Comparison of application of HSE in Offshore Oil and Gas by producing schedule

The exploitation of offshore hydrocarbon resources in often hostile environments is, by its very nature, a hazardous activity with the potential to cost lives and cause environmental damage. In a society which values the economic and social benefits of the product of that activity, it will fall to the industry and the regulatory authorities to ensure an acceptable balance between the risks and rewards it presents. From its analysis of theexisting UK framework and the information it gleanedfrom its discussion with those directly involved in the sector from both an operational and regulatoryperspective, the Review Panel was reassured that the UK regime already incorporates a number of positive, key features which were not present in the US at the time of the Macondo incident. At a high level, the Panel notes and commends in particular: • The UK’s goal-setting safety regime and its ability to foster innovation and continuous improvement in process integrity, • The strength of the mechanisms in place forindependent, third party verification in the crucial areas of well design and integrity of safety critical equipment, • The rigour with which the potential environmental impacts of the industry are examined and of the controls and procedures in place to mitigate them, • The detailed and comprehensive emergency response framework which exists for managing the consequences of incidents should they occur,