1. HSE’s Ageing and Life Extension Key Programme (KP4) and Human Factors
Peter Fearnley, Energy Division - Offshore
KP4 website:

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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 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

7. 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

8. What Is ALE? It’s All About Managing Ageing Forth Road Bridge
Opened 4th September 1964 (~48 years old)
Highly engineered structure
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

9. *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*

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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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?

15. 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?