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For further details about Crane Safety 2025 and to register, please visit the event website.
Please could you briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience related to the focus of this event?
Will Talbot (WT): I am a Technical Authority for Apache Corporation responsible for maintaining safe lifting operations by promoting a positive safety culture. I provide technical support to a team of site LOLER responsible persons, crane operator mechanics, lifting interface coordinators, deck team leaders and crane engineers. Another key element to my role is ensuring that performance standards are upheld and providing Technical Assurance to the operations director that the inherent risks during lifting activities are suitably managed. I have extensive experience as a TA for another North Sea duty holder, and eight years working for a Tier 1 subsea construction company overseeing lifting equipment upgrade/repair & newbuilds, with an additional five years working for a crane maintenance specialist.
What, in your experience, has been the biggest roadblock for the industry over the past 2-3 years?
WT: In Oil & Gas this must be the Energy Profits Levy which has been stifling growth and preventing reinvestment to make best use of the resources available and the infrastructure we have in place. On a more focused level for lifting in the North Sea this is the level of regulatory oversight and a lack of sharing lessons learned in the industry.
What key topics are you excited to discuss at this year's conference?
WT: Key topics for me will be explaining where a safety case fits and how we use performance standards. Also explaining how process safety and lifting fit together, how we maintain the prevent barrier, people, process, plant, as well as looking at human factors in lifting and some incident investigations sharing lessons learned.
What do you consider to be the key areas of innovation in this industry, both in the UK and internationally?
WT: The appropriate use of digital tools in lifting can improve efficiency and ensure that we have people out completing site visits and not stuck behind a desk.
Who else are you most interested in hearing from on the programme?
WT: Jamie Davies (Health and Safety Executive) on the proposed regulatory reform of LOLER; done right this can be a huge improvement to the outdated and unclear sections of LOLER ACOP. Done wrong and this could result in a lot more uncertainty and a backwards step for maintaining safe lifting operations.
Why is it important for engineers to join this event?
WT: To absorb best practice in lifting from a truly diverse selection of industries. There are very few opportunities to do this because we tend to move in the same professional circles on social media channels and attend geographically close industry specific forums.
The Institution's Crane Safety 2025 seminar will take place on 23 September 2025, returning to the Institution's London headquarters at One Birdcage Walk. For further details and to book your place, please visit the event website.