HSE’s Ageing and Life Extension Key Programme (KP4) and Human Factors Peter Fearnley, Energy Division - Offshore KP4 website: www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/ageing.htm

……..Covering……. Why? Ageing and Life Extension Equipment, Systems and People What can I do, what can I ask

UKCS operates a Safety Case Regime Why? UKCS operates a Safety Case Regime The Safety Case describes measures in place reducing major accident risks to people to the lowest reasonable level *There are proper arrangements in place for an independent audit of the systems (?)* The systems are complex and need all our attention to remain effective

Why? To be safe all 3 have to work well, together Facilities People Fitness Competence Morale/Trust Perception Behaviour Facilities & Equipment Design Work Environment Maintenance Reliability Demand To be safe all 3 have to work well, together Systems Hazard identification Risk assessment Management Commitment Procedures, Training Incident investigation Monitoring Change Learning

Why? Ageing and Life Extension History of Development Systems People Facilities & Equipment Design Work Environment Maintenance Reliability Demand Systems Hazard identification Risk assessment Management Commitment Procedures, Training Incident investigation Monitoring Change Learning People Fitness Competence Morale/Trust Perception Behaviour History of Development

WHAT ARE AGEING & LIFE EXTENSION? “Ageing is not about how old your equipment is; it’s about what you know about its condition, and how that’s changing over time” Condition Management is the key LIFE EXTENSION When assets exceed design life = Life Extension phase Half UKCS production platforms in LE phase Some platforms anticipate 50-70 years production Plus 5-10 years to removal from sea bed Across the European Union’s hazardous industries ageing is implicated in: 30% of incidents 28% of loss of containment

What Is ALE? It’s All About Managing Ageing Forth Rail Bridge Opened 4th March 1890 (~123 years old) Robust structure 200 trains per day Continuous painting programme

What Is ALE? It’s All About Managing Ageing Forth Road Bridge Opened 4th September 1964 (~48 years old) Highly engineered structure 32 000 vehicles per day IM programme didn’t identify cable corrosion risk 2003: numerous wire strands in suspension cables found to be corroded and failed Weight restrictions applied Needs replacing ~£1.4 Billion

*MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING SAFETY* WHAT IS KP4? Raising awareness of consequences of ALE Understanding & forecasting degradation mechanisms & rates of Safety Critical Elements Obsolescence management Sharing ALE knowledge for the benefit of all Working with industry for a common goal Reducing Hydrocarbon Releases *MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING SAFETY*

WHAT HAS KP4 COVERED? Process Safety, Fire and Explosion Structures Marine Mechanical and Corrosion Electrical, Control and Instrumentation Pipelines Human and Organisational Factors

HYDROCARBON LEAKS: EQUIPMENT, SYSTEMS, PEOPLE Norwegian study found: 60% of leaks due to human interventions; key issues: failure to check pre and post-work isolations and integrity; Technical degradation caused ~21% of HC leaks No relationship between age and leak frequency – condition management! 100% management system failure? Equipment, Systems, People

EQUIPMENT, PEOPLE AND SYSTEM ISSUES When equipment doesn’t work as designed (ALE), carry out risk assessment Risk Perception & Assessment HSE still finding problems with Operational Risk Assessments (ORA) – risk assessment can be too difficult Failures identifying and addressing MAH risks, see ORA guidance rolled out by OGUK Clear procedures guiding correct thought process, e.g. ORA default should be shut-down unless there are good reasons to continue operations

WORKFORCE INVOLVEMENT IN ALE Need to equip people at all levels of the organisation with the right skills to recognise and respond to risk Hazard awareness, assessment & anticipation Need to understand and actively manage the factors that influence human performance, e.g. operating wrong valve, not following a procedure Distractions, badly written procedures, poor communication, lack of feedback Need to develop a culture where ‘speaking up about concerns’ is managed appropriately acceptable for ‘bad news’ to travel up the line

What Can I Do, What Can I Ask? Getting ALE and People (HF) issues right requires a focus – where is it in your organisation? Does your organisation have an ALE policy? How well are they doing? What are they planning to improve? Are you clear what your part is in this?

What Can I Do, What Can I Ask? Does your organisation have a clear approach to dealing with people issues/human factors? Do you see it worked out in incident and near-miss investigations? Are the reasons for mistakes understood and does this make a difference to the way jobs/tasks are planned and carried out? Are audits, monitoring and other learning seen as vital to stopping incidents before they happen?