The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has adopted a set of main priorities for 2010 where action will have the biggest impact and which call for special attention. These focus on management, technical and operational barriers, preventing environmental harm and groups particularly exposed to risk.

These areas have been selected as the most pressing of many important tasks on the basis of the PSA's knowledge of and experience with the Norwegian petroleum industry.

As a result of these choices, the authority will devote particular attention during the present year to the following issues.

Management and major accident risk Object: Management at all levels of the industry will work to reduce major accident risk, and ensure that this work is pursued in an integrated manner.

Technical and operational barriers Object: Technical and operational barriers will be maintained in a unified and consistent manner to keep the risk of major accidents as low as possible.

Preventing acute pollution and reducing pollution safely Object: The industry will work purposefully to prevent undesirable incidents which could cause acute emissions/discharges, and ensure that reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are achieved in an acceptable manner.

Groups exposed to risk Object: The risk of injury or illness for particularly exposed groups will be reduced.

These four main priorities all represent an extension of main commitments made by the PSA in 2009, but with some shifts in focus tailored to the challenges it sees today.

The principal targets for the fifth main priority in 2009 - aging and production life extensions - were all met during the year. Further follow-up will be pursued as part of the commitment to technical and operational barriers.

"Safety - status and signals", the PSA's annual report in magazine format, will be published in February. The bulk of its articles this year will deal with the authority's main priorities.

Tags: Petroleum Safety Authority