WHAT IS A SAFETY CASE?

A Safety Case is a structured, evidence-backed demonstration that a facility, activity, or system can be operated safely within defined limits, and that the operator understands its major hazards and has effective controls and management systems in place to keep risks as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) (or an equivalent “so far as reasonably practicable” standard).

In most regimes, a Safety Case is a body of claims, arguments, and evidence that links:

• Major accident hazards (what could go wrong),

• Risk assessment (how bad/how likely),

• Controls and performance standards (what prevents/mitigates),

• Safety management system (how controls are maintained),

• Emergency response arrangements,

• Governance, competence, verification, and assurance, and

• Lifecycle upkeep (reviews, revisions, change management).

The process is then iterative in that having established the current risk levels, the safety case process assists the organisation to identify areas of improvement and risk reduction.

This document requires approval from the regulator in the region that the facility will be operating in. In Australia, the offshore regulator is NOPSEMA.

TAILORED GOAL-BASED SAFETY MANAGEMENT

A Safety Case allows each operator to set specific operational goals, and determine the risk profile associated with operational hazards. It demonstrates to personnel, management, stakeholders and regulators that all hazards are adequately managed and that all risks are As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP).

The Safety Case:

• Ensures awareness of all potential hazards
• Defines the Emergency Response System for an organisation
• Demonstrates that potential risks are tolerable
• Provides a central location for all relevant information
• Enables operational verification of safety management processes
• Provides a ‘road map’ for Safety/HSE Management
• Gives a common basis for all audits

FORMAL SAFETY ASSESSMENT (FSA)

The Safety Case is built on an effective process of identifying and assessing the risks to a facility or operation. At the heart of this process is the suite of safety documents called the Formal Safety Assessment (FSA). We can provide Safety Case FSA expertise in:

• Hazard Identification (HAZID)
• Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) Study
• Hazard Register & Bowtie Diagrams
• Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA)
• Safety Integrity Level (SIL) Analysis, Verification and Validation
• Fire and Explosion (FEA) Analysis
• Non-Flammable Hazards Assessment (NFHA)
• Dropped Object Study (DOS)
• Emergency Systems Survivability Analysis (ESSA)
• Escape, Evacuation and Rescue Analysis (EERA)
• Temporary Refuge Impairment Analysis (TRIA)
• Smoke and Gas Ingress Analysis (SGIA)
• Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA)
• As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) Demonstration
• Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPS) Study

VALIDATION & PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

Validation provides assurance that a facility is fit for purpose and fulfills its safety functions. The process of Validation demonstrates to the local safety authority that a facility’s critical systems are consistent with its FSA studies. It is a key precursor to the submission of a Safety Case and is required, in some countries, by the regulatory body.

Vanguard can offer Validation that includes:

• Design review
• Preparation of Performance Standards
• Liaison with 3rd party Validation bodies
• Incorporation of Validation data into Safety Case documentation

For more information about any of our Safety Case services, please contact us, or find out more about our alternate technical safety and risk management services.