How can indicators be used to provide early warnings of major accidents in the petroleum industry?

Abstract

AbstractTo avoid accidents and unwanted events, monitoring of accident risk, especially the accumulation of risk factors, is an important part of overall risk management. One of the more useful methods for monitoring risk is using a set of major accident indicators that can provide early warnings. For the successful use of indicators the following criteria must be fulfilled. If one of the criteria is not fulfilled, then the indicator will not help the company improve safety and will not increase the chance of avoiding potential future accidents.-The structure and safety climate within the organization must be of a certain character that enables the operators and managers willing to listen to the potential early warnings to act upon the given warnings.-The validity of the design of the indicators, combined with the reliability of data gathering, must be of a sufficient quality that enables the indicator to register the potential early warning.-The combinations and structure in the indicators set and indicator models must be of a quality that ensures that it reflects the real system it is meant to monitor and must be visualized in a manner that enables the operators and manager to comprehend the early warning.