The Risk assessment must cover:
- risk of major accidents (fire, explosion, collision, helicopter
accidents, falling objects, etc.)
- health and safety risks (physical, psychological, chemical and
biological aspects and accident risks)
- risks in connection with people’s presence on the installation
(hygiene, quality of drinking and utility water, indoor climate in
accommodation and effects of cigarette smoke, etc.)
- ALARP assessment, i.e. risks are to be curbed to a level as low
as reasonably practicable. (ALARP: as low as reasonably
practicable).
For fixed offshore installations, health and safety risks are to
be identified, assessed and minimised in all phases of an
installation’s operational life, i.e. during design, construction,
delivery, installation, operation and when changes are made to an
installation.
The same requirements apply to mobile offshore installations
with regard to operation and changes to the installation.
On fixed offshore installations this means that in practice the
operating company is responsible for the risk assessment, while on
mobile offshore installations the company which has entered into a
contract with the operator is responsible for the risk
assessment.
Design, construction, delivery and installation of fixed
offshore installations
The risk assessment of a fixed installation starts in the
project and construction phases and the operator is required to
design and fit the installation in such a way that health and
safety risks are as low as technically possible and financially
reasonable.
In the design phase, the risk assessment is an overall
assessment carried out on the basis of existing data on the
project. Subsequently this risk assessment is updated as the
details of the project are determined.
Risk assessment of major accidents is to follow recognised
methods for risk assessment.
Risk assessment of the working environment will typically
cover:
- Physical conditions, e.g. indoor work spaces, surroundings,
noise, indoor climate, vibrations and light.
- Ergonomic conditions, e.g. heavy work, monotonous repetitive
work and working posture.
- Psychological conditions, e.g. working hours, time pressure,
monotonous work, influence on work, violence and working
alone.
- Chemical conditions: e.g. working with chemical substances and
materials.
- Biological conditions, e.g. bacteria, vira and fungi. Risk of
accidents, e.g. when operating machines and using hand tools, when
moving about on the installation, in the event of fire or an
explosion.
These types of risk are to be taken into account when planning
new installations and changes to existing installations and must
follow the ALARP principle.
In principle assessments of all other risks can follow the
methods described in the Danish Working Environment Authority’s
guidelines on workplace assessments.
Operation and changes to fixed offshore
installations
The company responsible for operation of the installation is to
assess the health and safety risks of the operation of the
installation and ensure that these are as low as reasonably
practicable.
Risk assessments are to be completed before the installation is
put into operation.
Operation risks are all risks that employees are exposed to from
the time they arrive at the airport or port from which they are
transported to the offshore installation until their return.
These risks include:
- The risks involved in transport by helicopter or ship between
the installation and land, and between offshore installations.
- Risks due to the construction of the installation
- Risks due to the nature of the work and to employees remaining
on the installation in a period where they are off duty
- Risks due to interaction between several offshore
installations, e.g. the combination of mobile drilling rigs and
fixed installations.
The company responsible for operation of the installation must
regularly seek to improve the health and safety level with an
ongoing effort to reduce health and safety risks.
The risk assessment is to be updated when the installation has
undergone significant changes, e.g. the addition of new rigs,
increasing the number of wells, acquisition of new equipment etc.
When updating the assessment, the ALARP principle is to be used
taking the new conditions into consideration.
When working on the installation, the employer is to ensure that
the health and safety risks of the work to be carried out have been
identified, assessed and reduced to a level as low as reasonably
practicable before such work is commenced. This can be done by
using a work authorisation system.
Operation and changes to mobile offshore
installations
The company responsible for operation of the installation is to
assess the health and safety risks of the operation of the
installation and ensure that these are as low as reasonably
practicable. Risk assessments are to be completed before the
installation is put into operation.
Risk assessment of mobile offshore installations can be prepared
in accordance with “International Guidelines of Drilling
Contractors, Health, Safety and Environmental Case (Guidelines for
Mobile Offshore Drilling Units)”.
When using a mobile installation, the operator is bound to
ensure that all health and safety risks of the installation and its
working environment are identified and minimised as much as
reasonable practical. Valid certificates issued by the flag state
or a certified classification society on behalf of the flag state
are sufficient documentation that those areas of the installation
covered by the certificate are safe.
In the event of significant changes to the mobile offshore
installation or operating conditions of the installation while the
installation is in operation in Danish territory, the risk
assessment is to be updated.
Evacuation analysis
An evacuation analysis is to document that the personnel on an
offshore installation can be evacuated efficiently and effectively
to a safe place in the event of a critical situation.
As a minimum the evacuation analysis is to:
- Describe in which situation evacuation from the offshore
installation would be necessary. (These situations are determined
on the basis of the risk assessment of major accidents.)
- Describe and assess escape paths.
- Describe and assess evacuation options.
- Describe and assess which safe places can be used in the event
of evacuation.
- Assess the risk of not being able to evacuate people to a safe
place and establish that the risk has been reduced to as low a
level as reasonably practicable.