Topic
Safety-Performance Measurement
Process/occupational safety indicators and evaluation of performance.
Documents
- 202631 Mar
Offshore Inspection Guide Electrical Power Systems
An inspection guide for assessing electrical power systems and duty holder compliance. It addresses generation, distribution, protection, portable equipment and safe electrical work, with condition-monitoring methods including partial-discharge analysis, thermography and insulating-oil assessment. Performance scoring supports regulatory intervention planning; ATEX equipment is excluded.
- 202631 Mar
Well integrity control measures and performance standards guidance note
Guidance for developing and implementing well operation management plans addresses selection, assessment and assurance of well-integrity controls throughout the lifecycle. It explains links between risk assessment and measurable performance standards, periodic effectiveness reviews, functional testing, procedural assurance, contingency measures and relief-well planning, with quality checks for documented control performance.
- 2026Jan
Near-misses predict future incidents — Process Safety Beacon, January 2026
This bulletin explains how near-misses can reveal weaknesses in process safety systems before serious incidents occur. It places them within Tier 3 process safety metrics and encourages personnel to recognise and report events, understand company definitions, and ask about learning. Collected reports should be analysed for potentially serious trends.
- 2025Dec
Health Safety Insight 2025
Annual review of UK offshore energy health and safety, centred on 2024 performance with historical comparisons. It examines hydrocarbon releases, maintenance backlogs, injury trends, medical assessment outcomes and evacuations, including mental health. Offshore aviation analysis covers fleet utilisation, helicopter safety indicators and the inclusion of wind operations.
- 2025Dec
The Offshore Health Risk Management Inspection Guide
An umbrella inspection guide for assessing offshore dutyholders’ occupational health and industrial hygiene management. It uses a Plan, Do, Check, Act framework to examine strategies, health risk assessments, competence, control effectiveness and review arrangements. Performance descriptors link compliance findings to enforcement expectations and inform future regulatory inspection priorities.
- 202525 Nov
Safety management system guidance note
Guidance on integrating safety management systems with the offshore petroleum safety-case regime. It addresses control effectiveness, workforce competence, work authorisation, change management and continual improvement. Performance standards, monitoring and review underpin assurance, alongside organisational commitment and management of both major accident and occupational risks, including psychosocial hazards.
- 2025Nov
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
An offshore inspection guide for assessing dutyholders’ COSHH arrangements and legal compliance. It uses a Plan, Do, Check, Act framework to examine risk assessments, engineering controls, respirator fit testing, exposure monitoring and health surveillance. Performance descriptors link inspection findings to enforcement expectations and help prioritise future regulatory interventions.
- 2025Nov
Food Hygiene Inspection Guide
An offshore food hygiene inspection guide for regulatory inspectors, linking legal requirements with dutyholder performance ratings and enforcement expectations. Its Plan, Do, Check, Act checklist examines HACCP arrangements, catering facilities, temperature monitoring, cross-contamination, cleaning, maintenance, staff competence and verification of food safety management.
- 2025Nov
Water Management
Inspection guidance for assessing offshore dutyholders’ potable-water arrangements and legionella controls. It covers system-wide risk assessment, written control schemes, hose disinfection, biocide dosing and chemical and microbiological monitoring. Success criteria, performance scoring and enforcement expectations support inspectors’ judgements on legal compliance and occupational health protection.
- 202512 Jun
Diving Guidelines - Diving Safety Management Systems and Diving Project Plans
Guidance for preparing diving safety management systems and project-specific diving plans under OPGGS and OEI regulations. It addresses hazard assessment, operational procedures, competence, maintenance, workforce consultation and change management. Emergency provisions include diving bell rescue and evacuation of saturation divers while maintaining pressure, alongside monitoring, investigation and audit requirements.
- 2025Feb
Process safety leadership findings of Energy Division inspection programme
HSE reports findings from inspections of UKCS production operators’ process safety leadership, using a consistent framework based on the COMAH leadership intervention tool. It examines leadership competence, contractor assurance, cumulative risk, performance indicators and incident learning, identifying weaknesses alongside good practice and recommendations for duty holders.
- 20241 Dec
Ed Offshore Diving Inspection Guide
Guidance for offshore diving inspectors on examining duty holders’ diving arrangements and judging regulatory compliance. It covers pre-visit documentation, offshore inspections and five-yearly diving management reviews, including contractor competence and system assurance. Enforcement expectations and performance scoring support consistent recording of findings and prioritisation of future interventions.
- 2024Jun
Asbestos Management
Inspection guidance for assessing offshore dutyholders’ asbestos management arrangements. It addresses legal duties, management plans, licensed and non-licensed work, training, exposure controls and medical surveillance. Checklists and enforcement benchmarks support compliance assessment and performance scoring, while distinguishing administrative shortcomings from evidence of health risk.
- 202419 Apr
Renewable Energy Modernization Rule
Unofficial prepublication final rule modernising US offshore renewable energy regulation. It addresses leasing, meteorological buoy approvals, deferred geotechnical investigations and financial assurance, alongside independent project verification, commissioning, inspections and safety management reporting. Agency responses explain adopted changes, rejected proposals and continuing environmental review obligations.
- 2024
Annual offshore statistics and regulatory activity report 2024
Official statistics summarise HSE’s offshore regulatory activity and dutyholder performance during 2024, covering inspections, investigations, safety-case assessments and enforcement. The report analyses dangerous occurrences, hydrocarbon releases and reported injuries, explains severity classifications and workforce-based rates, and identifies reporting changes and limitations affecting historical comparisons.
- 202320 Sep
Ionising Radiation
An offshore inspection guide for assessing dutyholders’ management of ionising radiation under IRR17. It covers nucleonic gauges, naturally occurring radioactive material, industrial radiography and well logging, with checks on risk assessment, local rules, training and monitoring. Appendices link compliance criteria to performance ratings and enforcement expectations.
- 2023Apr
Noise and Vibration
Inspection guidance for assessing offshore dutyholders’ management of occupational noise and hand-arm vibration. It combines inspection questions, performance scoring and enforcement expectations with discussion of engineering controls, tool selection, exposure-time management, hearing protection and health surveillance. It distinguishes hearing protection from noise control and addresses sustained regulatory compliance.
- 2023
Annual offshore statistics and regulatory activity report 2023
Official statistics review HSE’s offshore regulatory activity and dutyholder performance during 2023, including inspections, safety-case assessments, enforcement, dangerous occurrences, hydrocarbon releases and reported injuries. The report explains inspection scoring, release classifications and workforce-based injury rates, highlighting provisional data, reporting limitations and restrictions on comparisons with other industries.
- 2022
Annual offshore statistics and regulatory activity report 2022
Official statistics summarise HSE’s offshore regulatory activity and safety performance during 2022, covering inspections, investigations, safety-case assessments, enforcement, dangerous occurrences, hydrocarbon releases and reported injuries. The report explains inspection scoring, release classifications, workforce estimates and reporting changes, including limitations on comparisons with other industries.
- 202113 Jun
Industry safety improvement initiatives
This interim research report summarises an online survey of Australian offshore oil and gas operators’ safety improvement initiatives. It examines safety indicators, personal and process safety training, leadership coaching, culture perception surveys and improvement strategies. Findings are presented descriptively, with open responses summarised by word frequency and further qualitative research planned.
- 202113 Jun
Safety improvement initiatives in the Australian offshore petroleum industry
Descriptive results from a 2017 duty-holder survey examine personal and process safety indicators, training, leadership, culture and error risk management initiatives. Analysis includes 32 responses, with selected comparisons against 2012 findings. The report presents anonymised aggregate data and verbatim free-text responses without interpretive commentary.
- 202128 Jan
The Offshore Audit, Monitoring and Review Inspection Guide
An offshore inspection guide for assessing duty holders’ audit, monitoring and review arrangements for major accident hazards. Templates examine assurance planning, auditor independence, competence, barrier coverage, report quality and closure of findings. It also addresses performance evaluation, organisational learning, regulatory success criteria and inspector judgement when assigning overall scores.
- 2021
Annual offshore statistics and regulatory activity report 2021
Official statistics review HSE’s offshore regulatory activity and dutyholder performance in 2021, with historical comparisons. The report covers inspections, investigations, safety-case assessments, enforcement, hydrocarbon releases, injuries and occupational disease. It explains provisional data, reporting changes and population-based rates, including why offshore injury rates cannot be compared directly with other sectors.
- 202023 Nov
BSEE Establishes Goal to Reduce Lifting Incidents by 50%
BSEE sets a goal of reducing lifting incidents by 50% in 2021 on the Outer Continental Shelf. Drawing on reported incident patterns and human-factor findings, the alert recommends that operators and contractors consider improved pre-work planning, better causal data and rigger training, using SEMS methodology to improve lifting safety performance.
- 2020Oct
Process Safety Fundamentals (IOGP Report 638)
Guidance introduces ten Process Safety Fundamentals for upstream operations, with downstream applicability also proposed. It addresses procedures, barriers, operating limits, isolation, ignition sources, change and unexpected conditions. Implementation guidance emphasises organisational engagement and coaching, supported by analysis of fatal and non-fatal process safety events and discussion of performance indicators.
- 202031 Jul
Safety performance in the offshore renewable energy industry
An IMCA safety flash relays HSE concerns about stalled or potentially declining safety performance in offshore renewable energy. It highlights statutory equipment inspections, training and supervision for newcomers, performance monitoring, realistic scheduling, tested emergency arrangements, fatigue monitoring, and reporting and investigation to prevent recurrence.
- 202021 May
Perception surveys information paper
This information paper examines the limitations of perception surveys for assessing safety culture and predicting safety outcomes in the Australian offshore petroleum industry. It discusses subjective responses, Likert-scale analysis and correlation versus causation, and explains how surveys may contribute to triangulated cultural analysis using observations, interviews and focus groups.
- 20202 Mar
SECE Management and Verification - Version 2 March 2020
An inspection guide for assessing safety and environmental critical element management and verification on offshore installations. It examines barrier identification, performance standards, competence, change management and independent assurance. Detailed criteria address examination sampling, findings closure, scheme reviews, and interfaces with well examination and classification arrangements.
- 2020
Annual offshore statistics and regulatory activity report 2020
Official statistics summarise HSE’s offshore regulatory activity and dutyholder performance in 2020, alongside dangerous occurrences, hydrocarbon releases, injuries and occupational disease. Historical comparisons accompany explanations of reporting changes, provisional data and workforce denominators. The report also describes inspection prioritisation, enforcement and safety-case assessment requirements.
- 2019Dec
RR1154 - Ship/Platform Collision Incident Database (2015) for offshore oil and gas installations
Research report updating UKCS vessel–platform collision records for 1996–2015, with separate analysis of near misses. It compares installation types, vessel categories, damage severity and geographical distributions, using operating-installation counts and statistical confidence intervals. Reported collision trends decline, but under-reporting and incomplete records limit interpretation.
- 201925 Jun
DuPont La Porte Facility Toxic Chemical Release
Investigation of a fatal methyl mercaptan release at DuPont’s La Porte insecticide unit. Four workers died inside the manufacturing building. The report examines hydrate-blocked pipework, drain valves, inadequate safeguards, alarm communication and emergency response, alongside management of change, audit effectiveness, process safety culture and misleading reliance on occupational injury metrics.
- 20182 Mar
Loss of Containment (LoC) - Version 2 March 2018
Inspection guidance for assessing offshore oil and gas duty holders’ containment safeguards. It covers design, commissioning, operating limits, instrumented protection, relief, isolation, reinstatement and change management. Specialist sections address process hazards, FPSOs, tubing and hoses, alongside investigation, performance indicators, assurance and leadership.
- 2017
Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) - Annual Report 2017
This annual report analyses 2017 underground utility damage submissions from the United States and Canada. It examines root causes, excavation patterns and reporting completeness, using consistent-reporter comparisons and Poisson regression to estimate damage totals. Voluntary reporting and unknown entries limit interpretation of trends.
- 2016Oct
Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs in Construction Download
Construction guidance sets out an integrated safety and health programme built around management leadership, worker participation and proactive hazard assessment. It explains control selection, accessible training, incident investigation and performance monitoring, alongside coordination between contractors and staffing agencies. Programme review and worker feedback support continuing improvement as site conditions change.
- 2016Oct
Safety and Health Programs: Recommended Practices
Non-mandatory recommendations set out an integrated workplace safety and health programme centred on management leadership, worker participation and continuous improvement. They cover proactive hazard assessment, control selection, investigation, accessible training and performance evaluation, with specific arrangements for exchanging hazard information and coordinating contractors and staffing agencies.
- 201620 Apr
Macondo Blowout and Explosion
Volume 3 examines human and organisational factors in the Macondo incident, including temporary abandonment, negative-test interpretation and riser gas handling. It analyses barrier assurance, change management, incident learning, process-safety indicators and corporate governance, contrasting written policies with operational practice and proposing improvements to major accident prevention.
- 2016
Beyond Compliance: Strengthening the Safety Culture of the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry
This companion summary examines how the offshore oil and gas industry can strengthen safety culture beyond compliance. It addresses leadership commitment, regulatory frameworks, workforce participation and organisational learning. Culture assessment combines surveys, focus groups and leading and lagging indicators, with emphasis on trust, contextual interpretation and continuing improvement.
- 2016
Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) - Annual Report 2016
Annual analysis of underground utility damage reports from the United States and Canada examines excavation practices, notification, enforcement and reporting completeness. It consolidates duplicate submissions, estimates national damages using regression modelling, and discusses transmission-normalised rates and minimum societal costs. Interactive dashboards support comparisons, with explicit exclusions and limitations.
- 2014
Safe Science: Promoting a Culture of Safety in Academic Chemical Research
This research report examines safety culture in academic chemistry laboratories through incident cases, organisational analysis and experience from other sectors. It addresses leadership, power differences, researcher participation and practical training, recommending integrated hazard analysis, non-punitive reporting and leading indicators rather than reliance on regulatory compliance alone.
- 2013Dec
Managing for health and safety
Guidance for organisational leaders and managers explains an iterative Plan, Do, Check, Act approach to health and safety. It combines proportionate risk assessment with worker involvement, competence, supervision and contractor management, then addresses performance monitoring, incident investigation and review to support continuing improvement.
- 2010Jul
Collision between offshore circuit racing powerboats Sleepwalker and Harwich 2011 with loss of 1 life
MAIB examines a fatal collision between Sleepwalker and Harwich 2011 during powerboat racing in Dover harbour. Video analysis and specialist racing advice supported the investigation. The report discusses hooking, course design, conflicting rules, risk assessment, racer competence, helmet limitations and safety-management oversight, while recognising the effective on-water emergency response.
- 2009Jul
Key Programme 3 - Asset Integrity
HSE reviews UK offshore oil and gas industry progress following KP3, combining sample inspections, industry assessments, hydrocarbon-release analysis and a workforce survey. It examines safety-critical maintenance, verification, leadership and workforce involvement. Remedial improvements are reported, alongside continuing concerns about fabric condition, assurance, significant releases and safety-case consultation.
- 2009Jun
DOE Human Performance Improvement Handbook, Volume 2
This handbook presents illustrative human-performance practices for individuals, teams and managers. It covers task preparation, self-checking, procedure use, communication, verification and handover, alongside organisational assessment, incident investigation and learning. Management tools address latent weaknesses, reporting culture and performance indicators. The practices are not requirements and do not guarantee error-free work.
- 2009
Guidance on management of ageing and thorough reviews of ageing installations [PDF 96KB]
Guidance on incorporating offshore installation ageing into five-yearly safety-case reviews and life-extension assessments. It examines equipment condition, remaining life, inspection and maintenance strategies, structural analysis, competence and performance indicators. It also addresses when changes warrant reassessment of fire and explosion hazards and how to evaluate options for degraded equipment.
- 2008Aug
Measuring process safety performance — Process Safety Beacon, August 2008
This bulletin explains why traditional injury measures do not adequately assess process safety performance. It distinguishes lagging indicators of past outcomes from leading indicators of management activities believed to predict future performance. Workers are encouraged to understand company measures and report relevant process safety incidents and leading indicators.
- 2008Jan
Play your part: how offshore workers help improve health and safety
Guidance on involving offshore workers in health and safety through leadership, consultation, safety representatives and committees. It explains competence development, two-way communication, performance review and workforce participation in safety cases. Company examples and accident case studies illustrate the importance of planning, isolation, handovers and authority to stop unsafe work.
- 200720 Mar
BP Texas City Final Investigation Report
Investigation of the Texas City refinery explosion during raffinate splitter startup examines tower overfilling, atmospheric blowdown discharge and occupied trailer siting. It analyses instrumentation, operator displays, procedures, training and fatigue alongside organisational culture, resource decisions and regulatory oversight. Process reconstruction and blast modelling inform recommendations for stronger process safety management.
- 2007Jan
BP America (Texas City) Refinery Explosion — Report of the BP Independent Refineries Safety Review Panel (Baker Panel Report)
An independent panel assesses corporate oversight, safety culture and process safety management across BP’s five US refineries, rather than investigating the Texas City accident itself. Interviews, workforce surveys, document examination and sampled technical reviews underpin findings on leadership, competence, hazard analysis, inspection backlogs, performance indicators and incident learning, with recommendations for sustained improvement.
- 2006
Developing process safety indicators - A step-by-step guide for chemical and major hazard industries
A six-stage guide to developing process safety performance indicators for major-hazard organisations. It links leading and lagging measures to critical risk control systems, sets tolerances, and addresses reporting and management review. A worked chemical-storage example demonstrates indicator selection and prioritisation.
- 2000
Calendar Year 2000
This MMS report compiles incidents reported from Outer Continental Shelf operations during 2000, covering Gulf of Mexico and Pacific regions. Statistical comparisons accompany category-organised narratives of fires, injuries, well-control losses, collisions and pollution. Case findings examine lifting failures, hot work, equipment condition and work planning, while distinguishing events from incident categories.
- 1999
OCS Report 1999
Statistical compilation of 1999 Outer Continental Shelf incidents in the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific regions, using TIMS records. It compares operational trends and presents case accounts of blowouts, fires, injuries, crane failures, collisions and pollution, including equipment behaviour, investigation findings and emergency responses. Appendices provide historical comparisons.
- 1998
OCS Report 1998
This report compiles 1998 Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas incidents by region and event type, combining case narratives with graphical analysis. Pacific and Gulf of Mexico data cover well-control events, fires, collisions, fatalities, injuries and pollution. Cases examine equipment failures, work procedures and response measures, retaining uncertainty in reported causes.
- 1997
OCS Report 1997
Compiles 1997 Outer Continental Shelf incidents from Pacific and Gulf of Mexico records, combining performance analysis with case narratives covering fires, blowouts, injuries, collisions and pipeline releases. Examines crane failures and lifting accessories, records incident responses and testing, and includes a separate crane review and historical statistical charts.
- 1996
Calendar Year 1995-1996
Regional compilation of Outer Continental Shelf incidents reported for 1995–1996, combining case narratives with graphical summaries. It covers well-control events, collisions, explosions, fires, fatalities, injuries and pollution in the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific regions. Incident types within a single event are counted separately, and some investigations remained pending.
- 197514 Oct
Safety Alert 29 - Unocal Energy Resources Division Unocal Corporation Platform Henry
An award citation recognises Unocal’s production operations on Platform Henry during 1995. It records 14 MMS inspections, with one minor noncompliance detected during a partial inspection and none during the annual inspection. The citation praises regulatory knowledge, platform upkeep and cooperation with inspectors.
- Undated
Creating and Managing a Healthy and Safe Workplace
Employer guidance on organising workplace health and safety under British Columbia requirements. It explains responsibilities, hazard identification, risk assessment and the hierarchy of controls, alongside programme design, inspections, written procedures, training and supervision. Further sections address incident investigations, performance indicators, joint committees, protective equipment and location-specific first aid arrangements.
- Undated
Good practice list
This compilation presents good practices drawn from KP3 inspections, acknowledging uneven adoption and poor sharing across companies. Examples address offshore asset integrity, maintenance planning, safety-critical element assurance, risk assessment and performance monitoring. It also highlights workforce competence, management engagement, defect registers and communication between offshore personnel and onshore technical authorities.
- Undated
Human and organisational factors in well control audit report
This multinational audit examines human and organisational influences on well control across operators, drilling contractors and service companies. Common interview questionnaires assess interfaces, competence, procedures and company coordination. Findings highlight variable bridging documents, limited incident learning and well-control indicators, alongside generally clear displays and assurance of driller shut-in authority.
- Undated
Inspection of Control of Work arrangements
Inspection guidance for assessing offshore control-of-work arrangements through observation of actual practice. It examines hazard assessment, permits, isolation and reinstatement, competence, work coordination and auditing. Case studies and inspection questions illustrate implementation weaknesses, while discussion of electronic systems stresses meaningful hazard identification and effective monitoring rather than reliance on documentation.
- Undated
KP3 handbook
Abbreviated handbook supporting HSE’s KP3 offshore asset integrity programme. It explains pilot projects, inspection methods, maintenance backlog assessment, safety-critical element verification and performance indicators. Programme findings and annexed investigation protocols address integrity deficiencies and hydrocarbon releases, alongside industry collaboration on good practice and integrity management.
- Undated
Macondo Volume 3 Final Report
Volume 3 of the Macondo investigation examines human and organisational factors in temporary abandonment, negative testing and well monitoring. It analyses operator–contractor responsibilities, management of change, incident learning, process safety indicators, board oversight and organisational culture, drawing on earlier incidents and recommending improvements to major-accident prevention.
- Undated
Macondo Volume 4 Final Report
Volume 4 examines US offshore safety regulation after Macondo, comparing it with international regulatory models. It assesses gaps in goal-setting risk reduction, contractor accountability, workforce participation, safety-case assurance and performance indicators. Recommendations address proactive oversight, regulatory competence, funding, independence and worker protection, supported by historical incident comparisons.
- Undated
Maintenance Management
Inspection guidance for assessing maintenance management of offshore topsides equipment, including safety-critical elements and pressure systems. It examines asset registers, inspection programmes, maintenance planning and execution, review of ageing plant, and leadership. Assessment questions address condition monitoring, corrosion management, maintenance deferrals, competence and performance indicators.
- Undated
NASA System Safety Handbook, Volume 2
Guidance for implementing NASA’s system safety framework through Acquirer and Provider roles. It combines integrated safety analysis, probabilistic requirements, safety margins and life-cycle risk management with structured safety cases. Worked examples illustrate reasonably practicable safety decisions, evidence assessment, modelling credibility and independent evaluation of assurance deficits.
- Undated
Process Safety KPI (IOGP Report 456)
Recommended practice for upstream oil and gas companies on establishing process safety indicators. It explains the four-tier framework, containment-loss thresholds, event classification and normalised reporting rates. Guidance covers critical barrier selection, paired leading and lagging indicators, data quality and review, with worked examples and a separate well-control incident classification system.
- Undated
Recommended Practice Rev 02
Consensus recommended practice for developing company dropped object prevention schemes. It addresses risk registers, restricted access zones, competence, human performance, inspection and assurance, equipment selection, reliable securing and tools at height. Supporting registers and checklists cover tubular handling, cargo securement and lifting, alongside maintenance, incident reporting and learning.
- Undated
Safety review of offshore public transport helicopter operations (Version 1, 20 February 2014; publisher status Current)
This review examines offshore helicopter transport supporting oil and gas operations, combining accident and occurrence analysis with documentary research, interviews and independent challenge. It assesses airworthiness, gearbox failures, maintenance, pilot performance, helideck standards and passenger survivability, setting out CAA actions and recommendations on training, flotation, underwater escape and operational restrictions.
- Undated
STPA Handbook
Practical handbook explaining System-Theoretic Process Analysis through loss identification, control-structure modelling, unsafe control actions and causal scenarios. It develops traceable safety constraints and integrates analysis into engineering, workplace safety and organisational design. Further chapters address assumption-based leading indicators, safety management systems and adoption through interdisciplinary teams and hands-on practice.
- Undated
Supervision audit report
A multinational audit examines supervision on North Sea offshore production installations through worksite assessments, interviews and management review. It identifies strengths and challenges in supervisory competence, contractor assurance, staffing, administrative workload and barrier awareness. Appendices provide an inspection toolkit, legislative extracts, literature review and leadership assessment models.