Claire Orr has spent more than 30 years supporting industrial organisations to improve their health, safety, and environmental (HSE) performance.
“Over the years, I’ve been audited to death,” she says. “Like everyone at Scapa Energy, we’ve been in the seat of the person being audited, so we understand our clients’ worlds, and that’s a great starting point for an effective working relationship.”
We sat down with Claire to learn more about her experience helping businesses improve their safety performance.
What does your role at Scapa Energy involve?
I’ve been involved in a lot of drilling activities, Reg 5 audits and non-HSE audits such as process safety leadership interviews. Most of my time has been spent on helping organisations prepare for Reg 5 audits.
Organisational readiness for the audits is one of the greatest challenges facing companies, and the level of readiness can vary significantly. Some companies are very mature – they’re ready with all the information to hand, but even then, there are still opportunities for them to learn. Other, newer operators can have an interesting journey when they realise just what’s involved.
You began your career in the automotive industry before joining the energy sector. Was having that early experience beneficial?
Having experience in a different industry has been very helpful. The automotive industry is very time-bound, for example. So, if the HSE identifies an issue with your production, they don’t just stop that business from operating, but there is an entire complex chain that is impacted.
I remember having to tell a major luxury car manufacturer that there was an issue, and that wasn’t for the faint of heart but, it’s experiences like those that have helped to shape who I am today.
Since moving into the energy sector, I’ve spent most of my career in the drilling environment. That was a challenging environment too – it doesn’t matter if you’re male or female – you’re on the outside until you prove yourself and you get on the inside! To this day, the drilling sector is one of my favourite areas to work in. There are so many challenges that you know you can add value.#
You’ve worked in HSE for almost three decades. How has the energy industry’s approach to HSE and assurance changed in that time?
In a company with developments, drilling completions, operations, and decommissioning, each of those teams is pushing and pulling in different ways across the organisation.
I think of them all as spinning plates. Spinning at different times, heights, and frequencies.
If all parts of an organisation are aligned on its HSE, then things will start to improve in a way that is sustainable throughout the organisation. It is no longer the responsibility of one individual to drive change; those capabilities must be embedded across the organisation. Having a level of HSE experience across an organisation is the most effective way to make a real impact, and we are increasingly seeing companies recognise that.
What are some of the stand-out moments of your career so far?
I’ve had the privilege of being involved in major projects from end to end.
Buzzard was a standout moment for me. I was involved in every phase from commissioning to decommissioning – including the drilling of the exploration wells, construction of the wells, placement of the platform and decommissioning.
What was it about Scapa Energy that appealed to you?
I was originally a client of Scapa Energy and found them to be amazing to work with. When I was later made redundant, I got in touch with them about becoming a consultant.
Everything about the company appealed to me. The professionalism of the consultants and the experience they have was a good fit with where I wanted to take my career. Their approach really resonated with me, too – to be supportive but without compromise. That’s pretty unique.
Over the years, I’ve worked with lots of consultants and have seen the good, the bad and the ugly, so when I was looking for my next move, I wanted to work with people whom I respected, a good company that is also great fun!
The thing that sets Scapa Energy apart is that we adopt an approach that is beneficial for the client, not just from a regulatory perspective but also for helping the business more broadly too.
Audit preparation often starts in one direction, and then once they are underway, you realise they need support in other areas too. That’s why we have a phased approach, which begins with introducing them to all the things they will be audited on.
The relationship with the client evolves through the process. It becomes more than an auditor/ auditee relationship. The more they share, the more they get out of us.
If high-hazard businesses were to take just two actions to improve their risk management and assurance, what should those be?
First, and most importantly, they should move from an individual approach to a company-wide process safety culture.
Secondly, be consistent in making improvements. They need to keep going for more than a cycle. We often see activity drop off when organisations merge or key people change. The process safety plans that we work with our clients to develop help to deliver that consistency.
If I can add a bonus action, it would be to learn from others. We see companies that like the idea of sharing insights and data between their peers, but there’s still a reluctance to do that, and that can be transformational. Also, learning from other high-hazard industries is critical.
When you’re not working, how do you like to spend your time?
I have two rugby-mad boys, so a lot of my time is spent on rugby fields. I also have two dogs, so when it’s not rugby, it’s dog walking. We’re also active in our local church.
To find out how we can support your business get in touch at info@scapaenergy.uk