A systematic approach to risk reduction measures in the Norwegian offshore oil and gas industry

Abstract

The term ‘safety barriers’ refers to the measures used in the various riskassessment methods to reduce the likelihood and limit the consequences of hazardous events. An industry consensus is yet to be reached with regard to the boundaries and classification of safety barriers. The wide variability of work processes and physical systems that can be classified as barriers and the complex interactions between them means that they are challenging to identify. As such, a holistic view is required in order to foster adequate comprehension. The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) focuses on maintaining a high level of health, environment, and safety awareness within the petroleum activities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). The implementation of safety barriers has been a key safety principle in the PSA regulations for more than 10 years to guide the Norwegian oil and gas industry. The PSA constantly underlines the need for the risk picture to be clear and understandable with links and connections between related elements. This paper intends to provide some practical thoughts on how the boundaries for terms such as ‘barrier’, ‘barrier element’, ‘barrier system’ and ‘function’ can be determined. We will systemize existing knowledge and connect separate work processes into a unified system that will present barriers in a structured way, thus enabling adequate maintenance and follow-up of the barriers during their lifecycle. We intend to provide clarifications such that companies can manage and meet PSA regulations more precisely and efficiently.