The causes of incidents and accidents can often be traced back to deficiencies in many aspects of the initial project planning:

Project HSSE Plan; Pipeline Specifications; Project Execution Plan; HSSE contractual requirements within tender documents; HSSE assessment of bid documents; recruitment policy; reporting line in HSSE organization chart; a cut and paste generic Health & Safety Management System; site management, operator and mechanic competency assurance; side boom & heavy equipment operator craft training; site specific hazard identification and risk mitigation; cursory work procedures/risk assessments and mitigation planning of specific and known construction/engineering risks; method statements and work methodology; management of Plant & Equipment mobilization; superficial Major Accident Risk Assessments; over-emphasis on behavioral based generic training; lack of practical HSSE management and on-site technical expertise….

Rearranging tons of earth; securing working equipment while performing critical lifts on extreme slopes; moving and working heavy equipment on unstable ground; blasting ROW and then rock ditch; diverting rivers; lifting and moving tons of materiel over every type of terrain imaginable, are daunting tasks. Pulling it off without accident and loss requires a set of hazard recognition skills and HSSE management solutions and that can only be acquired through industry specific experience.

The degree of your success or failure is measured in the number of incidents and accidents occurring on your project.