The use of safety audits

It is now widely recognized that implementation of an effective safety policy must include arrangements for auditing and feedback to the policy maker. In the E and P industry safety audits should cover the whole range of activities, from exploration to production, and including the specialist contractors widely employed. Audit schemes can be developed internally, or purchased as a package. In this paper, the development of a comprehensive audit policy is described, and a range of audit techniques are reviewed. The use of these techniques is described with special reference to drilling, diving and offshore construction in the UK sector of the North Sea