Fire Hazards Caused by Equipment Used in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations: Prescriptive vs. Goal-Oriented Legislation
This article offers a concise overview of the best practices for safety in offshore oil and gas operations, focusing on the risks associated with various types of equipment, particularly on the risk of fire. It identifies specific machinery and systems that could pose hazards, assesses their potenti...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Fire |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/8/1/29 |
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| author | Dejan Brkić |
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| author_sort | Dejan Brkić |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article offers a concise overview of the best practices for safety in offshore oil and gas operations, focusing on the risks associated with various types of equipment, particularly on the risk of fire. It identifies specific machinery and systems that could pose hazards, assesses their potential impact on safety, and explores conditions that may lead to accidents. Some of the largest accidents were analyzed for their associations with fire hazards and specific equipment. Two primary regulatory approaches to offshore safety are examined: the prescriptive approach in the United States (US) and the goal-oriented approach in Europe. The prescriptive approach mandates strict compliance with specific regulations, while in the goal-oriented approach a failure to adhere to recognized best practices can result in legal accountability for negligence, especially concerning human life and environmental protection. This article also reviews achievements in safety through the efforts of regulatory authorities, industry collaborations, technical standards, and risk assessments, with particular attention given to the status of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs). Contrary to common belief, the most frequent types of accidents are not those involving a fire/explosion caused by the failure of the Blowout Preventer (BOP) after a well problem has already started. Following analysis, it can be concluded that the most frequent type of accident typically occurs without fire and is due to material fatigue. This can result in the collapse of the facility, capsizing of the platform, and loss of buoyancy of mobile units, particularly in bad weather or during towing operations. It cannot be concluded that accidents can be more efficiently prevented under a specific type of safety regime, whether prescriptive or goal-oriented. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f206a721537d489a9b82c21a0e92e3a5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2571-6255 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fire |
| spelling | doaj-art-f206a721537d489a9b82c21a0e92e3a52025-01-24T13:32:21ZengMDPI AGFire2571-62552025-01-01812910.3390/fire8010029Fire Hazards Caused by Equipment Used in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations: Prescriptive vs. Goal-Oriented LegislationDejan Brkić0Faculty of Electronic Engineering, University of Niš, 18000 Niš, SerbiaThis article offers a concise overview of the best practices for safety in offshore oil and gas operations, focusing on the risks associated with various types of equipment, particularly on the risk of fire. It identifies specific machinery and systems that could pose hazards, assesses their potential impact on safety, and explores conditions that may lead to accidents. Some of the largest accidents were analyzed for their associations with fire hazards and specific equipment. Two primary regulatory approaches to offshore safety are examined: the prescriptive approach in the United States (US) and the goal-oriented approach in Europe. The prescriptive approach mandates strict compliance with specific regulations, while in the goal-oriented approach a failure to adhere to recognized best practices can result in legal accountability for negligence, especially concerning human life and environmental protection. This article also reviews achievements in safety through the efforts of regulatory authorities, industry collaborations, technical standards, and risk assessments, with particular attention given to the status of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs). Contrary to common belief, the most frequent types of accidents are not those involving a fire/explosion caused by the failure of the Blowout Preventer (BOP) after a well problem has already started. Following analysis, it can be concluded that the most frequent type of accident typically occurs without fire and is due to material fatigue. This can result in the collapse of the facility, capsizing of the platform, and loss of buoyancy of mobile units, particularly in bad weather or during towing operations. It cannot be concluded that accidents can be more efficiently prevented under a specific type of safety regime, whether prescriptive or goal-oriented.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/8/1/29offshore safetyoil and gas industrydrilling technologyfire protectionmarine pollutionsafety regulations |
| spellingShingle | Dejan Brkić Fire Hazards Caused by Equipment Used in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations: Prescriptive vs. Goal-Oriented Legislation Fire offshore safety oil and gas industry drilling technology fire protection marine pollution safety regulations |
| title | Fire Hazards Caused by Equipment Used in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations: Prescriptive vs. Goal-Oriented Legislation |
| title_full | Fire Hazards Caused by Equipment Used in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations: Prescriptive vs. Goal-Oriented Legislation |
| title_fullStr | Fire Hazards Caused by Equipment Used in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations: Prescriptive vs. Goal-Oriented Legislation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fire Hazards Caused by Equipment Used in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations: Prescriptive vs. Goal-Oriented Legislation |
| title_short | Fire Hazards Caused by Equipment Used in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations: Prescriptive vs. Goal-Oriented Legislation |
| title_sort | fire hazards caused by equipment used in offshore oil and gas operations prescriptive vs goal oriented legislation |
| topic | offshore safety oil and gas industry drilling technology fire protection marine pollution safety regulations |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/8/1/29 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dejanbrkic firehazardscausedbyequipmentusedinoffshoreoilandgasoperationsprescriptivevsgoalorientedlegislation |