Reflecting on a Landmark Year: Achievements and Milestones
As 2024 draws to a close, we’re reflecting on an extraordinary year filled with significant milestones, innovative developments, and a strengthened commitment to our mission. The past twelve months have been a testament to OSRL’s ability to adapt, evolve, and lead in the field of oil spill response.
Celebrating 40 Years of Excellence
This year marked OSRL’s 40th Anniversary, an occasion to honour four decades of dedication and excellence. The activities concluded with a commemorative event for our members and stakeholders at the Natural History Museum in London, held in conjunction with another successful Technical Forum. Members, partners, and staff came together to reflect on our journey and the impact our organisation has had in mitigating the severity of oil spills on the surrounding environment.
Strengthening Expertise: New Team Members and Training
OSRL welcomed 56 new employees, including responders, throughout the year, a testament to our growth and commitment to maintaining a highly skilled team. Training new responders has been a key focus, ensuring they are equipped to handle the complex challenges of modern oil spill response. The introduction of the new STSE team (Science, Technology, and Stakeholder Engagement) and several other new roles, has strengthened our focus on science and technology and helped expand our expertise.
Advancing Preparedness and Innovation
A series of rigorous training and response exercises have kept us at the forefront of preparedness. Wildlife response exercises in Shetland and Argentina tested and enhanced capabilities in managing environmental impacts. Meanwhile, an oil spill response exercise in the English Channel provided an invaluable opportunity to test equipment and refine response techniques under real-world conditions.
On the innovation front, we’ve made significant strides with the deployment of a new capping stack and the establishment of a base in Guyana, strengthening our ability to respond to deepwater incidents in the Americas. Additionally, we’ve explored emerging risks, such as ammonia bunkering, to ensure readiness for the evolving energy landscape.
Brand refresh
We unveiled our newly designed logo, marking a significant step in our rebranding efforts. The new modernised logo symbolises our forward-looking vision and honours our legacy. It encapsulates our core values of safety, collaboration, and excellence while signalling our commitment to our future aspirations.
Engaging with Members and Industry Leaders
OSRL’s commitment to collaboration and knowledge-sharing was evident through key events such as Interspill, our Members Technical Forum, and the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). These platforms facilitated critical discussions on industry trends, technological advancements, and shared challenges, promoting a collaborative approach to mitigating the effect on the environment.
We also participated in the International Oil Spill Conference (IOSC), where we were able to showcase our expertise and engage with global stakeholders. These engagements reinforced our position as a leader in oil spill response and environmental stewardship.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Inclusion
CSR days have been a cornerstone of our efforts to give back to communities and create a culture of responsibility. This year also saw a renewed focus on diversity and inclusion, with initiatives like celebrating women in science and highlighting the vital contributions of female professionals to the field. Our apprenticeship program continued to thrive, nurturing the next generation of talent, as well as our outreach to schools, colleges and universities.
Strengthening Safety: Progress, challenges and continuous improvements
At OSRL, safety is at the core of our values. Creating and maintaining a strong safety culture is critical to ensuring safety is at the forefront of everyone's minds, whether at work or during other activities.
Throughout this year, we have focused on operational planning and risk management frameworks, mental health and wellbeing, and competence building through our management system. We rolled our new online learning across a range of hazard topics and brought a significant number of operational team members through safety qualifications such as NEBOSH. The HSE team and Executive Team have led a series of global safety town halls and safety events during the year.
Looking Ahead
As OSRL enters into a new year, we remain committed to safety, excellence, and collaboration. The achievements of the past year provide a strong foundation for future growth and reinforce our role as a trusted partner in environmental protection and oil spill response.
From major milestones to day-to-day advancements, the past year has demonstrated our unwavering dedication to our mission and values. As we look ahead, we do so with a renewed sense of purpose and a steadfast commitment to supporting our members and wider industry. Anytime, anywhere.
