Managing escape, evacuation and rescue (EER) risk on aging offshore facilities
Nick Netscher A C and Jaime Thompson BA Esso Australia Pty Ltd, Level 9, 664 Collins Street, Docklands, Vic. 3008, Australia.
B Advisian Pty Ltd, Level 13, 333 Collins Street, Melbourne, Vic. 3207, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: nick.netscher@exxonmobil.com
The APPEA Journal 59(1) 260-267 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ18133
Submitted: 8 December 2018 Accepted: 8 January 2019 Published: 17 June 2019
Abstract
Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd and BHP Petroleum (Bass Strait) Pty Ltd own numerous offshore facilities, which have been operated by Esso Australia Pty Ltd (EAPL) for over 40 years. With respect to escape, evacuation and rescue (EER), the long standing philosophy for these facilities has been to muster at the external assembly areas (EAA) near the evacuation lifeboat stations, to allow for swift evacuation when the need is apparent. This philosophy has underpinned the design of these offshore assets to date.
For new-build offshore facilities, typical EER philosophies include the provision of an enclosed temporary refuge (TR), specifically to maintain a safe environment for personnel (in the event of an emergency) such that they can muster before evacuation, or remain on the facility until the event is brought under control. TRs typically provide protection to personnel from hazards that the EAA may not (i.e. smoke), but may increase the duration of a potential evacuation if they are not located within close proximity to evacuation stations.
This paper considers the potential changes in risk presented by the two evacuation philosophies, and the potential implications of changing from one philosophy to another on an existing facility. The analysis expands to facility operational and design considerations.
This paper also describes a methodology to leverage existing quantitative risk assessments to assess (a) how the risk profile to personnel may change depending on the EER philosophy; (b) how the implementation of additional risk controls will impact risk; and (c) how the results of the assessment can be used to establish an ‘as low as is reasonably practicable’ (ALARP) position.
Keywords: ALARP, endurance, major accident events, muster, risk assessment, risk controls, temporary refuge.
Nick Netscher is a Risk and Safety Case Coordinator supporting EAPL’s Gippsland Basin offshore assets. Nick graduated from the University of Queensland in 2008 BEng (Hons) in Mechanical and Space Engineering, and has worked for 10 years in the oil and gas industry with EAPL. Prior to his current role, his experiences include project design and construction management, operations integrity, facilities surveillance and reservoir engineering. |
Jaime Thompson graduated from the RMIT University in 2005 BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering. As a Lead Safety and Risk Engineer with over 12 years of experience working for WorleyParsons and Advisian, her experience has predominantly been in the offshore/onshore oil and gas industry, specialising in Safety in Design Engineering. She has developed a high level of technical skill developing Formal Safety Assessments, Risk Assessments and computational consequence and risk modelling. She has also assisted many organisations in designing safe and cost effective solutions to complex and unique hazards. Her experience has been employed on numerous facilities and projects throughout Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Nigeria, USA, Russia, Papua New Guinea and Thailand. |
References
UKHSE (2006) Offshore Information Sheet 3/2006 Guidance on Risk Assessment for Offshore Installations. Available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/sheet32006.pdf [Verified 16 January 2019]NOPSEMA (2014) Guidance Note – Supporting Safety Studies. N-04300–GN01051 Revision 0, March 2014. Available at https://www.nopsema.gov.au/assets/Guidance-notes/A308937.pdf [Verified 16 January 2019]
NOPSEMA (2015) Guidance Note – ALARP. N-04300–GN0166 Revision 6, June 2015. Available at https://www.nopsema.gov.au/assets/Guidance-notes/A138249.pdf [Verified 16 January 2019]
