Visitors to public buildings pose a substantial security risk. This affects the oil & gas industry as much as any federal facility. A smart company can reduce that risk, however, by managing its visitors.

Some visitor management systems are "low-tech"; that is, the person signs her name, the time she enters the building, what office/employee she will visit, and signs out when leaving the building - all done using pen and paper.

The most successful visitor management relies on computerized systems to confirm visitor identity, conduct background checks, confirm security clearances and otherwise obtain information with regard to the person that may affect his or her ability to visit or that impacts the company.

To be successful, a visitor management system should combine security checks with access control. The low-tech method used keys, key cards, and badges to limit access to sensitive areas. Comprehensive visitor management systems now use smart software technology and web-based programs able to document a visitor's whereabouts in the building and track building usage by specific visitors. Some include registration through a portal before the visit. This technique helps the business check the identity and security clearance to fast-track the visitor when he arrives. The visitor management process begins several days before the actual visit and isn't completed until after the visit is over and all information analyzed.

For more information on how Accupoint’s solutions can help you manage your visitor management process, visit www.accupointsoftware.com or call us at (800) 563-6250. We always appreciate the opportunity to share information on systems that can help your business become more efficient and positioned to meet global business standards.

03/02/2006, 07/26/2010, and 05/19/2015. To the average person, these dates mean birthdays, anniversaries, birth and deaths. But to the petroleum industry, these are considered some of the costliest failures of quality management in recent petroleum history.

Prudhoe Bay, Alaska (March 2, 2006): Because of lack of maintenance, cracks in a pipeline spilled 843,000 gallons of petroleum, devastated pristine landscapes, killed wildlife and made people sick.

        Final cost: $500 million.

Kalamazoo River, Michigan (July 26, 2010): Lack of maintenance caused a pipeline rupture that spilled 267,000 gallons of petroleum spilled into the Kalamazoo River.

        Final cost: $800 million

Refugio, California (May 19, 2015): The decision not to install a simple shutoff valve caused the decimation of local wildlife, contaminated beaches and will continue to affect ocean life for many years to come.

        Final cost: Yet to be determined

As you know, there are many other incidents within the industry where the question of adequate detection and mitigation could have reduced the impact of the incident. In fact, at a very basic level and according to the API Spec Q2 standard, your risk assessment and management should “control risk throughout the execution of a service.” In order to maintain compliance, your procedure should:

1. Identify risks (potential or real) associated with services and service-related products;
2. Identify and use risk management tools and techniques;
3. Select, communicate and implement the mitigation or preventive control measures to reduce or avoid exposure to loss; and
4. Notify the customer of remaining risks that may impact the service.

 
In short, managing risk requires proactive and preventive measures to protect your organization’s and customer’s interests. Detection and mitigation of risk potential should be at the core of your total risk assessment strategy.

For more information on how Accupoint’s solutions can help you manage your risk assessment process, visit www.accupointsoftware.com or call us at 800.563.6250.

Training increases the knowledge base of employees, increasing performance and positively impacting the bottom line. However, training is becoming very complex with the growth in technology and learning styles. Understanding the needs of your business and employees is crucial in having effective training.

To that end, we have listed 4 best practices to help improve your training process:

• Set Clear Goals: Regardless of the teaching methods implemented for your training, setting precise goals is a must. Clear goals demonstrate the outcome of the training session, ensuring business trainers stay on track and employees understand where they are heading.
• Offer Several Learning Methods: Studies have discovered the many learning styles used by individuals to increase understanding. The complexity of the mind reflects the uniqueness of every human being; however, this can be a difficult aspect to manage when providing a training session. In order to ensure training is effective, it is crucial to choose a method which reflects what needs to be taught and offers many learning opportunities for the employees. For example, use an oral presentation while also engaging the learnings through writing or hands on activities.
• Give Coaching: After a training session, offer the employees coaching to keep new skills sharp and to clarify confusions. Through coaching, the new skills can be enhanced without another in-depth training session. To increase the acceptance of continued learning, foster a love of learning in your business by highlighting the importance and value of learning to their personal goals within the business.
• Provide Orientation: Providing an orientation to your new employees allows the employees to feel comfortable starting their new job while also presenting the needed skills. Orientation provides bonding with co-workers and supervisors, creating an atmosphere of respect. Providing key information and training before an employee begins also fosters the love of learning to opening the door for future coaching.

For more information on how Acupoint can help your organization meet the needs of API Spec Q2’s Training and Competency requirements, give us a call at 800.563.6250 or click here for more information.