Mintra's vision is "Enriching people through knowledge".  We use various media to convey this knowledge.  In addition to e-learning courses distributed over the Internet, we also offer DVD productions.  The HSE collaboration "I could have saved a life!" is one such DVD production. 

I could have saved a life!

The poem "I could have saved a life" has flourished in the offshore HSE environment for several years and was written as a reminder of how important it is to dare to speak out when you see a colleague expose himself or others to dangerous situations.  The poem is, among other things, part of the e-learning courses, "Hydro HSE Offshore Course" and "Shell HSE Offshore Course".  Both courses were developed by Mintra.

In conjunction with the development of the Shell HSE Offshore Course, Mintra was challenged by A/S Norwegian Shell to translate the poem to Norwegian.

Mintra's Norwegian interpretation of the poem is not alone.  The poem has previously been translated both to Standard Norwegian and New Norwegian, but A/S Norwegian Shell wanted to use Mintra's interpretation of the poem.  That's how the ball started rolling.

Around the turn of 2005/2006, Mintra decided, in collaboration with T. M. HMS Oftedal HSE Consulting, to produce an HSE DVD based on our Norwegian interpretation of the poem.  We contacted parts of our HSE network to hear if they were interested in working together on the production and the response was overwhelming.  It didn't take long before the following companies signed on for the HSE collaboration: 
- A/S Norske Shell
- ConocoPhillips
- ExxonMobil
- Gassco
- Odfjell Drilling
- PGS
- Smedvig Offshore
- Statoil
- Vetco Aibel

We also had the film company, Isfilm/Forest Film on the team.  They strengthened our project further. 

Three main parts

In part 1 of the film, we make the following assertions:
- Most accidents and injuries affect individuals and families
- Most accidents and injuries affect employers
- Most accidents and injuries occur due to human error
- Most accidents and injuries could have been avoided if others had intervened

In part 2, the film itself is show along with Mintra's interpretation of the poem:

I could have save a life that day

But I chose to look the other way...

In the final part, we ask the following questions:
- What would the consequences be for you and your family if you were to be injured?
- What would the consequences be for your employer if you were to be injured?
- What would the consequences be for you if you turn your back and mind your own business?

These questions are intended for group discussion in conjunction with HSE gatherings, pre-job meetings, and the like.

HSE work in other areas

We angled the film in such a way that it can be used for HSE work in other areas than just offshore.  We have, among other things, a strong belief that more of large construction and contracting companies will show interest in the film, and we have also received positive signals from other environments in our HSE network.

We are grateful for the trust our collaboration partners have shown us and we hope the DVD will be a positive contribution to the most important HSE work being done each day, both offshore and on land. 

The film is available as an off-the-shelf product

If you are interested in seeing the film, you are welcome to contact Mintra for a demonstration!

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Article by: Chul Christian Aamodt, Sales and Marketing Director, Mintra AS

This article was previously published in Mintra's monthly e-zine no. 5 - 2006.  A new e-zine comes out on the first Friday of every month.  To subscribe to the e-zine, send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and write "HLK" in the subject line.