Energy Services BC, PSAC, CAPP and other oil and gas industry assocations in Canada have recently joined forces to develop various standards on nuisance issues that have been the source of ongoing complaints from local landowners in the communities in which oil companies, their contractors, and their employees operate.  Specific issues relate to communication (or lack thereof), dust, gates, garbage, noise and driving.

Oil companies have tried similar community relations programs individually in the past, including Encana's Courtesy Matters, and Murphy Oil's Good Neighbours.  The BC Government spearheaded an industry-wide effort by funding a consultation with local communities, and by calling for a joint registry of oil companies, called Living Together Working Together.  The most recent collaboration is an Canada-wide evolution or extension of that BC initiative, called Community Partners, which has the industry associations and their members working together to remind workers to treat people and property with respect by following a handful of rules. 

Participants in the Community Partners program will be asked to sign and distribute a policy statement, similar to the Petroleum Industry Guiding Principles.  As with all such initiatives, the challenge lies in communicating the policy and practices to employees.  Our software's Policy module is an obvious first step, but we've also created a brief orientation that covers the various nuisance issues and the recommended practices to avoid them.

After viewing the 13 minute orientation, employees are required to pass a 15-question quiz to verify their understanding.  The Community Partners Living Together - Working Together orientation will then show up on the worker's orientation card, which they can present to oil company work site supervisors to demonstrate their compliance with the program.

The lesson and quiz are both available at no cost.  Intersted parties can sign up here.