MEET OUR PEOPLE
OUR PEOPLE, OUR CULTURE
At Well-Safe Solutions, our people reflect our culture. Sharing their knowledge and lessons learned to provide a collaborative and open workplace. Over this new series, we aim to take a look at some of our people and showcase their skills and benefit to not only Well-Safe Solutions but our industry as a whole.
First up we meet Ash Simpson, one of our Well-Safe Guardian OIMs.
ASH SIMPSON
Ash joined the Well-Safe team in 2019 as a Barge Engineer and quickly progress to OIM onboard the Well-Safe Guardian. His passion to distill knowledge and his can-do attitude drive forward our vision of an open, collaborative workplace with safety at the forefront of all performances.
How long have you been in the industry and what made you pick a career in Oil & Gas?
I initially came offshore to see what it was like as the majority of my friends and family were involved in the industry and wanted to understand what they were talking about. I started offshore in August 1990, spending 28 years with one company before being made redundant. I joined the company as a maintenance roustabout and progressed through to OIM working in many different locations throughout the world, meeting numerous work colleagues and gathering many tales along the way. I thought that after all these years that it might be time to hang the old hard hat up and look for another profession away from the oil industry but having spent so long in the same job it was hard to imagine myself doing anything else. After taking over a year off, I decided to return, with my initial plan to work through an agency and in a position with minimum stress or responsibility. It was during a spell working on the Ocean Guardian that happened to coincide with a visit from the senior Well-Safe management team, leading to my earlier plans of an agency/minimum responsibility position offshore being well and truly turned upside down. I joined Well-Safe Solutions as a Barge Engineer in July 2019 and became OIM in September.
How do you’re previous work experiences help you at Well-Safe Solutions?
I always remembered when I first started offshore, being a supervisor was all about ruling by fear with little or no engagement with junior crew members. I always said that if I ever reached a position of authority, I would be different, give employees respect and treat everyone as an equal. Having worked my way up through the ranks, I have a solid understanding of most operations, and I am always willing to share my knowledge and experience. I still have contact with previous work colleagues whom I have coached and mentored through to their current position and always make myself available to assist them when they need advice. Working in some of the most difficult countries, where English is not the predominant language, you have to ensure you take the time to make sure everyone fully understands what is required, especially when communication and planning were the single most important factors to delivering satisfactory & safe performances.
What efficiency enhancements do you bring to your department?
My nature is always to try and be proactive and encourage all our personnel to be likewise. My personnel goal is always to challenge how we conduct our business and strive to maintain & improve the high standards that we set. There is always room for improvement, and ensuring that all our crew and our service providers understand that we are willing to listen and take onboard any suggestions or ideas which will enhance the day-to-day running of the installation.
How is Well-Safe different for you, than other companies out there?
I think from the onset it was refreshing to work for a company that wanted to work as one team, from our CEO to our roustabouts, we all work together and are fully committed to delivering exceptional results. Personnel makes the company what it is, and there is a visible connection with the onshore support team, which I haven’t experienced since I started all them years ago.
Our achievements in such a short period of time have been remarkable from the initial start-up through the extensive and extremely challenging shipyard stay. This was achieved without one single lost-time incident thanks to the hard work and endeavours in engaging in the set-up of our own inclusive competence system, which is already being enforced offshore.
When personnel with 30 years of experience working for the shipyard/projects operations tell you that it was one of the best projects they have ever worked on, that tells me we are doing something right. Working with our service providers, I always engage in a closeout meeting with them prior to departure, and the single most reoccurring point of discussion is how much they enjoy working on the Guardian, the support and willingness of our employees – to assist with their can-do attitude – is always forefront of the conversation.
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