what is a safety case? - Wind Energy Network

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RISK MANAGEMENT
RISK MANAGEMENT
Safety Cases
You either love’em
or hate’em!
...but implement them effectively and everyone will come to love them
‘Safety Cases’ well and truly divide opinion. Some see them as an isolated exercise
of complex analysis and written work that does not reflect the real world. Others
see them as a large pile of documents produced to get somebody off their back
before they sit on a shelf gathering dust. Whilst regrettably there is evidence to
justify these views, the more informed recognise that a Safety Case approach
is an excellent way of ensuring projects are conceived and executed safely and
ultimately provide the written demonstration that your plant, facility etc. is safe. But
they are not just about the ‘now’. They provide a framework and focus for ensuring
safety throughout the project life-cycle. They provide assurance that everything is
and will continue to be safe!
But is a Safety Case approach relevant and appropriate for the wind industry For the
majority of onshore wind farms in remote, rural locations, the answer is most likely to
be ‘no’. The potential risk to people, assets etc. can be readily discounted through
observation and judgment without the need for an ultimate Safety Case. For offshore
wind farms the situation is quite different. Managing offshore assets, and in particular
getting people on and off safely, presents a number of significant challenges and risks.
Also, similarities with offshore oil and gas facilities presents inevitable parallels with an
established Safety Case culture.
Risktec concludes its series of articles on risk management by providing a series of tips
on how to develop a Safety Case for an offshore wind farm, building on the principles,
tools and techniques and proportionate approach discussed in previous issues.
What is a Safety Case
Safety Cases are detailed documents demonstrating that facilities are
designed, constructed, commissioned, operated and decommissioned in
such a way as to minimise risks to personnel, the public and, for HSE cases,
the environment. They;
• Demonstrate to management and employees, investors, contractors and,
where relevant, the Regulator and/or the Public that adequate controls are in
place to ensure that the major HSE risks arising from a particular operation are
both tolerable and reduced to as low as reasonably practicable [ALARP].
• Provide a reference point for everyone involved with facility operations to define
the requirements for effective control of Safety issues.
Imagine giving someone a document on their first day working at your facility.
It describes the facility, operations and processes very clearly. It identifies the
potential risks and provides appropriate, proportionate arguments and evidence to
demonstrate that they have been reduced ALARP, referencing more detailed studies
and defines what needs to be done to maintain this position. They find it easy to read
and continuously refer to it as they get up-to-speed in their new role. This represents
a good Safety Case!
1) A Safety Case is not just
about the destination, it’s about
the journey too!
Whilst a Safety Case is the written
demonstration of why a plant, facility
etc. is safe, it should not be seen as a
retrospective justification and certainly not
a piece of creative writing to ‘get away
with’ an inadequate solution. A truly safe
outcome can only be achieved by fully
integrating design and safety assurance
activities. The documentation of this
process is arguably the most important
element of a Safety Case. That is why it
is called a Safety Case ‘approach’; you
build and develop the Safety Case as the
project progresses.
2) Don’t re-invent the wheel;
look to other Industries
Safety Cases have been around a long
time in other industries; particularly
Nuclear Power and Oil & Gas. A huge
amount of time and effort has gone into
developing these approaches. Use this
to your advantage. Cherry-pick the best
bits for your offshore wind farm Safety
Case. This does not need to be limited to
the overall approach and structure. Use
and adapt their tools and techniques to
build your case; the ‘Bow-Tie’ technique
pioneered in the Oil & Gas Industry [see
Dec’12/Jan’13 issue] and the ‘Claims,
Arguments & Evidence’ approach used
in the Nuclear Industry [see Figure 1] are
two good examples.
Figure 1; Example use of ‘Claims, Arguments, Evidence’ approach to justify Integrity of Offshore Wind Turbine foundation
3) Proportionality is key!
The level of detail, analysis etc. you
present in your Safety Case must always
be proportionate to the associated risk.
Too little and your Safety Case will be
inadequate. Too much and you’ll waste
valuable time, effort and resources and
degrade the perceived value of the
exercise. This is particularly important
when cherry-picking tools and techniques
from higher hazard industries. As such,
Safety Cases can be large and complex
for say a nuclear installation [complex and
highly hazardous] or be very brief and
simple for less complex, less hazardous
facilities such as wind farms.
4) Understand the scope of your
Safety Case
You must be clear on what plant,
operations etc. your Safety Case is
covering. Whilst clearly it will cover
the wind turbines, it is unlikely to
cover the onshore substation or
access vessels as these will likely be
operated by others. That said, it must
dove-tail with the safety justification for
these to ensure all interfaces are fully
understood and mutually achieved.
5) Involve all Stakeholders
You must involve all stakeholders to
ensure that the above interfaces are
adequately managed. Involving people
with hands-on experience in all aspects
of the design and operation of a wind
farm is critical. They know what goes on
in the real world! They will bring valuable
experiences from other projects which will
help make your Safety Case more robust.
A major benefit of a Safety Case approach
is the sharing of knowledge, experience
and best practice along the journey.
6) Safety Case v Occupational
Health and Safety Management
System [OHSMS]
Your Safety Case doesn’t need to
go back to first principles to ensure/
demonstrate your wind farm is safe.
Your corporate and/or wind farm specific
OHSMS should provide a framework for
safe operations. Rely on your OHSMS
[see Figure 2] and use it to simplify your
Safety Case and ensure a consistent
approach across all your wind farms.
Figure 2; Safety Case and OHSMS
Interfaces
7) A ‘Life-Cycle’ Safety Case
It is important that you identify key Safety
Case milestones at the outset of your
project. How and when are you going to
demonstrate your wind farm has been
designed, constructed, commissioned,
operated and decommissioned safely
Can these milestones be combined What
structure is appropriate for each milestone
8) A Safety Case is no guarantee
of future safety
Once you have written your Safety Case
don’t just stick it on a shelf and rest on
your laurels. Remember, it’s action that
reduces risk, not paperwork! You must
use it to retain focus on safe operations
whilst making sure it is updated to
reflect the evolving nature of the facility.
Also, things inevitably get missed. Don’t
become blinkered to new hazards/risks.
Ensure emergent issues are folded into
the Safety Case as they arise to ensure
they are managed effectively. It must be
a living document that reflects the actual
plant status and mode of operation
otherwise it is worthless. This takes effort
and commitment and must be factored
into your resource plans.
We can’t tell you what a safety case
process should look like for your
organisation because of the diversity
of the industry and the internal
management arrangements within
your organisation. But if you follow the
principles above you’ll end up with a
valuable, proportionate process tailored
to the needs of your organisation that
doesn’t leave a bitter taste in your mouth!
Gareth Ellor
Risktec Solutions Ltd
www.risktec.co.uk
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