Purchase of NODE-member Safety Design strengthens ERM’s capability in risk management to the oil and gas industry in Norway and the North Sea.

ERM, the world’s leading environmental, health & safety, risk management and sustainability consultancy, has completed the acquisition of Safety Design, a Norwegian risk management consultancy with 20 staff based in Kristiansand, Norway.

Safety Design is a leading provider of technical safety engineering, with an unmatched reputation in the area of fire water design. Safety Design’s main market is the Norwegian based oilfield services and exploration & production companies.

Globally, ERM has around 200 safety engineers based in key oil & gas centres including Houston, Aberdeen, Seoul, Perth and Kuala Lumpur. By combining the technical capabilities of Safety Design with ERM’s existing talent, ERM will be in a position to better serve the needs of its clients on complex challenges across the globe.

ERM employs some 5,000 staff and supports many of the world’s largest clients, including more than 50 per cent of the Global Fortune 500 through its network of some 150 offices in over 40 countries. ERM has experienced strong growth in the last few years in particular in response to increasing demand from its clients for the high-quality services and project outcomes for which ERM is so well known.

– Like ERM, Safety Design has a very strong reputation for professional excellence and client service. There is an ideal fit between Safety Design and ERM which is founded on excellence in client service and the quality of our people. We envisage Safety Design being the platform for us to rapidly build our business in Norway with the addition of other services including the broader environmental and sustainability offerings we provide across our global network, says John Alexander, ERM Chief Executive Officer.

Over the next 12 months Safety Design will be carefully integrated into ERM’s global structure, which is based around sectors, geography and practice expertise.

– By joining ERM, our position is strengthened within the Oil & Gas industry in Norway and North Sea, and provides us with additional opportunities to expand and diversify, both as an organization and as employees. We look forward to growing the ERM business in Norway and are excited about joining ERM, says Safety Design CEO, Jørgen Pettersen.