Working Together for Safety

“Working Together for Safety" (SfS) is one of the most extensive collaboration initiatives within health, safety, and the environment (HSE) in the energy sector. It was started in 2001 and is organized as a 3-partite forum (non-profit).

The forum is administratively positioned under Offshore Norge which represents both the operators and supplier companies in the energy sector. Together with the Federation of Norwegian Industries (Norsk Industri) and the Norwegian Shipowners' Association (NSA), they fund the activities in SfS.

All the major relevant employee organizations in Norway are members: the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO), Lederne, Industri Energi, Fellesforbundet, Korrosjons- Isolerings- og Stillasentreprenørenes Forening (KIS) and the Collaborating Organizations (DSO). Formally, The Petroleum Safety Authority have an observer role, but they are quite active and provide insight and guidance in many of the workgroups organized by SfS.

SfS has a mandate that was reaffirmed in 2020. The scope is still to provide recommended practices and other safety material within the PSA’s area of authority. Specifically, the goals are to:

  • Improve safety through reduced risk of accidents and undesired events
  • Improve health and safety through reduced risk of work-related illnesses
  • improving the employees' and their family's trust in the industry
  • strengthen the trust and co-operation between the players in the industry

    • The goals are pursued through the following activities:

  • Develop recommended practices within the areas decided by the SfS board.
  • Contribute to harmonization of routines and procedures
  • Contribute to learning and experience transfer through recommended practices, safety movies, webpages, seminars, and other forums.

    • The recommended practices are developed in 3-partite workgroups where all member organizations are invited to participate. The final products are published on SfS webpages and in our quarterly newsletter. All publications are in English and Norwegian. In addition, we allow translations to other languages but take no responsibility for these translations.