Factors affecting safety of processes in the Malaysian oil and gas industry

In Malaysia, oil and gas industry is a major contributor to the economy. Offshore plants pose a number of operational hazards. It is important to monitor the operational hazards by using relevant safety indicators for proactive prevention of accidents in the plants. This research aims to identify the most pertinent safety indicators for offshore oil and gas plants. The study is conducted using a questionnaire consisting of safety indicators for offshore operation identified from literature review and consultation with industrial experts. The respondents were required to rate the importance of indicators and the probability of incidents occurring due to failure to observe the indicators. The study shows that emergency management, start-ups and shut down system as well as documentation have the highest importance in safety performance of offshore operation. Incidents or errors are more likely to occur if indicators with higher importance are not observed. The study contributes to understanding and development of the most pertinent health and safety indicators for offshore oil and gas plants. Further study can investigate relation of the indicators to the actual safety performance of offshore oil and gas plants.