The Vanguard Archive is our contribution to knowledge shared for the furtherance of safety practices in real-world applications.
Vanguard is committed to participating in international conferences and other forums. Since inception, we have provided technical papers and presentations to conferences, seminars and webinars in multiple countries. Our team members are also encouraged to contribute to technical discussions on LinkedIn and other online venues.
In this way, we wish to give back to the industries in which we work, as well as prompting wider discussion of ideas and technology that may enhance process safety and environmental risk management.
Making the Safety Case Work – Post Macondo and Montara | SPE-158199
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE/APPEA International Conference on Health, Safety, and Environment in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production held in Perth, Australia, 11–13 September 2012. The paper will consider the implementation of the Safety Case in the oil and gas industry in Australia, and internationally, post the Macondo and Montara incidents.
Has the Safety Case Failed? | SPE-134059
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 18–20 October 2010. The paper examines the performance of the oil and gas industry, in particular in Australia and New Zealand, since the introduction of the Safety Case regime. Emphasis is placed on identified project issues and conclusions are drawn related to the current status of the industry, its maturity and its ability to apply the Safety Case regime in the manner required to achieve anticipated results.
Lessons From Our HAZOP Facilitators
Our HAZOP Facilitators have sat through more HAZOPs than they can count, both outside of Vanguard and during their time working with us; chairing them, scribing them, working the design side of the table, and for some, just observing as a fresh graduate. This combined experience is where the real lessons live. So we sat a few of them down and asked what they've learnt from their years of facilitation.
Engineer’s Australia: In Their Own Words
As part of Engineers Australia’s new series, Brendan Fitzgerald and Dr. Raj Kurup presented their own journeys of entrepreneurship.
The Safety Case, Class and FPSO Design
Timely and appropriate safety engineering input to the design of any offshore facility is now crucial in order to ensure that the facility meets regulatory requirements. The safety case process is the driver behind this, but to imagine that this is just a documentary exercise akin to the International Safety Management Code in the Marine industry is very wide of the mark.
The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster
By Theo Chieng & Brendan Fitzgerald First Published on LinkedIn on 28th of January, 2025 “A safety engineer requires knowledge, tact and, at times, more than a little courage”- An operating company management system. Today marks the 39th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, a painful reminder to the world that space travel is never routine. Just Another Launch On the 28th...
What Role Now for Risk Assessment?
By Brendan FitzgeraldFirst Published in Australian Oil & Gas on 14/07/2004A new generation of engineers and operators have entered the Oil & Gas industry since 6 July 1988, when the Piper Alpha platform disaster claimed 167 lives. Those of us who worked through that period and were part of the implementation of the safety case regime that arose from it have a rare opportunity to...