HSE

The recent European Norm 17975 addresses ‘grey zone’ energy-related risks during machine and pipeline interventions and proposes a task based framework for safe and efficient work. The norm can further increase the safety and efficiency of Lockout/Tagout programmes in a wide range of industries

A task based safety framework

10%-15% of fatal workplace accidents in Europe’s industries are related to maintenance operations according to data from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. Many of these result from underestimating risks involved in specific tasks such as machine greasing, sensor adjustment or a quick cleaning that are not always seen as ‘maintenance activities’. They are kept outside the scope of Lockout/Tagout programmes even though workers are exposed to similar risks. European Norm (EN) 17975 addresses these grey zone risks by using task based risk analyses as a starting point.

“EN 17975 does not require an energy zero state for every machine or pipeline during every intervention”, said Mustafa Ekseri, EMEA Safety Engineer at Brady Corporation, a supplier of quality Lockout/Tagout solutions.

“Not having to halt an entire production line for every intervention can save valuable time - if it is possible in a safe way. To achieve this, EN 17975 proposes a layered approach based on risks related to specific tasks on specific machines and pipes. These risks are to be highlighted in a risk analysis. In absence of a risk analysis, machine zero energy states remain the safety standard. In that sense, EN 17975 builds on ISO 14118 by providing more options for compliance with European workplace safety legislation. Impacted activities can be defined using EN 17007 and EN 13306 and are also listed in EN 17975.”

Risk analysis guidance

With machine and pipe intervention safety hinging on identified risks, industries will need thorough task-based risk analyses. Guidance can be found in other standards. “ISO 12100, primarily intended for machinebuilders to take into account their customers’ workplace safety, can be used as a basis for machine intervention risk analyses. ISO 31000 provides guidelines for managing risk in general, including 8 core principles, a framework and a process.”

“EN 17975 proposes 6 steps to analyse the risk in any machine intervention task, starting with the identification of the task, all the way to a feedback loop for continuous improvement. That includes a thorough energy source inventory and identification. The standard also requires a risk analysis update before applying Standard Operating Procedures, and during maintenance activities. In addition, EN 17975 advocates clearly identified degraded situations that may deviate from the standard risk assessment.”

Task-based isolation

EN 17975 uses a task based risk approach that was captured earlier in the French norm X60-400. Based on a task risk analysis, the European Norm proposes four types of risk control processes:

• Neutralisation: a process that, through design of the control systems, shuts down an item of equipment so that a list of predetermined tasks can be conducted in safety.
• Standard isolation: a process that results in the removal – by locking in position a single or double isolating device – of all energies & fluids where the presence, accidental retention, unexpected appearance does not have hazardous consequences for workers, the environment, and items.
• Reinforced isolation: a process that results in the removal – by separation or by a combination of isolating and opening devices (e.g. valve, tap, etc.) – of all energies & fluids where the presence, accidental retention, unintended appearance does not have hazardous consequences for workers, the environment, and items.
• Specific provisions: a process that results in the implementation of organisational or technical measures enabling observation, diagnostics, testing activities and work on settings for the item in service to be carried out safely, with energies & fluids present.

“All four risk control processes require an inventory of energies and fluids per machine with their effects on people, property and the environment, a mapping of the isolating devices and an identification sheet of energies, fluids, components and lockout devices. It also requires a shared risk assessment grid and process. EN 17975 describes the aim, application conditions, type of activities and other relevant factors for each of the 4 risk control processes.”

Lockout/Tagout guidance

Complying with EN 17975 requires a human, organisational and technical approach, all of which are outlined in the norm.

EN 17975 identifies 9 steps to carry out reinforced and standard isolations by Lockout/Tagout of energies and fluids. Steps involve separation of energies and fluids, isolation, lock out, tagout, identification, dispersion of energies, check, contain and inspect. “The ‘check’ step in EN17975 is already widely known in the industry as the ‘Tryout’ in Lockout/Tagout/Tryout or LoToTo. It is a vital step to help make sure that measures are implemented correctly and that they are still effective.”

“Brady safety engineers can help industries implement isolations by writing machine- and task specific lockout procedures. These can include all nine steps from EN 17975, and they must be based on company task risk assessments. In addition, we can offer the right Lockout/Tagout tools for procedure compliance, set up a hands-on demo by locking out a specific machine, and provide training to relevant employees. Alternatively, a gap analysis can be made that identifies steps to be taken from the current state to arrive at compliant, best practice Lockout/Tagout.”

Impact on existing safety programmes

EN 17975 is not a legal requirement. “The standard however considerably facilitates compliance with EU workplace safety legislation. It sets a clear expectation for any machine intervention: if no risk analysis for the task is available, a machine zero energy state is required.”

“Because many safety programmes already involve complete machine isolation from every energy source, for every task, it is likely that the new norm will impact existing Lockout/Tagout-programmes. Based on the risk analysis, machine zero energy states may not be needed for every type of intervention.”

“Adversely, some tasks that were considered ‘small and safe’ may unveil more risk after a thorough risk analysis. This means a single machine could have several Lockout/Tagout procedures. The right procedure can be included with, or communicated via a QR-code on a work permit for example.”

“Some forms of automated safety may not be sufficient for every task without an underlying risk analysis. Take a safety cage for example, equipped with sensors that deactivate moving machine parts the moment someone enters the cage. Do these nullify any residual energy that may pose a risk? Is gravitational, and other potential energy taken into account? The goal of EN 17975 is to prevent accidents, and to avoid a false sense of safety that does not provide any real protection.”

With the European Norm 17975, industries in Europe can now rely on a common standard for compliance with EU and national safety legislation that involve risk control processes of energies and fluids in maintenance activities.

Get the Brady EN 17975 Lockout/Tagout webinar recording

Go from zero machine energy to zero intervention risk with task based Lockout/Tagout, driven by the European Norm 17975. Get your copy of the  EN 17975 webinar from an experienced, worldwide Lockout/Tagout solution provider.

Discover more about:

• the unique European framework EN 17975 provides to achieve safety and efficiency
• how EN 17975 focuses on task-based safety, rather than machine zero energy states
• how EN 17975 can be used to address ‘Grey zone’ risks
• Four risk-based energy isolation levels presented by EN 17975
• Six steps to control risks
• Lockout/Tagout procedure writing
• Lockout/Tagout device and padlock types

Get the webinar recording now >

Draw inspiration from our free guidebook on how to best implement Lockout/Tagout. . Download the free guide >

BRADY Middle East

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Mustafa Ekseri works as a Safety Engineer for Brady Europe, Middle East and Africa. He is involved in planning, writing procedures and rolling out Lockout/Tagout programmes at manufacturing and logistics workplaces throughout Europe. He is a Prevention Advisor Level 2, a Belgian legally regulated curriculum that equips professionals to handle safety and health risks in businesses.

SafeStart is a proven, human factors-based safety programme used worldwide to help organisations reduce injuries and incidents by addressing human error, critical risk exposure and decision-making challenges.

Did you know that human factors and critical errors are behind 95% of unintentional injuries?

Join one of SafeStart’s two-day Trainer Certification Level 1 courses coming to the Middle East this October and November and learn how to deliver proven Human Factors and Critical Error Reduction techniques within your organisation. Find out how the SafeStart approach can reduce workplace accidents, strengthen safety performance and build a sustainable culture of safety excellence.

Designed for HSE and safety professionals, this globally-recognised certification equips participants with practical tools, real-world insights and expert guidance to address human factors, reduce risk exposure and influence safer decisions.

Where are the courses being held?

Course details and registration links are as follows:

Dammam 6-7 October :
https://events.offsnet.com/SafeStartTrainerCertificationLevel1CourseDammamKSA-6-7Oct
Riyadh: 27-28 October:
https://events.offsnet.com/SafeStartTrainerCertificationLevel1CourseRiyadhKSA-27-28October
Dubai: 10-11 November:
https://events.offsnet.com/SafeStartTrainerCertificationLevel1CourseDubaiUAE-10-11-November

What is SafeStart?

SafeStart is a proven, human factors-based safety programme used worldwide to help organisations reduce injuries and incidents by addressing human error, critical risk exposure and decision-making challenges. It is being used in 76 countries and over 5,000,000 people have been trained at 10,000+ worksites. It is currently available in 33 languages and average injury reductions are 50% in the first two years and 80% over four years.

This Level 1 certification will guide you through SafeStart’s six-step process, enabling participants to influence safer behaviours and support long-term cultural change across their organisation. Lead safety transformation.

The interactive session will highlight key paradigm shifts and ensure personalised experience for participants.

There will be introduction to the concepts of states and errors, three types of at-risk behaviour, three sources of unexpected events, the personal risk pyramid, and four critical error reduction techniques. The session will also explore long-term strategies and recommendations for bringing in change as well as sustaining it.

By attending, you will:
• Earn your SafeStart certification
• Learn how to apply SafeStart’s human factors approach in real-world environments
• Gain practical tools to influence safer decisions
• Strengthen your organisation’s long-term safety performance

Complete the course, earn your certification and bring these techniques back to your teams to improve safety, quality and operational performance.

Who should attend?

Ideal for: HSE/EHS managers, safety leaders, operations managers, site managers and internal trainers.

About the trainers

The sessions will be led by expert trainers from Safestart International, namely Larry Wilson, author and founder; Sarah Stoker, development director; Anmol Tiwari, territory sales manager, MENA.

Larry Wilson is a pioneer in the area of Human Factors in safety. He has been a safety consultant for over 25 years and has worked on-site with hundreds of companies worldwide. He is the author of numerous books and an active keynote speaker at health and safety conferences around the globe.

Book your place now!

Dammam 6-7 October :
https://events.offsnet.com/SafeStartTrainerCertificationLevel1CourseDammamKSA-6-7Oct
Riyadh: 27-28 October:
https://events.offsnet.com/SafeStartTrainerCertificationLevel1CourseRiyadhKSA-27-28October
Dubai: 10-11 November:
https://events.offsnet.com/SafeStartTrainerCertificationLevel1CourseDubaiUAE-10-11-November

Thermal image fire detection allows for early intervention to prevent fire breaking out. (Image source: Teledyne Flir)

As the GCC market for thermal image fire detection grows in sectors ranging from refining to data centres, two of Teledyne’ thermal imaging cameras have received UL 2684 listing, providing fire engineers, insurers, and asset owners across the GCC with an independently evaluated benchmark for thermal image fire detection

Teledyne FLIR's A40 and A70 (Axx-Series) thermal imaging cameras are listed as thermal image fire detectors under ANSI/CAN/UL 2684, the joint US/Canadian standard for video and thermal image detectors used in fire alarm systems. This gives Gulf projects an NFPA-aligned benchmark for thermal image fire detection, as the UL 2684 listing complements the 2025 edition of NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, which introduced a dedicated category for thermal image fire detection.

How does this help the GCC?

For the GCC, where many fire protection frameworks draw upon NFPA codes and UL-listed equipment is already part of established project review, this makes it easier to evaluate and specify thermal image fire detection solutions within critical infrastructure projects.

UL 2684 sets out defined requirements for fire testing, environmental and electrical performance, and durability, providing stakeholders with equipment that has been independently tested against a published standard by an accredited laboratory.

Thermal image fire detection has a range of applications in the Gulf markets given the infrastructure being built and operated throughout the region, as it enables the detection of anomalies in temperature before smoke and fire appears, allowing for early intervention to prevent fire breaking out and thus promoting a more proactive safety management approach. Thermal image fire detection is increasingly valuable in petrochemical and refining facilities, where friction heating or equipment degradation can develop long before ignition. The same advantage applies to utilities and electrical infrastructure, battery energy storage systems, data centres, rooftop and utility-scale solar, manufacturing facilities, logistics hubs and other industrial assets where an abnormal temperature rise often represents the earliest indication of an emerging risk.

How does thermal image fire detection compare with traditional fire detection?

Traditional fire detection technologies respond to the products of combustion, such as smoke, flame, or heat reaching a detector. By that stage, the fire process has already begun.

A thermal image fire detector works earlier in that sequence, measuring the temperature of the asset itself before smoke is generated. Unlike conventional thermal cameras used primarily for visualisation, a calibrated thermal image fire detector continuously measures temperature across every pixel in the scene.

By identifying thermal anomalies at an earlier stage, organisations can address developing issues through planned maintenance rather than emergency response. A loose electrical connection can be tightened, a battery module isolated, or a failing component replaced before operations are disrupted, thus reducing downtime, avoiding potential costs and contributing to plant reliability and business continuity.

As well as operational benefits, thermal monitoring can also support broader risk management and asset-protection strategies, as insurers, risk consultants, and infrastructure owners increasingly seek solutions supported by independently validated standards.

Teledyne FLIR's Axx-Series cameras combine thermal detection with integrated visible imaging to help operators verify alarm conditions quickly. Analytics are processed directly on the camera, reducing dependence on external servers while enabling rapid response. When alarm conditions are met, the cameras initiate fire alarm events through compatible fire alarm control systems.

Designed for line-of-sight monitoring of high-value assets, thermal image fire detection is intended to complement conventional fire detection technologies as part of a comprehensive fire protection strategy.

"Safety has always been at the heart of what we do, and in fire protection, safety runs on standards. A fire starts as heat, not smoke, and our cameras detect that heat before there is smoke or flame. The question we get in this region is not whether thermal detection works. It is what the device is listed to, and how that fits the code the authority is working from. Until now there was no listing to point to. That has changed," said Matthew Hasty, Global Vertical Director for Science, Automation, and Early Fire Detection at Teledyne FLIR.

The Ampelmann L-type gangway. (Image source: Ampelmann)

Ampelmann discusses the changing offshore access strategies in the Middle East

Helicopters, crew boats, jack-ups. Vessels equipped with ropes, baskets or motion compensated gangways. Offshore activity across the Gulf of Arabia, the Caspian and Arabian Sea spans field development, maintenance and decommissioning, all dependent on getting personnel and cargo efficiently and safely to and from their worksite. From low cost but inconsistent, to reliable but OPEX-straining, these days there is a mix of different offshore access methods used across the Middle East.

Increasingly, motion compensated gangways are entering that mix, closing the gap between the consistency offered by the heavier, costlier options without carrying the same exposure to hazardous and time-consuming marine conditions.

The value of Walk to Work

Sea conditions across the Middle East are often benign, but high waves, strong winds and seasonal weather like the Shamal can disrupt and delay operations. Walk to Work (W2W) – as transferring personnel and cargo with motion compensated gangways is commonly known – provides a stable pathway that ensures personnel can safely reach their offshore destinations in these conditions.

W2W systems are increasingly used throughout the Middle East because they also offer advantages beyond the weather. Since its first operations in Qatar in 2012, Ampelmann has transferred over three million crew members in over 75 projects for international and national oil companies in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, Egypt and Oman.

By enabling quick and reliable personnel transfers to fixed and floating structures, the company’s gangway systems increase tool time and accelerate project delivery.

Trusted, proven, experienced

The value W2W brings is increasingly applied to established access strategies. While jack-up accommodation barges are a familiar sight across the Gulf, housing large crews to facilitate construction and maintenance work, W2W solutions are complementing this model. Accommodation vessels paired with an Ampelmann gangway system offer a flexible and cost-effective solution that can relocate quickly between offshore assets.

For routine crew transfer, W2W also offers a reliable alternative to helicopters and scales naturally with campaign length and crew sizes. Crew boats, both DP and non-DP, are a prevalent vessel class across the region, but are frequently equipped with baskets, ropes or simple gangways. Due to its compact size, Ampelmann’s fully electric L-type is ideal for smaller vessels, enabling safe and continuous access that maximises uptime and hands-on-tool time. Quick to mobilise and capable of connecting to an offshore platform within a minute, this tried and tested configuration already sees much use in the oil fields near Brunei and Malaysia.

Global presence, local support

Ampelmann’s extensive track record in the Middle East is underpinned by strong localised support. Local project managers, operators, maintenance technicians and engineers bring decades of combined regional experience, backed by storage facilities in Qatar and the UAE and a 24/7 global support network through the Operation Control Centre (OCC).

Together, this keeps projects running and response times short. It's this combination of proven technology and local presence that continues to deliver safe and efficient offshore access across the Middle East.