Health, Safety, and Environmental Auditing in the E&P Industry

This paper gives an overview of the development of auditing within the field of Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) management in the E&P industry. Auditing of these aspects of the business is relatively recent, and the adoption of formal audit programmes is increasingly regarded as an essential element of the HSE management programme. Auditing provides assurance that internal controls are working effectively, and provides vital information for system improvement. An overview will be given of the transitional phases that the HSE auditing process has been through; the factors that have influenced those developments; and some views on potential future developments.