Diversification pays off as process safety firm wins international contracts across major hazard industries

Since launching its software solution for streamlining risk assessment last year, Aberdeenshire-based Salus Technical has widened its customer base to incorporate a range of major hazard industries around the globe. 

Founder of Salus Technical, David Jamieson, developed the cloud-based software, Bowtie Master, with the intention of helping organisations to understand and manage the risks of major accident hazards, thereby reducing their incidence.  

Over 60% of the firm’s software customers are currently drawn from a range of major hazard industries outwith oil and gas, including the distillery industry, TechnipFMC and Shearwater Geo from the marine sector, GKN Aerospace, and United Utilities. The latter have signed up for a five-year deal, bringing the total software income from these other sectors to over 75%. Salus Technical now has customers using the cloud-based software across 6 different time zones, including South America and New Zealand. 

Turnover is predicted to exceed £220,000 for this financial year, with 20% of that derived from software sales. While the consulting arm of Salus Technical has historically been concentrated in the oil and gas industry, the balance is shifting to include a higher proportion of a diverse range of major hazard industries. They are receiving an ever-increasing number of enquiries from the cyber security, decom and offshore wind sectors, and have been invited to tender for several hydrogen generation projects. 

Founder and Managing Director, David Jamieson, has himself gained experience working across a range of industries, including a stint in motorsport, where he worked as a Computational Fluid Dynamics Engineer for Red Bull Racing.  He said: “One of the drivers for launching Salus Technical was that I knew there were a lot of safety lessons learned in oil and gas that could be easily and effectively transferred to other industries. As the energy transition gathers momentum, I strongly believe that we should take heed of these lessons in order to prevent any injury or loss of life.  

“Bowtie diagrams have been in use as a proactive risk tool in the oil industry since the 1990s – they are an excellent means of helping to understand, visualise and communicate risks from major accidents – regardless of industry. Now other sectors are catching on to their potential for proactively increasing the safety competencies of their teams, and we predict further growth areas in cyber security, geothermal, carbon capture & storage and rail safety.” 

The process safety business works closely with the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), which has a diverse membership encompassing sectors from energy and chemicals to food and drink and waste and wastewater. Bowtie Master was launched their Hazards 30 virtual conference, while the Salus team also delivered training to their Aberdeen and Humberside members. MD David was also commissioned to contribute 6 articles for the IChemE’s monthly magazine.  

In addition to Bowtie Master, Salus currently have a second product in development which is set to launch in Q1 2022. Assisting with Human Factors Engineering, allowing users to better understand how human error can contribute to major accidents, it will also be applicable to multiple industries around the globe.