Abstract
A new, and potentially more effective, approach to the development of company HSE standards is to move away from a prescriptive approach to a more risk-based strategy. The risk-based approach allows resources to be focused towards the geographic locations, activities and services that present higher risk to a company and its customers.
This paper describes how an oilfield services company has developed a risk-based HSE approach which involves setting prescribed fundamental controls that apply to all activities and employees at all company sites. While some of these controls apply without variation, the application of many controls increases proportionally with the assessed risk. To establish how the fundamental controls are applied, the risks are assessed according to a predefined process, which is described in the standards.
The development of the control levels for the HSE standards incorporates factors such as the physical geographic location; the operating environment; and the risks associated with the activities, products and services performed both internally within the company and externally.
The paper examines how the specific strategy for each HSE standard is defined to ensure that the key elements required across the organization are clearly defined for each risk level and identifies those controls that are allowed to be modified locally.
