Abstract
The evolution of structured safety management systems and the new regulations concerning implementation and use of risk analyses in the petroleum activities have created a new structure and framework for risk analyses in Norway. This structure and framework is discussed. The formulation of risk acceptance criteria caused quite a few headaches before practical oriented professionals finally set the foot down and got them in place. The structure for acceptance criteria is discussed both for life and health of personnel, pollution to the environment, and damage to assets.
In addition the new Norwegian national standard for performance of risk analyses is establishing a cook-book approach to the risk analysis process itself, and this approach is described.
This paper also discusses an efficient and structured way of initial identification of hazards (in a system or activity), and the evolution of the Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) method, in order to adapt it to new areas of application, and tailor making each analysis process.
Risk analyses, used correctly, can have great effects in improving the safety and economy of any operation, especially where several technical systems and activities are managed by the interaction of men and procedures. However, risk analyses are not the ultimate solution, and a "code of ethics" for risk analyses, both performance and results, have been developed, and is summarised.
A systematic approach for the implementation of safety management systems and risk analyses is described, including some viewpoints on the duration of such an implementation process.
Experiences, results, examples and conclusions from the active use of these techniques during the last two years is presented in "neutralised" form. The immediate results of most of these techniques are to do things differently, improve plans, improve procedures, involve experienced operations personnel, and increase the emergency preparedness awareness and systems reliability. In the end the important results are less fatalities, less accidents, less pollution and less money spent on non-productive activities.
