Safety

HSE Director Earns Offshore Achievement Award for Going Above and Beyond

At the 2018 Offshore Achievement Awards, John Fraser, Sparrows Group’s director for health, safety, environment, and quality (HSEQ) and human resources, was presented with the Above and Beyond Award.

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John Fraser

At the 2018 Offshore Achievement Awards, John Fraser, Sparrows Group’s director for health, safety, environment, and quality (HSEQ) and human resources, was presented with the Above and Beyond Award. The Offshore Achievement Awards is the biggest and longest established oil, gas and renewables industry awards for the UK offshore energy sector.

The award was presented by Countdown TV presenter Rachel Riley at a black-tie ceremony on 22 March.

Fraser initially joined Sparrows Group as a crane operator on the Forties field in 1977 and became the driving force behind the development of key industry processes for the safety and integrity of crane operations, which have benefitted not only Sparrows own employees and operations but also the wider industry.

Fraser led the way in developing the Sparrows Offshore Crane Operator Training and Competence Standard in 1990. This globally recognized program has been widely adopted as the industry standard and, almost 30 years later, remains the sector benchmark for crane operators at all stages of their career across the world.

Many employers stipulate holding the Sparrows certification as a requirement, and the Aberdeen-headquartered company can account for having trained approximately 80% of crane operators in the North Sea.

In his current role, Fraser is responsible for maintaining Sparrows HSEQ standards and accreditations while driving the application of consistently high standards of safety and quality globally.

Stewart Mitchell, chief executive officer at Sparrows Group, said, “John’s career spans 5 decades. He lives and breathes safety to ensure workforce protection is at the forefront of any lifting operation. The landscape for offshore lifting operations would be very different today without the influence of John Fraser, who has helped shape crane operating standards for the oil and gas industry around the globe.”

In 1993, Fraser was responsible for the introduction of Standing Instruction SI-01—Offshore Crane Operations, creating a comprehensive guide for offshore crane operators. SI-01 is currently on its 10th edition, and Fraser continues to make the publication available to industry. It forms the basis of many operators’ offshore crane procedures and is recognized as the “go-to handbook” when ensuring the safety of people and assets during crane lifting operations.

Fraser said, “When it comes to safety, there is no compromise on protecting our clients, personnel, and the environments in which they operate. I am honored to have been presented with the Above and Beyond Award and would like to thank Sparrows for their continued support in driving safe and efficient practices across all operations.”

Sparrows Group is a global provider of specialist equipment and integrated engineering services to the energy and industrial industries. The company specializes in delivering structured and bespoke solutions in the safety-critical areas of cranes, lifting, mechanical handling, cable and pipe lay, inspection, and fluid power.