Good and best practice offshore - collection of examples

Author unit / section:

HID OSD 1.5

Target audience:

OSD Inspectors

Purpose

1  OSD need to identify and collect examples of good and best practice from regulatory interventions offshore. This SPC advises how this will be done.

Background

2  A conclusion from the recent KP3 inspection project was that inadequate sharing of good and best practice was a key reason behind variations in performance, both between and within companies. Step Change in Safety is looking at how sharing can be improved, and dutyholders are also increasing their efforts in this area. HSE has agreed to collect examples and publicise them, for example via a dedicated web page.

Good and best practice

3  Good practice can be defined as ‘standards for controlling risk which satisfy the law when applied in an appropriate manner’. It is about doing routine things well, such that HSE can be confident that the risks are under control. It may not be innovative, and may be similar to what others are doing, but the company has taken the trouble to ensure it works properly, for example by thorough application of the POPMAR model. In such a case the reasons why it works well are of particular interest.

4  Best practice takes this a little further, by using a new idea to improve health and safety in a particular area, beyond the current norm. It may come from a conscious attempt to identify what more can be done, for example from an incident investigation or a suggestion scheme. Or it may be a by-product of a new process or a change in operating conditions, which is found to have a health or safety benefit. Here the main point of interest is the new idea itself, how it works and what benefits accrue.

5  Dutyholders will need to check that a new idea will work with their particular culture and management arrangements. For example, a procedure which works in the management system of a large operator may not be so successful within a smaller contracting company, even if both are doing similar things. However, the idea should at least be considered, perhaps with some modification to suit the new situation.

Action by inspectors

6  From the issue of this circular, inspectors should seek out at least one example of good or best practice during each offshore inspection (inspection or investigation). They can come from a variety of sources, including:

• process hardware,
• protection systems,
• control software,
• procedures,
• training methods,
• auditing tools, and
• safety performance analysis.

7  As well as identifying examples themselves, inspectors should ask dutyholders if they have candidates for inclusion. In either case some limited verification may be necessary to ensure they qualify, as in paras. 3-5.

8  The Word templates for the summary and lead inspector’s report, and the specialist inspector’s report, have been revised to include a section for recording examples. Two new templates are also available for the full and brief reports of incident investigations. These include a similar section.

All four can be downloaded from TRIM folder 1.9.3.349. Offshore Division - Inspection and Investigation Templates. They should be used for all inspection and investigation reports from the issue of this circular.

9  After each inspection or investigation a copy of the appropriate report page, and of any other relevant documents, should be forwarded to Dave Salmon in OSD1.5, who will collate them for review and publication.

Further information

10  Further information can be obtained from Derek Pratt in OSD1.5, VPN 523 4970.