Safety Alert
Functional safety in the Australian offshore petroleum industry
Functional safety in the Australian offshore petroleum industry
- NOPSEMA
- Safety Alert
- Control of WorkMachinery and EquipmentProcess Safety
- Functional safetyRegulation and legislationRisk management
- Functional testingRisk assessmentSafety-case assurance
- Upstream oil and gas
Summary
This technical bulletin explains functional safety risks in programmable and software-based control systems used in Australian offshore petroleum operations. It discusses software design faults, limitations of exhaustive testing, duty-holder obligations and Safety Case demonstrations. Standards-based hazard assessment, validation and ongoing testing are presented as recommended approaches, with equally effective alternatives permitted.
Classifications: Functional safety; safety instrumented systems; SIS.
Classifications: Regulation and legislation; safety legislation; regulatory requirements.
Classifications: Risk management; risk evaluation.
Classifications: Functional testing; function test.
Classifications: Risk assessment; hazard assessment.
Classifications: Safety-case assurance.
Classifications: Upstream oil and gas; oil and gas extraction; upstream petroleum.
Summary
The bulletin provides detailed guidance on managing risks arising from programmable and software-based safety-related control systems.
Themes: control of work, machinery and equipment, process safety.