RISK MANAGEMENT
SAFETY CASES YOU EITHER LOVE’EM OR HATE’EM!
...BUT IMPLEMENT THEM EFFECTIVELY AND EVERYONE WILL COME TO LOVE THEM
‘Safety Cases’ well and truly divide opinion. Some see them as an isolated exercise of complex analysis and written work that does not reflect the real world. Others see them as a large pile of documents produced to get somebody off their back before they sit on a shelf gathering dust. Whilst regrettably there is evidence to justify these views, the more informed recognise that a Safety Case approach is an excellent way of ensuring projects are conceived and executed safely and ultimately provide the written demonstration that your plant, facility etc. is safe. But they are not just about the ‘now’. They provide a framework and focus for ensuring safety throughout the project life-cycle. They provide assurance that everything is and will continue to be safe!
But is a Safety Case approach relevant and appropriate for the wind industry? For the majority of onshore wind farms in remote, rural locations, the answer is most likely to be ‘no’. The potential risk to people, assets etc. can be readily discounted through observation and judgment without the need for an ultimate Safety Case. For offshore wind farms the situation is quite different. Managing offshore assets, and in particular getting people on and off safely, presents a number of significant challenges and risks. Also, similarities with offshore oil and gas facilities presents inevitable parallels with an established Safety Case culture.
Risktec concludes its series of articles on risk management by providing a series of tips on how to develop a Safety Case for an offshore wind farm, building on the principles, tools and techniques and proportionate approach discussed in previous issues.
WHAT IS A SAFETY CASE?
Safety Cases are detailed documents demonstrating that facilities are designed, constructed, commissioned, operated and decommissioned in such a way as to minimise risks to personnel, the public and, for HSE cases, the environment. They;
• Demonstrate to management and employees, investors, contractors and, where relevant, the Regulator and/or the Public that adequate controls are in place to ensure that the major HSE risks arising from a particular operation are both tolerable and reduced to as low as reasonably practicable [ALARP].
• Provide a reference point for everyone involved with facility operations to define the requirements for effective control of Safety issues.
Imagine giving someone a document on their first day working at your facility. It describes the facility, operations and processes very clearly. It identifies the potential risks and provides appropriate, proportionate arguments and evidence to demonstrate that they have been reduced ALARP, referencing more detailed studies and defines what needs to be done to maintain this position. They find it easy to read and continuously refer to it as they get up-to-speed in their new role. This represents a good Safety Case!
1) A SAFETY CASE IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE DESTINATION, IT’S ABOUT THE JOURNEY TOO!
Whilst a Safety Case is the written demonstration of why a plant, facility etc. is safe, it should not be seen as a retrospective justification and certainly not a piece of creative writing to ‘get away with’ an inadequate solution. A truly safe outcome can only be achieved by fully integrating design and safety assurance activities. The documentation of this process is arguably the most important element of a Safety Case. That is why it is called a Safety Case ‘approach’; you build and develop the Safety Case as the project progresses.
2) DON’T RE-INVENT THE WHEEL; LOOK TO OTHER INDUSTRIES Safety Cases have been around a long time in other industries; particularly Nuclear Power and Oil & Gas. A huge amount of time and effort has gone into developing these approaches. Use this to your advantage. Cherry-pick the best bits for your offshore wind farm Safety Case. This does not need to be limited to the overall approach and structure. Use and adapt their tools and techniques to build your case; the ‘Bow-Tie’ technique pioneered in the Oil & Gas Industry [see Dec’12/Jan’13 issue] and the ‘Claims, Arguments & Evidence’ approach used in the Nuclear Industry [see Figure 1] are two good examples.
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www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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