Technical Safety Barrier Management in StatoilHydro

Abstract

Abstract The Norwegian Offshore Regulator requires top executives to confirm the safety of their installations with particular focus on established barriers towards large scale accidents. StatoilHydro has implemented a structured approach for assessing the technical safety condition of its key barriers. Performance Standards (PS's) are defined for each barrier and each PS defines a set of Performance Requirements (PR's) to be met by that particular system with respect to system function, integrity, survivability and management respectively. The set of PR's incorporates regulatory and internal requirements as well as best industry practice. Each PR is assessed in terms of the design, the condition and the operation of that particular part of the safety barrier. A combined in-depth shore-based and offshore assessment program reviews compliance with the PR's and assigns a common grading. The TTS process focuses on a systematic assessment of the actual technical integrity and condition of process safety barriers implemented in facilities in operation, as well as facilities under design and construction. TTS provides a powerful approach to:Measure and ensure safety performancePrioritize corrective actions and major accident hazard risk management improvement initiativesBuild process safety awareness and competenceDemonstrate regulatory compliance. Introduction and Background The TTS process for structured evaluation of technical safety systems or barriers at operating facilities have been developed over a number of years as a joint effort between DNV and Statoil, Norsk Hydro and subsequently StatoilHydro. Initially, a process for systematic and structured evaluation of technical safety systems in operation was developed by Statoil in 2000. The process was named Teknisk Tilstand Sikkerhet (Norwegian for technical safety condition) and focused on a systematic assessment of the technical integrity and conditions of the existing process safety barriers. DNV was engaged to provide support in Statoil's roll-out and implementation of the TTS process. Following successful implementation at Statoil facilities, Norsk Hydro showed interest for using a similar approach at their facilities. DNV was engaged to develop a similar process for Hydro based on TTS (with Statoil's consent). The TST (Teknisk Sikkerhetstilstand) process was launched in Hydro in 2003. Following the merger between Statoil and Norsk Hydro, StatoilHydro is still using the process under the name TTS, which in fact is a combination of the former TTS and TST processes. The methodology has been continuously improved and fine-tuned over the years to incorporate the experiences and the lessons learned from the implementation process on installations on- and offshore. All in all, the TTS process has so far been successfully implemented at 35 offshore and 8 onshore installations. The main objectives of the TTS process are:To keep control of the functionality and availability of the safety barriersTo build process safety awareness and competenceTo manage the risks for major accidentsTo demonstrate regulatory compliance.