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As a result of the Piper Alpha catastrophe in the year 1988, the
American Petroleum Institute (API)
published its Recommended Practice 75, for Development of a Safety and
Environmental Management Program for Offshore Operations and Facilities in the
year 1991. It has been updated regularly since. The standard, which was
originally just a recommended practice, not a regulatory requirement, recommends that companies create
a Safety, Environmental Management Program (SEMP).
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Further information for RP 75 and SEMP is provided at our
Background to SEMS page.
Objectives
API RP 75 is organized to meet the following criteria:
-
It is performance based, with progress generally being measured on an annual
basis;
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A system for establishing continuous improvement should be in place.
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Effective communications is required.
The performance-based nature of the guidance is similar to that of OSHA's
Process Safety Management standard. Fundamentally, facilities are not judged on their direct compliance with a prescriptive standard - instead
they are expected to operate in a safe and clean manner.
Scope
API RP 75 is broad in scope. It addresses the
identification and management of safety hazards and environmental
impacts in the following areas:
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Design;
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Construction;
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Start-up;
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Operation;
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Inspection; and
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Maintenance
The standard covers new, existing or modified drilling and production
facilities.Management
RP 75 requires that management put in place a program that meets the
following principles:
- A written program is required.
- Leadership, accountability and resources must be provided.
- Specific representatives need to be appointed to establish, implement
and maintain the SEMP.
- There are also representatives who report to management on the
performance of the SEMP.
- The SEMP should be reviewed regularly.
- A written description of the organization and lines of responsibility is
required.
- The expertise of personnel should be utilized in areas such as the
identification of hazards, the development of safe work practices, the
development of training programs and the investigation of incidents.
- The owner, operator and contractor management have their own
responsibility for assuring safe operations.
- Industry codes should be used in the design, construction, maintenance,
and operation of the facility.
- The management of safety is an integral part of the design and operation
of the facility.
- All persons involved in SEMP must be properly trained.
- The SEMP should be regularly audited.
Contractors
RP 75 recognizes the importance of contractors with respect to safe
operations. It does not require that contractors create a SEMP, but
familiarity with the operator's SEMP is recommended.
The following
non-exhaustive list of
covered contractor activities is provided:
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Drilling;
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Workover;
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Well servicing;
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Construction;
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Electrical;
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Mechanical;
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Diving;
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Boat and helicopter transportation;
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Painting;
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Operating; and
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Catering/janitorial
Program Elements
It is recommended that a SEMP be organized into the following program
elements:
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Safety and Environmental Information;
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Hazards Analysis;
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Management of Change;
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Operating Procedures;
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Safe Work Practices;
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Training;
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Assurance of Quality and Mechanical Integrity;
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Pre-Startup Review;
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Emergency Response and Control;
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Investigation of Incidents;
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Audit of Safety and Environmental Management
Elements;
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Records and Documentation.
The elements in this list are similar to those found in many other
Process Safety Management standards. This means that the investment that an
energy company makes in the writing of Operating Procedures for a refinery, for
example, can substantially contribute toward the writing of Operating Procedures
for an offshore platform.
Details regarding these elements are available at the
SEMS page.
Other API standards, particularly the Recommended Practices (RPs) in the "14"
series, such as RP 14C and 14J, can be used when creating and management a SEMP.
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