“Weather is something we can’t control—but we can control our decisions: whether to proceed or pause, depending on the conditions.”
Any advice about double check?
Check yourself. Are you fit to work? Do you know your procedures? How’s your equipment? Ask: Am I doing the right thing? What could go wrong here? Take a pause - 5 or 10 seconds - before you go into action. That pause can be the difference between an injury or worse.
What does your safety campaign entail?
We’ve introduced a virtual safety champion, Lex. His message: check yourself, your colleagues, and the work before you start. He communicates serious safety messages in a relatable and fun way. Lex has his own email address where people can raise concerns or ask questions. He’s approachable and effective. I hope Lex leaves a lasting impression. People will carry those simple lessons to other projects and industries. It’s about making safety messages stick.
Up till now we’re not seeing major incidents, which tells me people are more aware and alert. Feedback about Lex has been excellent. People are asking when the next Lex campaign is. The communication style and narrative are resonating -especially with smaller organisations that don't have the resources or safety experts.
What is your safety message?
Our message is simple: no harm to people and no damage to the environment. One level deeper, it’s about care. We show we care by ensuring people work in the safest environment possible - with the best vessels, trained people, and the right controls. If we can't do something safely, we won’t do it. Safety is good business - projects with the best safety records are also often on time and under budget.
What makes working at sea challenging?
The sea is harsh and unpredictable. Everyday is different, no two days are the same. I’ve worked in 35 countries and sailed every ocean, including during my time in the Royal Navy. I've seen the damage, the power that the sea can do to a vessel. Weather is something we can’t control - but we can control our decisions: whether to proceed or pause, depending on the conditions.
Offshore emergency response plans need to be robust. Evacuating someone by helicopter from a moving vessel is complex, and the first few hours are critical. We avoid high-risk tasks in remote areas and plan proactively to meet response timelines.
It's not about statistics, KPIs, scorecards and PowerPoint presentations. And I see that far too much in HSSE. A project is judged by how many incidents it's had or not - and that's assuming that you actually get that information. But when you walk around a vessel or a quayside and you just see how people conduct themselves, how they carry themselves, how they communicate and that care for each other, that collective sense of care - then you know you've got it right. My leadership philosophy is based on caring for people and creating an individual sense of safety.
“I tell people I don’t work for Shell or Ecowende. I work for your wife, your kids, your mother, your father. To make sure that we get them home safely.”
My name is Scott Jardine. I'm the HSSE Manager for Ecowende, the offshore wind project. I work for Shell and I've been seconded into this exciting project.
This project is the most innovative, challenging, and rewarding project I've worked on in 30 years. I’m trying to fuse energy and traditional oil and gas culture with the wind industry. We have young, enthusiastic, smart people and also older people like me with experience. Four different cultures coming together makes it a really interesting place to work.
What is your personal drive as a safety manager?
Sadly, I’ve seen incidents in my 30 years offshore, some where people didn’t make it home. I've seen the impact on the families and those that are left behind when there's an incident that ends in someone either losing their life or having a life-changing injury. And so that's what motivates me every day. I tell people I don’t work for Shell or Ecowende. I work for your wife, your kids, your mother, your father. To make sure that we get them home safely.
veilig werken op zee!
Doe mee met Veilig Werken op Zee en help ons de belangrijke boodschap over veiligheid verder te verspreiden. We zijn op zoek naar bedrijven, schepen en werknemers die hun ervaringen willen delen. Jouw verhaal kan anderen inspireren en bewust maken van de cruciale rol die veiligheid speelt in ons werk. Of je nu een succesverhaal hebt of een les geleerd uit een bijna-ongeval, jouw bijdrage kan het verschil maken. Vul het formulier in en sluit je aan bij onze missie om de zee een veiligere werkplek te maken voor iedereen.
Foto: Van Oord
Foto: Van Oord
Foto: Van Oord
Foto: Van Oord
What does your safety campaign entail?
We’ve introduced a virtual safety champion, Lex. His message: check yourself, your colleagues, and the work before you start. He communicates serious safety messages in a relatable and fun way. Lex has his own email address where people can raise concerns or ask questions. He’s approachable and effective. I hope Lex leaves a lasting impression. People will carry those simple lessons to other projects and industries. It’s about making safety messages stick.
Up till now we’re not seeing major incidents, which tells me people are more aware and alert. Feedback about Lex has been excellent. People are asking when the next Lex campaign is. The communication style and narrative are resonating -especially with smaller organisations that don't have the resources or safety experts.
“Weather is something we can’t control—but we can control our decisions: whether to proceed or pause, depending on the conditions.”
Any advice about double check?
Check yourself. Are you fit to work? Do you know your procedures? How’s your equipment? Ask: Am I doing the right thing? What could go wrong here? Take a pause - 5 or 10 seconds - before you go into action. That pause can be the difference between an injury or worse.
“I tell people I don’t work for Shell or Ecowende. I work for your wife, your kids, your mother, your father. To make sure that we get them home safely.”
What is your safety message?
Our message is simple: no harm to people and no damage to the environment. One level deeper, it’s about care. We show we care by ensuring people work in the safest environment possible - with the best vessels, trained people, and the right controls. If we can't do something safely, we won’t do it. Safety is good business - projects with the best safety records are also often on time and under budget.
What makes working at sea challenging?
The sea is harsh and unpredictable. Everyday is different, no two days are the same. I’ve worked in 35 countries and sailed every ocean, including during my time in the Royal Navy. I've seen the damage, the power that the sea can do to a vessel. Weather is something we can’t control - but we can control our decisions: whether to proceed or pause, depending on the conditions.
Offshore emergency response plans need to be robust. Evacuating someone by helicopter from a moving vessel is complex, and the first few hours are critical. We avoid high-risk tasks in remote areas and plan proactively to meet response timelines.
It's not about statistics, KPIs, scorecards and PowerPoint presentations. And I see that far too much in HSSE. A project is judged by how many incidents it's had or not - and that's assuming that you actually get that information. But when you walk around a vessel or a quayside and you just see how people conduct themselves, how they carry themselves, how they communicate and that care for each other, that collective sense of care - then you know you've got it right. My leadership philosophy is based on caring for people and creating an individual sense of safety.
My name is Scott Jardine. I'm the HSSE Manager for Ecowende, the offshore wind project. I work for Shell and I've been seconded into this exciting project.
This project is the most innovative, challenging, and rewarding project I've worked on in 30 years. I’m trying to fuse energy and traditional oil and gas culture with the wind industry. We have young, enthusiastic, smart people and also older people like me with experience. Four different cultures coming together makes it a really interesting place to work.
What is your personal drive as a safety manager?
Sadly, I’ve seen incidents in my 30 years offshore, some where people didn’t make it home. I've seen the impact on the families and those that are left behind when there's an incident that ends in someone either losing their life or having a life-changing injury. And so that's what motivates me every day. I tell people I don’t work for Shell or Ecowende. I work for your wife, your kids, your mother, your father. To make sure that we get them home safely.
Doe mee met Veilig Werken op Zee en help ons de belangrijke boodschap over veiligheid verder te verspreiden. We zijn op zoek naar bedrijven, schepen en werknemers die hun ervaringen willen delen. Jouw verhaal kan anderen inspireren en bewust maken van de cruciale rol die veiligheid speelt in ons werk. Of je nu een succesverhaal hebt of een les geleerd uit een bijna-ongeval, jouw bijdrage kan het verschil maken. Vul het formulier in en sluit je aan bij onze missie om de zee een veiligere werkplek te maken voor iedereen.
veilig werken op zee!
een veilige en productieve plek voor iedereen"