Offshore Safety Management

The production of offshore oil and gas creates many hazards. The danger of fires and explosions is always present, weather conditions can be very harsh, produced gas can contain the highly toxic hydrogen sulfide (H2S), the rigs and platforms are crowded with equipment and machinery, and - if there is an accident - there are few places to which to escape. Therefore, in order to keep these facilities safe, and to protect the environment, companies put in place comprehensive Safety Management Systems (SMS). Offshore Safety Management describes how such systems are developed and implemented.

Process Risk and Reliability Management

Process Risk and Reliability Management provides comprehensive and practical guidance for the development and implementation of process safety management (PSM), operational integrity and operational excellence programs. It covers design and operations, and shows how to improve not only safety but also reliability, environmental performance, quality and profitability. Techniques and principles are illustrated with numerous examples, chemical plants, refineries, transportation, pipelines, and offshore oil and gas.

Plant Design and Operations

Plant Design and Operations provides practical guidance on the design, operation, and maintenance of process and energy facilities. The book is based on years of hands-on experience gathered during the design and operation of a wide range of facilities in many different types of industry including chemicals, refining, offshore oil and gas, and pipelines. The book helps managers, engineers, operators, and maintenance specialists with highly practical advice and guidance that can be used right away in working situations.

Lowest Level of Risk (BSEE)

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Logo

Overview (BSEE Risk)

As part of its Well Control Rule BSEE appears to have made a major change in the manner in which offshore risk is to be managed. Section 250.107(a)(3) states,

[y]ou must protect health, safety, property and the environment by utilizing recognized engineering practices that reduce risks to the lowest level practicable when conducting design, fabrication, installation, operation, inspection, repair, and maintenance activities.

Event Tree Analysis

Event trees in the process and energy industries

Overview

Event Tree Analysis (ETA) uses the same logical and mathematical techniques as Fault Tree Analysis. However, whereas a fault tree analyzes how an undesirable top event may occur, an event tree considers the impact of the failure of a particular component or item in the system, and works out the effect such a failure will have on the overall system risk or reliability. Event trees use an inductive approach, whereas fault trees are deductive. Event trees were developed for the nuclear industry. They are much less widely used in the process industries.

Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS)

The SEMS rule applies to oil and gas operations in U.S. waters. It is administered by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). The rule holds the facility accountable for the overall safety of the offshore facility, including ensuring that all contractors and subcontractors have safety policies and procedures in place that support the implementation of the operator's SEMS program and align with the principles of managing safety set forth in API RP 75.

Standard Examples

Worked examples for Sutton Technical Books

We have developed a set of process safety management standard examples that are used to illustrate some of the concepts and ideas developed in our publications. 

Example 1 - Facility Design

A process consists of four operating units and a utilities section. A schematic of the system is shown in Figure 1.