2025 Safety Leadership Awards

WINNER: Kosmos Energy: Incidents to Insights

After a nitrogen-cylinder rupture on a contracted vessel in the Gulf of America in 2024, Kosmos Energy launched its Incidents to Insights Program (ITIP). The initiative seeks to convert major events into shareable learnings, incorporating documented events within an internal knowledge management system. Since launch, Kosmos has adopted numerous proactive mitigations, such as updated handling procedures for gas cylinders and nitrogen, sharing their learnings with regulators and nearly 40 operators and contractors. The program demonstrates how structured learning can reduce risk and enhance collaboration across the offshore industry.

bp: Drone-Powered Tank Inspections

To minimize risks associated with manned, internal hull tank inspections across its Gulf of America platforms, bp introduced drones to perform the dangerous task. In 2024, 44 drone inspections replaced over 570 hours of confined space work traditionally reserved for personnel (confined space entry accounts for roughly 80% of the industry’s injuries and fatalities). The inspections delivered high-resolution videos, imagery and laser scan data, offering enhanced inspection quality while enabling virtual monitoring by teams outside the tank. The result? Improved safety, quality, and efficiency, establishing a new safety standard for offshore hull tank inspections.

Occidental Petroleum: Frequent Injury Activities Program

In an effort to identify and reduce its most common offshore injuries, Occidental analyzed nearly a decade of incident data from its Gulf of America operations. Introduced in late 2022 and formalized in July 2024, its Frequent Injury Activities (FIA) program uses insights from this analysis to guide targeted safety observations on the highest-risk tasks. Tools and resources such as digital signage, emails and monthly focus topics help communicate findings and drive field engagement, a top-down effort that has reduced the company’s Gulf injuries in 2025 by more than 35% compared to 2024. By leveraging historical data into proactive safety conversations, the program helps frontline workers and supervisors focus their efforts on preventing the most frequent and severe incidents.

Contractor

WINNER: Valaris: Video After Action Review

Recognizing that After Action Reviews (AAR) of incidents typically rely on recollections that can be faulty or conflicting, Valaris launched its Video After Action Review (VAAR) initiative across its North and Central America Operating Units. By recording offshore operations and then reviewing footage with crews in non-punitive OILS (Observe, Impact, Listen, Suggest) debriefs, VAAR replaces subjective memory with objective visual evidence. Since implementation, VAAR has coincided with a measurable increase in near-miss reporting, enhanced hazard recognition among junior crews and improved frontline engagement, enhancements that continue to strengthen Valaris’ safety culture.

Promethean: Visual AI Safety Monitoring

With its ongoing commitment to operational excellence and continuous improvement, Promethean recently deployed an AI-powered monitoring system to enhance its observational capabilities at its offshore decommissioning operations. The platform analyzes video from strategically placed cameras and robotic systems, detecting and alerting unsafe conditions. During the program’s pilot, 76 safety observations were flagged in real-time, including 18 high risk activities and numerous PPE non-compliance violations. The observations and alerts enabled timely interventions, demonstrating the value of continuous AI-driven hazard detection and predictive analytics for risk mitigation.

Expro: Annual Engage Campaign

Following a 2021 merger which necessitated the alignment of the combined companies’ Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (QHSE) culture, Expro introduced its Engage campaign to build a shared foundation around safety and operational performance. The campaign centers on quarterly video themes focusing on a core company value (People, Planet, Performance, Partnerships), along with team sessions that encourage open dialogue. More than 50 learning sessions were held in 2024, with strong leadership participation reinforcing engagement. The program has produced meaningful results, including a 25% reduction in recordable events and more than two years without a lost-time incident.