Deepwater Horizon incident impact

Risk Management This first chapter provides an overview ot satety management in the offshore oii and gas industry. Trends within the industry are discussed, aiong with an assessment ot the impact of the Deepwater Horizon incident. A description of the different types of safety— occupationai, process and technicai —is provided, aiong with a description of Safety Management Systems. 

But the impact of Deepwater Horizon/Macondo went beyond the United States the accident caused oil companies all over the world to think through the effectiveness of their safety management programs. Moreover, events such as the Montara blowout in Australian waters in the year 2009 showed that these events are not confined to one place. The contents of this book therefore go beyond the United States regulatory environment. The book describes some of the major offshore incidents that have occurred over the last 40 years or so, some of which occurred onshore, that led to the development of modem safety management systems and regulations. So, for example, it contains a thorough discussion of the Safety Case approach—a system that was first used in the North Sea but that has now spread to many international locations. 

Phillips Pasadena (1989), BP Texas City (2005), Buncefield, UK (2005), Puerto Rico (2009), and Deepwater Horizon/British Petroleum (2010) have aU amply demonstrated the loss of life, property damage, extreme financial costs, environmental impact, and the impact to an organization s reputation that these incidents can produce. 

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