The identification and analysis of safety critical elements in safety management of oil and gas fields

Safety Critical Elements (SCE) are defined as the installations whose failure will cause a major accident or contribute substantially to a major accident, or the installations which can prevent, or limit the consequences of a major accident[1]. By using technological and management methods, and by checking all the SCE in a system, the risk can be reduced significantly and the safety performance can be improved effectively. The use of dangerous materials in oil and gas fields means that the installations in a system are complex processes, increasing the level of risk in oil and gas fields to more than in other industries. Methods based on safety critical elements can help to identify critical installations in the area of safety management rapidly and systematically. With adequate training of managers and operators, safety in the production of the oil and gas can be assured. Compared to other methods of safety management, the use of SCE is more pertinent, its systematicness is more complete, which can enhance the improvement of safety management.