The Norwegian approach to safety in the offshore petroleum activity

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is the agency vested with the task of supervising offshore licensees' performance with regard to regulatory compliance. The strategy has developed towards system-oriented supervision, with emphasis on the decision-making processes within the responsible companies. The NPD safety regulations are expressed in terms of goal-setting requirements, thus focusing on the purpose of the requirement rather than specifying the technical solution. Risk analyses are important parts of the decision-making process. The NPD has issued regulations concerning risk analyses, which require the licensee to establish safety goals and acceptance criteria, to carry out a systematic identification of relevant risks, and to ensure that adequate measures are taken to minimize risks, as an integrated part of the decision-making system. (author)