The IOGP Life-Saving Rules – the IMCA position

IMCA supports and promotes the standardisation of safety tools and initiatives across the industry. IOGP’s Life-Saving Rules specifically address nine critical areas where repeated fatalities have occurred. The Rules will be of benefit to IMCA Members and to the wider industry by promoting a common standard for critical safety checks in a practical and easily understood way across many languages and cultures.

In 2019, IMCA contractor members reported 18 fatalities. This was an increase on 2018, and the largest number of fatalities reported by IMCA for some years. This occurred despite the long-term trend of improving lagging indicators, represented by Recordable Injuries and Lost Time Injuries. This demonstrates that constant vigilance is needed in all areas of safety in our industry; we trust that the Life Saving Rules will do just that – help save lives.

Some IMCA Members have already implemented the IOGP Life-saving Rules in their own operations. Other Members plan to do so in due course. Whilst accepting that adoption of the IOGP Life-saving Rules may be a journey and a process, IMCA recommends that all Members adopt these Rules for the betterment of our industry.

The IOGP Life-saving Rules take the form of simple and clear actions aimed at preventing fatal injuries during higher-risk activities. The nine Rules are:

1) Bypassing Safety Controls
2) Confined Space
3) Driving
4) Energy Isolation
5) Hot Work
6) Line of Fire
7) Safe Mechanical Lifting
8) Work Authorization
9) Working at Height

Further information on the IOGP’s Life-Saving Rules can be found here: https://www.iogp.org/life-savingrules/
For more information, please contact nick.hough@legacy.imca-int.com