Ageing platforms require altered maintenance and inspection practices. Some risks become more serious with age, while other maintenance needs may be reduced with lower production volume, pressures, etc.

Safety management is one of the areas challenged by the changes. As an example, new, slimmer organisations may have to revise their way of securing safety and emergency preparedness. At the same time, personnel motivation has to be maintained. Technically, the facilities may suffer from deteriorating safety systems. Many of these ageing effects have been underestimated in inspection and maintenance. Under the severe cost restrictions often present in this phase, traditional upgrading methods are often challenged. Still, the focus on safety is persistent, both from operators, regulating authorities, employee associations and the society at large.

We assist companies to stay on top of these issues by establishing an approach that spans risk management for all types of changes required. Included in the approach are methods for establishing the actual safety condition of the mature facility, integrated with the remainder of the risk management system. Decision criteria have to be established up front, made known to all parties and consistently applied. Organisational questions will also have to be covered, including any required changes of organisational functions. The handling of risk has to be transparent to all parties involved and a programme introduced to handle the people issues involved in creating new and streamlined organisations.