A well-known and much revered oil and gas workforce publication makes its return today after a four year absence.
Tea Shack News has been given a “new lease of life”, with a fresh injection of colour, novel industry avatars, and the news and views that matter to industry workers.
First published in 2014 by the HSE and Step Change in Safety, the periodical is written by members of the workforce, giving a boots on the ground view of goings on within the sector.
It covers industry news and safety advice, as well as the thoughts and opinions of oil and gas workers, and spent some time as a supplement within Energy Voice.
The rebooted edition is fully digitised, meaning it can be accessed via mobile devices, as well as from Step Change’s website.
Hard copies can also be printed and left in tea shacks offshore for workers to read through.
The quarterly publication has been split into four main segments; lessons learned & best practice, reward & recognition, innovation & ideas, and a regular quiz.
Tea Shack News is now championed by the Step Change in Safety Workforce Engagement Support Team (WEST) – its purpose is to support workers through proactive engagement to improve safety.
Bryan Begbie, HSEQ team leader with Bilfinger and co-chairman of the WEST team, said: “We made the decision to bring back Tea Shack News as it was always a welcome sight in the tea shacks offshore and at heliports.
“As it’s written in conjunction with members of the workforce it’s also an opportunity to have your voice shared whether you are part of the workforce, leadership, member companies, Unions or the HSE. We are delighted that it has had a shake-up and is back in front of those who make the energy industry tick.”
Steve Rae, executive director of Step Change in Safety, added: “For those working offshore, Tea Shack News was always a ‘well kent face’ and a bedrock publication in the industry. Its absence did not go un-noticed and was often mentioned during my ‘Boots on for Safety’ visits offshore. It returns with a new lease of life and an excellent mix of topics and ideas being added into the publication.
“It now comes fully digitised, which makes it accessible via mobile devices as well as from our website. There are interactive quizzes, which can be accessed through QR codes so that the workforce can take part via their personal mobile devices. Paper copies can be printed so that they can be picked up and read when WiFi is unavailable.
“We want to provide something which is educational with an element of fun, but most importantly a platform where the workforce can share their voice across the wider industry. We can all learn from each other so the sharing of information and shining a light on a specific matter which is relevant to a working day/shift or team is important.
“We also want to recognise the unsung heroes of the industry through our rewards and recognition section as opportunities to do so can be limited. Safety will always remain at the forefront of the publication as we continue to work to positively influence the offshore energy industry’s safety culture.”
Got any interesting ideas or stories you’d like to share with the rest of industry? Anyone you’d like to recognise for being a safety champion? Contact editor@teashack.news for inclusion in future issues.
Recommended for you
