“The Safety and Environmental Alert System facilitates the rapid dissemination on incidents and near misses in the industry,” APPEA chief executive Belinda Robinson said today.

“It is an essential tool for all operators to share learnings across the oil and gas industry and with other sectors to improve safety outcomes.”

The information from safety and environmental alerts can be used to inform the operation of a company’s own systems, processes and equipment.

“APPEA has also decided to make all of these alerts available for viewing by the public. This way, the broader community can benefit from the important environmental and safety learnings of Australia’s oil and gas industry,” Robinson said.

The information entered through APPEA’s web site can range from the causes or response to a safety incident to the identification of potential hazards in a work site.

For example, an APPEA member identify in its logistics handling a potential hazard in using a forklift that could then be shared with others and thus avoid a potential risk to employees in a wide range of fields, according to Robinson.

APPEA’s Safety and Environmental Alert System is accessed through http://safety.appea.com.au and requires first-time users to register for the free service.

Once logged on, subscribers submit information that can be read by a diverse audience including Australian and overseas companies, regulators, the workforce and other stakeholders.

The Australian oil and gas industry has a strong safety record, with the most recent data showing that 2005 was a fatality-free year, helping the sector achieve one of its best occupational health and safety results on record in 2005.