessel was carrying out ‘bunkering’ operations – using bulk hoses which are lowered from the platform to allow the transfer of diesel – when the leak was spotted on one of the flexible pipes.

The chief officer of the supply vessel noticed a “discolouration” in the sea water indicating a leak.

The Crown narrative lodged in court yesterday stated: “He saw a plume emanating from the diesel bunkering hose which was mushroom shaped and approximately 15-20 metres in length from the hose.

“He immediately instructed his crew to stop the diesel pump and contacted the Brent Bravo to advise them of the leak.

“The deck crew began pulling the diesel hose back to the installation and at that time diesel could be seen escaping from the hose.”

The court heard that pumping activities were immediately stopped and the relevant authorities informed.

Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) investigators found two damaged sections of hose, which had not be fully inspected before starting operations due to the way the bunkering station was set-up.

Senior management from the Royal Dutch Shell subsidiary appeared in the public benches at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where the company pleaded guilty to an unlicensed release of fuel.

Sheriff Kenneth Stewart fined the company £6,650, reduced from the maximum possible due to the early stage of the guilty plea.

A Shell UK spokeswoman said: "We regret that the release occurred - no spill is acceptable.

"We have since carried out a thorough investigation into the incident and have shared the lessons learned across the business."

Oil and Gas Industry Safety at All Time High, Leaks at Lowest Level Recorded

Published in Oil Industry News on Wednesday, 1 July 2015

There have been further improvements in the management of major safety hazards offshore, according to Oil & Gas UK’s Health & Safety 2015 Report published today.

Oil & Gas UK stated that based on incidents reported to the Health and Safety Executive for April 2014 to March 2015 and shared with the trade body; the total number of hydrocarbon releases – oil and gas leaks – has gone down and is at its lowest level ever.

Furthermore, offshore oil and gas has a lower personal injury rate than many other sectors including construction, transport, manufacturing, health, retail and education, the report reveals. The non-fatal injury rate for offshore workers also continues to show a declining trend.

Securing continued effective search and rescue helicopter cover for offshore workers in the Central North Sea was a major milestone for the sector, the trade body said. The industry remains focused on aviation safety, with the launch of measures such as a new emergency breathing system for offshore flying and changes to helicopter seating allocation based on passenger size.

Preparing for the introduction into UK law of the EU Offshore Safety Directive – the single biggest shake-up of offshore health, safety and environment management for a decade – has also been a key focus for the industry.

However, Oil & Gas UK points out that the report did find a growing backlog of safety-critical maintenance on offshore installations.

Robert Paterson, health, safety and employment issues director at Oil & Gas UK, said: “Industry, on the whole, is performing well across a range of safety criteria. However, ours is a major hazard sector where complacency has no place.

“The overall reduction in hydrocarbon releases is to be welcomed and we must continue our focus on curbing these even further.'

“Safe offshore transport remains a priority. 2014 saw the launch of the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) CAP 1145 report into aviation safety. Some of the measures proposed were already under way, but this is an area where progress continues to be made with the CAA, helicopter operators, industry and trade unions meeting regularly to monitor progress and stimulate action.

“Industry also demonstrated its commitment to safety by funding an offshore search and rescue helicopter service for the Central North Sea to ensure the same levels of rescue and recovery service following changes to previous provision.

“Our report did find a growing backlog of safety-critical maintenance offshore and this is an area that needs close attention. However, decisions on deferring maintenance are taken following robust management systems that assess risk and involve the relevant technical and engineering authorities. 

All operators are also being encouraged to participate in providing data to all stakeholders to best reflect how the industry as a whole is managing safety-critical maintenance.

“Producing hydrocarbons safely, ensuring assets are operated safely, and transporting our workforce to and from installations safely is of paramount importance to the industry. Despite these difficult times they must always remain our priority.”
Source: www.offshoreenergytoday.com

Report: Fifty percent of Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) crews willing to compromise safety

OSV Illustration

Some 50% of crews working on offshore support vessels are willing to compromise safety rather than say ‘no’ to clients or senior management, while nearly 80% believe commercial pressures could influence the safety of their working practices.

The chilling findings, released to coincide with this week’s International Maritime Organization Maritime Safety Committee meeting, come from a new report on workboat and OSV safety commissioned by operations and maintenance management software specialist Helm Operations.

“The Impact of Crew Engagement and Organizational Culture on Maritime Safety in the Workboats and OSV Sectors” is the first maritime safety study specific to workboats and OSVs and will be finalized in time for World Maritime Day 2015, on September 26.

The independent report will summarize six months of research by Dr Kate Pike and Emma Broadhurst of Southampton Solent University. It draws on original analysis of Port State Control detention records, feedback from 50 offshore companies, incident case studies, and input from leaders in best practice.

“This is a major contribution to knowledge in the industry, highlighting the link between the human element and safety performance in this distinct sector,” says Ron deBruyne, CEO and Founder of Helm Operations. “It tests often repeated regulatory assumptions, establishes the realities of workboat and OSV safety, and provides key recommendations aimed at improving maritime safety.”

Despite the inherently risky nature of their work, many workboats are not bound by SOLAS or the International Safety Management (ISM) Code. Both the Paris and the Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) data show that 27% of workboat deficiencies relate to certificates and documentation, the report says.

“This report identifies shortcomings in current safety cultures, and makes recommendations on how the workboat and OSV sectors can enhance and audit safe working practices,” says deBruyne.

An online survey drawing on 50 key offshore companies saw 34% of respondents saying their company needed to offer additional operational and technical training. Worryingly, 50% found it difficult to say ‘no’ to a client or senior staff demanding actions that might compromise safety. Some 78% of respondents believed that commercial pressures could influence safety.

“We’re concerned that the research also confirms how under-reporting of near misses can undermine an entire safety culture,” says deBruyne. “This is partly due to the repercussions of reporting. Better safety management procedures, improved safety culture and crew wellbeing mean lower workboat and OSV deficiencies and detentions.”

To support this contention, the report identifies a set of eight safety criteria to help companies establish safety management systems that follow the principles set out in the ISM Code. 

It offers recommendations on communication; empowerment of employees; feedback systems; mutual trust; problem identification; promotion of safety; responsiveness; and safety awareness.

‘The Impact of Crew Engagement and Organizational Culture on Maritime Safety in the Workboats and OSV Sectors’ will be available on September 26, to coincide with World Maritime Day.

Judge affirms OSHA findings in 2012 death of health care coordinator killed by mentally ill client with violent criminal history. Integra Health Management failed to protect employee from workplace violence hazards.

July 01, 2015

Judge affirms OSHA findings in 2012 death of health care coordinator
killed by mentally ill client with violent criminal history.

Integra Health Management failed to protect employee from workplace violence hazards.

TAMPA, Fla. - After the horrific murder of a Florida health care worker in 2012, an administrative law judge affirmed in June that her employer failed to protect her from workplace violence. 

Judge Dennis Phillips of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission determined Integra Health Management - now operating as Integra ServiceConnect LLC - did not protect Stephanie Ross, a 24-year-old social service coordinator. 

Her client, with severe mental illness and a violent criminal history, fatally stabbed Ross outside his home in December 2012. On-the-job for approximately three months, Ross had prior meetings with the man and recorded in her case notes that she was uncomfortable being alone with him.

Like other social service coordinators, Ross visited dangerous and violent clients in their homes and coordinated case management. To perform mental and physical health assessments, she transported clients in her vehicle. 

"The safety of social service workers in the field is a serious concern. Many face threats and violence in the workplace. Integra put its workers at risk of injury or worse by choosing not to implement commonly recognized safety practices and protocols," said Leslie Grove, OSHA's director of the Tampa Area Office. 

"Employers must take every reasonable precaution to protect employees against safety and health hazards in the workplace, including physical assaults."
OSHA investigators found Integra knew the assailant had exhibited several high-risk behaviors - including a history of violence, criminal behavior, schizophrenia and paranoia - but took no steps to protect its employee. 

The agency also discovered multiple incidents where Integra employees were victims of aggression and verbal and physical threats from clients. OSHA concluded that the company did not conduct a hazard assessment of the service coordinator position or develop a written program to prevent workplace violence hazards. 

Investigators issued two serious citations with full penalties to Integra in March 2013 for failing to protect employees from violence in the workplace and not reporting Ross' death to OSHA. The company contested the citations that went before the commission for review. 

Judge Phillips found that Integra's approach to safety was inadequate, and the company should have taken precautions to prevent injury by hiring and training its employees appropriately. The citations bring penalties of $10,500.

In future health care industry inspections, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced recently that it would expand its enforcement resources to focus on workplace violence and other safety and health risks.

Based in Owings Mills, Maryland, Integra Health Management is a health care service company specializing in community-based nonclinical support for individuals with health care and related social service needs. Integra contracts with insurance companies to perform mental and physical health assessments and coordinates case management for high-risk, high-cost members. It operates in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Florida. 

On June 25, OSHA announced that it added musculoskeletal disorders, bloodborne pathogens, workplace violence, tuberculosis and slips, trips and falls as key hazards for investigators to focus on in health care inspections. The action targets some of the most common causes of workplace injury and illness in the health care industry.

Bureau of Labor Statistics data from the preliminary Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries shows fatal work injuries in Florida accounted for 218 of the 4,405 fatal work injuries reported nationally in 2013. Additional details are available at http://www.bls.gov. 

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Tampa Area Office at 813-626-1177.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.