Summary

Responsibility and accountability for the safety of offshore operations rests at the highest levels of management. Experience shows that inherently dangerous activities can be safe if well managed, yet common and everyday activities can be disastrous if handled negligently. The offshore industry has always recognized the need to design a high level of inherent safety into facilities. Recognizing the special hazards and the potential for extreme events such as ship collisions or fires and explosions involving large numbers of people, many operators over the years have incorporated specialized engineering tools and techniques.