Wind, Waves & Wells with Joe

Can a workplace go years without a lost time injury and still be dangerously unsafe? Are we putting too much responsibility on workers while ignoring the systems they work within? And what happens when safety statistics become more important than safety itself?

This week on Wind, Waves & Wells, I'm joined by Ian Collins, a human and organisational performance specialist, senior consultant with Fisher Improvement Technologies, founder of Wellbeing Daily and author of The Wellbeing Imperative.

Ian's career began on drilling rigs in the Australian mining industry before taking him offshore into oil and gas. After witnessing serious incidents, including the aftermath of a fatal fall in a Singapore shipyard, he began questioning how the industry approaches safety, the treatment of workers and the systems that influence human behaviour.

That experience eventually led him into health and safety, where he has spent much of his career helping organisations across oil and gas, mining, aviation and other high risk industries improve how they manage safety, performance and workplace wellbeing.

In this conversation, we explore whether the industry's traditional approach to safety is actually delivering the results we think it is.

We discuss the obsession with lost time injury statistics, how safety figures can be influenced by commercial pressures, and why a workplace with an excellent safety record on paper might still have serious underlying risks.

Ian explains the principles of Human and Organisational Performance (HOP), why blaming individuals often prevents organisations from learning, and why understanding the conditions people work within is essential to improving safety.

We also get into some of the realities of offshore life, including long rotations, fatigue, night shifts, poor leadership and the challenges workers face when speaking up about safety concerns.

One particularly interesting part of our discussion is Ian's argument that workplace wellbeing should be treated as a safety control rather than simply an employee benefit. He explains why resilience training and wellbeing initiatives can only achieve so much if organisations fail to address the working conditions causing the problems in the first place.

We also discuss Ian's new book, The Wellbeing Imperative, which challenges organisations to rethink how they measure wellbeing, safety and human performance.

It's a conversation that raises some important questions, not just for people working offshore, but for anyone involved in safety, leadership or managing people in high risk industries.

Because a good safety record on paper doesn't necessarily tell us how safe people really are.

00:00 Opening hook

Book: The Wellbeing Imperative

Ian discusses the global Kindle release on 24 November 2026, with the UK paperback scheduled for February 2027.

Wind, Waves & Wells brings you honest conversations with the people working across the energy industry, from offshore oil and gas to renewable energy, safety, technology and the future of energy.

Website: https://windwavesandwells.com

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Wind, Waves & Wells – honest conversations about energy.

The 124kg offshore weight limit is now in force. But what does it mean for the people whose livelihoods depend on travelling offshore?

With the policy taking effect on 1 November 2026, I’m revisiting my conversation with Graham Skinner, Health and Safety Policy Manager at Offshore Energies UK, to bring the reasoning behind it and the concerns of those affected back into focus.

Under the policy, workers whose clothed weight exceeds 124kg cannot travel to UK offshore installations covered by the requirements. In our original conversation, Graham explains where that number came from, the limitations of offshore rescue equipment and why the industry chose this approach.

We discuss the questions many offshore workers have been asking. Why does the limit apply regardless of fitness or build? Why can’t the equipment be upgraded? What support should employers provide, and what happens to people who cannot meet the limit?

We also explore offshore food, opportunities to exercise, weight management and the pressure this creates for workers already facing uncertainty about their future.

Having spent much of my working life offshore, I understand why this conversation matters. There are safety considerations to understand, but there are also people, families and livelihoods behind the numbers. Bringing this episode back is about keeping those questions and concerns visible.

This is a repeat of the original interview, recorded before the policy came into force. References to the approaching deadline and the support being planned reflect the time of recording.

Timestamps:

Show sponsor:

Is Donald Trump changing the way the world views America? Are rising diesel prices and global energy tensions beginning to influence political decisions? And with artificial intelligence demanding enormous amounts of electricity, are governments going to have to rethink their approach to energy?

In this episode of Wind, Waves & Wells, James returns for another conversation covering everything from offshore oil and gas to international politics, diesel shortages, artificial intelligence and the changing direction of the global energy industry.

We start by catching up on what's happening offshore and how the industry has changed over the years. Despite activity picking up in certain regions, the traditional oil and gas boom periods seem increasingly difficult to find. We discuss the differences between working offshore today and the industry we both remember, along with the opportunities emerging in places such as the Netherlands, Norway and South America.

From there, the conversation turns towards Europe's approach to fossil fuels and whether rising energy costs are beginning to influence the political decisions being made across the continent. We also discuss Brazil's changing political landscape, its oil and gas ambitions and the wider debate surrounding energy security and affordability.

Having recently returned from America, I share some observations about the cost of living, the differences in diesel prices compared with the UK and the political atmosphere surrounding Donald Trump. This leads us into a wider discussion about his presidency, the war in Ukraine, relations with Russia and whether America's position on the world stage is beginning to change.

Closer to home, we discuss the future of the UK oil and gas industry, including Rosebank, Jackdaw and the challenges facing the North Sea. With offshore activity continuing elsewhere, what does the future hold for Aberdeen and the thousands of people and businesses that have depended on the industry for decades? We also look at the wider economic impact of declining offshore investment and whether Britain's energy policies are keeping pace with the realities of global demand.

Towards the end of the conversation, we turn our attention to artificial intelligence and the enormous amount of energy required to power the growing number of data centres. With technology developing at an extraordinary pace, we question where that electricity will come from, whether existing energy infrastructure can keep up and what the continued expansion of AI could mean for the future of energy production.

We also get into the rapidly developing world of AI agents, their potential capabilities and some of the concerns surrounding increasingly autonomous technology.

As always when James joins me, the conversation is completely unscripted. There are plenty of laughs, a few strong opinions and some interesting questions about where the world might be heading.

This is an informal discussion, and the political views and opinions expressed are our own. The aim is to explore different perspectives, share experiences and have a conversation about some of the issues shaping the world around us.

00:00 Introduction

00:20 Catching up with James and offshore work

03:30 How the oil and gas industry has changed

06:23 Is Europe changing its approach to fossil fuels?

09:00 Brazil's oil industry and political direction

14:36 Diesel prices and the cost of living in America

16:30 Rosebank, Jackdaw and UK energy policy

19:40 Donald Trump, Ukraine and US politics

23:30 The future of Trump's presidency

30:32 Offshore activity in the Netherlands and Norway

33:58 Diesel supply and global energy tensions

39:46 Are global superpowers changing?

43:07 Ed Miliband and the Falklands oil debate

45:24 North Sea investment and Aberdeen's future

50:24 AI data centres and their enormous energy demand

56:14 AI agents and the future of artificial intelligence

Wind, Waves & Wells with Joe

Real conversations about the people, challenges and opportunities shaping the energy industry.

Website: https://windwavesandwells.com

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

Shane Gorman was just 18 and three days into Army basic training when his father, Dave, was killed on Piper Alpha. He first understood the scale of what had happened when he saw the newspaper headlines at a train station on his journey home.

In this episode of Wind, Waves & Wells, Shane joins me to talk about the loss of his dad, the years that followed and his eventual decision to work offshore himself.

We discuss what safety should mean to the people doing the job. From observation card targets and toolbox talks to the fear of speaking up, Shane shares his thoughts on why people can lose faith in safety systems and what leaders can do to rebuild that trust.

Shane also tells the story of finding a recording of his father discussing the Alexander Kielland disaster eight years before Piper Alpha, and why he chose to share his experiences of grief, mental health and finding a way forward in his book, Through the Flames.

An honest conversation about family, loss and the responsibility we all share to make sure people get home safely.

Timestamps:

What's really happening in the offshore job market? Why do recruiters sometimes go quiet when you're looking for work? And is working offshore really the golden ticket that some people on social media make it out to be?

In this episode of Wind, Waves & Wells, I'm joined by Alastair Mackay, founder of Ogenus Offshore, a specialist recruitment company working across the global energy industry.

With around 15 years of experience in offshore recruitment and drilling, Alastair has experienced the industry's highs and lows, including the downturn that left thousands of experienced workers searching for their next opportunity. Having gone on to establish his own recruitment business, he offers an interesting perspective on the relationship between contractors, recruiters and the companies employing them.

We get into some of the questions that contractors have probably wanted to ask recruiters for years. Why do applications sometimes go unanswered? How much money are recruitment agencies actually making from contractors? How persistent should you be when chasing opportunities? And what can people do to improve their chances of securing that next offshore position?

We also discuss the growing number of people on social media promoting offshore work as a route to earning huge amounts of money. Whilst the industry can offer fantastic opportunities, there's another side to the story that doesn't always get mentioned, particularly when it comes to getting your foot in the door.

Beyond recruitment, we explore the wider offshore employment market, including where drilling activity is increasing, the challenges facing the UK sector and what the future could hold for people working across oil, gas and renewables.

Whether you're an experienced offshore contractor, someone trying to enter the industry or simply interested in how the offshore employment market operates, this conversation offers a look at recruitment from both sides of the table.

As always, the aim isn't to create a debate or point fingers, but to understand different perspectives and hopefully give people something useful to take away.

Wind, Waves & Wells with Joe

Real conversations about the people, challenges and opportunities shaping the energy industry.

Website: https://windwavesandwells.com

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and all major podcast platforms.

Can understanding personality actually make workplaces safer?

Mark Wilkinson returns to Wind, Waves & Wells to discuss a major development for E Colours, the launch of a new NEBOSH Verified E Colours Safety Leadership Programme.

But this conversation goes much further than a new training course.

Mark and Joe explore how different personality styles can influence the way people see risk, communicate under pressure, respond to leadership and interact with the people around them.

They discuss why understanding yourself can be just as important as understanding procedures, how poor communication can contribute to incidents, and why there is no single leadership style that works for everyone.

Joe also shares his own experience from offshore environments, where recognising different personalities has changed the way he approaches people, conversations and difficult situations.

The conversation also turns towards the next generation entering the workforce and the growing influence of AI.

AI can write emails, analyse information and help us prepare for conversations, but it cannot replace the ability to stand in front of another person, understand how they are reacting and communicate effectively in the moment.

Mark also discusses the journey behind E Colours, the work carried out by Equilibria over more than two decades, his new E Colours Playbook, and what success could look like if personality based safety becomes more widely adopted across industry.

Topics include:

Personality based safety

The new NEBOSH Verified E Colours programme

How different personalities perceive risk

Safety leadership and communication

Psychological safety

Understanding strengths and potential limiters

Leadership across different generations

The impact of AI on human communication

E Colours in offshore and high risk industries

The new E Colours Playbook

Can greater self awareness ultimately help prevent accidents?

A fascinating conversation about the human side of safety and why understanding people may become increasingly important in the workplaces of the future.

Three energy podcasters. Three different perspectives. One big conversation about where global energy is heading.

In this special crossover episode, I join Stu Turley and Mark LaCour to talk about everything from diesel prices and refinery capacity to energy security, data centres, renewables and the changing global oil market.

We get into the problems facing electricity grids, the huge increase in power demand from data centres, the role of natural gas and renewables, and why energy infrastructure is becoming such an important part of the conversation.

We also discuss global oil flows, the Strait of Hormuz, the Jones Act, California's energy market, Europe, the North Sea, Rosebank and Jackdaw, and how AI could change the way we find and produce energy.

A proper off the cuff energy conversation between three people who spend a lot of time talking about the industry.

In this episode of Wind, Waves & Wells, I sit down with Dan Doyle, oil and gas entrepreneur, author and owner of a hydraulic fracturing company operating across the United States.

Dan takes us inside the American fracking industry, explaining how hydraulic fracturing actually works, what it was like building a service company from the ground up and what really happened during the US shale boom.

We also get into the boom and bust nature of oil and gas, the challenges of operating across different US states, regulation, energy policy and why some of the biggest opportunities in the industry can appear during downturns.

Dan also shares the story behind his book, Roughnecks & Riches: A Startup in the Great American Fracking Boom, including the extraordinary setbacks he faced trying to get his first frac fleet operating. A wide ranging conversation about oil, gas, entrepreneurship, risk, resilience and the people behind the energy industry.

More than 46 years after the Alexander L. Kielland disaster, questions surrounding what happened, why it happened and how the families were treated have never completely disappeared. In Part Two of my conversation with Dr France, we look beyond the physical failure of the rig and discuss what happened afterwards. Dr France explains how his findings have been received in Norway, why he disputes parts of the original investigation, how fatigue cracking could develop over several years and whether there could have been warning signs before the disaster. We also discuss his relationship with campaigner Wayne Hunter, the treatment of the families who lost loved ones, the continuing campaign for justice and compensation, and what Dr France ultimately hopes his research will achieve. Towards the end of the conversation, we broaden things out into the lessons the engineering and offshore industries should take from Kielland and Dr France reflects on a career spanning five decades in welding engineering. 123 people lost their lives on the Alexander Kielland. More than four decades later, the questions surrounding the disaster are still being asked.

On 27 March 1980, the Alexander L. Kielland capsized in the North Sea, killing 123 people in one of the worst disasters in the history of the offshore industry.

More than four decades later, Dr France believes the accepted explanation does not tell the full story.

A welding engineer with 50 years of experience, Dr France has spent years independently investigating the disaster. In Part One of our conversation, he explains the fundamentals of welding and welding engineering before taking us through his analysis of the Kielland failure.

We discuss the condition of the rig when it left the shipyard, hydrogen induced cracking, fatigue, weld procedures, inspection, the evidence he says can still be seen in recovered wreckage, and why he believes the origins of the disaster can be traced back to the rig's construction in 1976.

This is a detailed and at times challenging look at one of the North Sea's most significant offshore disasters, from the perspective of a welding engineer who has spent years studying the evidence.