Safety Management in the Oil and Gas Industry

Introduction:

The oil and gas industry has experienced several notable process safety incidents, highlighting the importance of adhering to basic health and safety principles required by law. Incidents such as the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion, the 2005 Buncefield Oil Storage Depot explosion, the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster in the UK, and the 2005 BP Texas Refinery disaster serve as key examples.

Ensuring operational safety in the oil and gas industry requires a deep understanding of the unique risks and adverse conditions present in the sector. This Oil and Gas Industry Operational Safety course emphasizes the importance of operational safety, offering practical concepts and frameworks aimed at preventing accidents and minimizing hazards during oil and gas operations.

Objectives:

At the end of this Oil and Gas Industry Operational Safety course, participants will be able to:

• Improve their ability to analyze incident causes in the oil and gas industry.
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of industry-related business risks.
• Gain knowledge of various oil and gas risk assessment techniques.
• Apply risk management processes to reduce the occurrence of incidents.
• Understand the principles of conducting investigations to identify root causes and enhance health and safety in the oil and gas sector.
• Recognize the dangers associated with the extraction, transport, storage, and processing of oil and gas.
• Discuss key risk management techniques used in the industry.
• Describe the purpose and content of documented evidence for safety assurance systems in the oil and gas sector.

Training Methodology:

• Presentations with interactive discussions
• Group participation
• Case study analysis
• Simulations
• Risk assessment exercises
• Incident investigation practice
• Peer reviews

Course Outline:

Unit 1: Health, Safety, and Environment Management in Perspective

• Learning from incidents rather than just reporting.
• Safety risks in the oil and gas industry.
• Methodologies to mitigate risks.
• Work system design and procedures.
• Hydrocarbon process safety I.
• Process Safety Management (PSM).

Unit 2: Hydrocarbon Process Safety

• Human fallibility and its role in safety.
• Managing safety-critical operations.
• Control of hydrocarbon explosions within set boundaries.
• Plant and refinery operations.
• Operational turnover processes.
• Fire hazards, risks, and fire-fighting systems.
• Operation of furnaces and boilers.

Unit 3: Risk Assessment Techniques

• Risk assessment strategy development.
• Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP).
• Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
• Bow-tie analysis.
• Safety Integrity Level (SIL) selection criteria.
• Hazardous area identification.

Unit 4: Fire Safety and Crisis Management

• Causes of fires and explosions in the oil and gas sector.
• Categorization of fire and explosion hazards.
• Fire and explosion hazard analysis.
• Fire and explosion prevention systems.
• Emergency response procedures.

Unit 5: Activities Connected With Logistics and Transport

• Shipping activities in oil and gas.
• Overland and underwater operations.
• Cargo handling and lifting activities.