A review of the offshore oil and gas safety indices

Abstract Derivation of a performance index demonstrating integrated safety achievement of offshore oil and gas platforms has not been subject to extensive study. The indices proposed and adopted thus far are related to inherent safety and chemicals used in processes, with focus placed on the conceptual and design stages. Safety of offshore installations is a combination of asset integrity and personal safety, driven by organizational culture. Asset integrity covers process safety, structural integrity as well as aspects of safety climate dealing with personnel management such as training and competence. Indicators for various aspects of platform safety have been separately proposed in multiple studies. It would be significant to develop a composite index linking the major aspects of safety including the cultural and climatic factors to provide a more representative picture of platforms’ safety performance. This also facilitates performance benchmarking and continual improvement of safety management on the platforms. The adoption of leading indicators is crucial to drive and monitor inputs into the safety system. For the index to ultimately be meaningful, effective and easily understood, the underlying indicators should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timely, evaluated and reviewed.