Management and major accident risk, groups exposed to risk, barriers and the natural environment are the main priorities for the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) in 2011.
Certain ultra-important areas identified by the PSA on the basis of its knowledge of and experience with the Norwegian oil and gas industry underlie these choices.
Particular attention will accordingly be paid during the coming year to these four priorities.
Barriers
The object is to ensure that technical and operational barriers are maintained, so that the risk of major accidents can be minimised.
Management and major accident risk
The focus will be on making sure that management at all levels in the industry works to reduce the risk of major accidents, and that such efforts are made in an integrated manner.
Groups exposed to risk
The PSA wants to reduce the risk of injury and ill health for particularly vulnerable categories of petroleum industry employees to the lowest possible level.
Natural environment
The goal is to ensure that the industry works purposefully to prevent accidents which can cause acute discharges. The players must also work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the Norwegian petroleum industry.
These four priority areas are basically unchanged from 2010, but their content and focus have been updated to take account of the challenges regarded by the PSA as the most serious for 2011.
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Source:Ptil, January 10, 2011; Image: Statoil