From Offshore Platforms to Refineries: Using Emergency Mass Notification Software to Save Time and Lives

Written by Anneri Fourie | Crises Control Executive

Oil and gas operations face complex challenges every day. Staff work across refineries, pipelines, terminals, and offshore platforms, often in remote or difficult-to-access locations. Rotating shifts, dispersed teams, and equipment-intensive processes make incidents hard to manage, especially when communication depends on manual methods like phone trees or emails. Delays in information flow can create confusion, slow responses, and increase risk to personnel and operations.

Emergency mass notification software addresses this problem by delivering instant, reliable messages to all relevant employees, contractors, and leadership. Staff receive clear instructions, supervisors can track acknowledgements, and teams can coordinate actions without unnecessary delay. Crises Control offers a cloud-based crisis communication system designed for multi-site oil and gas operations, ensuring alerts reach the right people at the right time, even in remote or offshore locations.

This article examines how oil and gas organisations can benefit from this type of system, highlights anonymised customer examples, and shares best practices for improving incident response and business continuity.

Why Emergency Mass Notification Software Is Critical in Oil and Gas Operations

Oil and gas work environments involve a wide range of hazards, including flammable materials, heavy machinery, high pressures, and harsh weather conditions. When an incident occurs, every second counts to prevent escalation, protect staff, and minimise operational disruption.

Emergency mass notification software ensures teams receive fast, accurate, and actionable alerts. This system goes beyond simply sending messages, it provides structured workflows, delivery confirmation, and real-time visibility for supervisors.

Typical scenarios where alerts are essential

• Industrial fires or explosions
• Oil spills, gas leaks, or chemical releases
• Severe weather affecting offshore platforms or coastal operations
• Cybersecurity incidents affecting operational technology
• Equipment failures impacting plant stability
• Security breaches or unauthorised access

Instead of relying on slow manual processes, Crises Control allows messages to be sent simultaneously via SMS, mobile app notifications, email, and voice calls. The system tracks who has received and acknowledged the alert, giving leadership immediate insight into the organisation’s status.

Impact metrics: Organisations using Crises Control report a 96% reduction in the time it takes to engage stakeholders and a 20% improvement in overall incident resolution times. High availability is maintained 24/7, 365 days a year, ensuring alerts are always deliverable.

Core Features of Emergency Mass Notification Software for Oil and Gas

Selecting software for high-risk, distributed operations requires careful attention to functionality. Organisations look for capabilities that ensure communication works reliably across multiple sites, including remote and offshore locations.

Key requirements

• Multi-channel alerting: Messages must reach employees regardless of location or device. SMS is crucial for areas with limited internet, while in-app notifications support acknowledgements and two-way communication.
• Real-time monitoring: Leadership can track who has received and responded to alerts, allowing rapid escalation if necessary.
• Location-based notifications: Alerts can target employees within specific risk zones, such as a spill on one side of a refinery or a gas leak on a platform.
• Operational integration: Connecting with control room systems, monitoring software, and enterprise platforms allows automated alerts when incidents meet predefined criteria.
• Offline accessibility: Remote staff can access incident workflows and continuity plans even in low-connectivity environments, common on offshore platforms.

Crises Control’s platform is built around these features to ensure reliable communication and response for high-risk operations.

Real-Time Incident Alerts for Employees

The speed of communication directly affects safety outcomes. Whether it’s a fire alarm, chemical leak, or cyber event, staff must know what to do immediately.

Key benefits of real-time alerts

1. Immediate awareness across all operational zones: Staff on-site, offshore, or working remotely receive alerts at the same time, reducing the risk of delayed action.
2. Two-way confirmation: Supervisors can see who has acknowledged messages, who needs support, and where resources should be deployed.
3. Structured workflows: Instead of ad hoc communication, teams follow predefined incident plans, ensuring critical tasks are completed in the correct sequence.

Crises Control’s Incident Management module supports structured task flows, prebuilt templates, and event logs, keeping the response coordinated and traceable.

Customer Examples

Organisations using Crises Control demonstrate the practical impact of the platform across different operational challenges:

1. Weather alerts for remote teams: A large oilfield operator uses the system to send SMS alerts to all employees during heavy rainfall or extreme weather events. They also conduct test exercises to confirm readiness. The platform reaches both permanent staff and contractors, eliminating delays common with manual call chains.
2. Cybersecurity and technical incident management: Another customer relies on Crises Control to notify employees quickly during cybersecurity events, including those working remotely. The system also allows targeted alerts for investigating technical issues such as UPS malfunctions, enabling faster resolution and safer operations.
3. Critical incident coordination: A major LNG operator in the Middle East sends alerts for oil spills and other high-risk events. The organisation requested a custom feature allowing the crisis management team to discuss incidents internally, assign tasks, and maintain full visibility through the Event Log. Leadership gains a complete record of actions, supporting both compliance and operational learning.
4. Automated response to fire alarms: A large refinery operator uses the platform to automatically launch incidents when fire alarms trigger. On-site firefighters are notified immediately, and teams can upload photos and critical information into the incident record. Once resolved, an automated report is produced for training and compliance purposes.

These examples show how organisations use emergency mass notification software to address diverse operational risks, strengthen safety, and maintain continuity.