Slalom partnered with an oil and gas exploration company to tackle a problem many industrial organizations face: how to make use of large volumes of safety data. Despite ongoing training programs and safety audits, the company had little insight into whether its interventions were actually reducing risk. With hundreds of thousands of safety records collected over time, it was difficult to find meaningful patterns using traditional methods.
Slalom developed a system that uses artificial intelligence to read and analyze unstructured safety records, including written reports, permits, and daily logs. The tool identifies recurring themes, flags high-risk situations, and connects patterns across incidents that previously seemed unrelated. It also recommends improvements based on recognized industry guidelines. What made the system particularly valuable was its ability to provide recommendations before work begins, helping prevent incidents rather than reacting to them after the fact.
The system was designed to process both historical records and new data added daily. It fits into the client’s existing workflows and improves over time as it learns from new inputs. The project combined data science with safety expertise to ensure the output was not just technically sound but practical in a field environment.
One of the key learnings was that important safety signals are often buried in documentation that is rarely reviewed in full. By automating the analysis, the system uncovered risks that had gone unnoticed and helped prioritize attention where it was needed most.
The client is now using the platform to assess risks across both older assets and more than $3 billion in new well investments. Beyond improving safety, the system supports regulatory compliance and builds a continuous improvement process grounded in real-time data.
For Slalom, the project reflected its broader goal of using technology to support frontline teams and improve operational outcomes. In this case, the outcome was a shift toward more proactive safety management and better protection for people and assets.
This article is part of Innovation+ in the Plus 15, a special editorial series from the Calgary Innovation Peer Forum and Digital Journal that explores how Calgary-based companies are innovating.
