Continual Improvement in the Management of Health, Safety and Environment in Marine Seismic Acquisition

Abstract

The management of health and safety in the petroleum industry has seen many significant changes since the introduction of the safety case regime after the Piper Alpha tragedy on 6 July 1998. Environmental legislation in Australia has also undergone significant changes since the introduction of the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1967, Management of Environment Regulations 1999, and the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Seismic vessels are not considered to be petroleum facilities and hence the safety case principles do not apply. Marine seismic acquisition is not overseen by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA), with the responsibility for the management of health and safety on seismic vessels in Commonwealth Waters being under the jurisdiction of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). The environmental aspects of marine seismic acquisition are managed by the State Designated Authorities and the Department of Environment and Water Resources (DEWR) in Canberra. The effective management of health, safety and environment in seismic operations cannot be achieved by the regulatory authorities and the operators of petroleum titles alone. The integration and commitment of the seismic acquisition contractors to achieving the HSE goals of the regulatory authorities, the operator, and their own organisation is the key to achieving successful HSE outcomes. The responsibilities for HSE management are shared between the regulatory authorities, operators and contractors, but the accountability rests solely with the operators.