A Safety, Health and Environmental Management System (SHEMS) Approach to Capital Projects
Authors: Vandermolen S.J. , Cella E.P. 
Published: October 2008

This paper will present the Safety, Health and Environmental Management System (SHEMS) designed for the BP Amoco Amherstia Field Offshore Development Project, Trinidad. This SHEMS is a tool that formalizes capital project safety, health and environmental (SH&E) expectations, processes, procedures, and programs. In addition, this SHEMS provides a mechanism for achieving compliance, continuous improvement and integration of SH&E issues into business planning, engineering design, procurement, and construction.

This paper also provides a description of how this SHEMS links to the operating company (Amoco Energy Company of Trinidad and Tobago) SH&E management systems for the operations and drilling phases of the project. In addition, the benefits, and challenges associated with using the SHEMS approach are presented. This paper concludes with a discussion of results realized on the Amherstia Project and how this SHEMS may serve as a template for future capital projects.

Introduction

Achieving "World Class Safety Standards" was determined to be the most important success factor for the BP Amoco Amherstia Field Offshore Development Project (Amherstia Project or Project). The project will be considered a success in achieving this criteria if 1) "World Class" SH&E processes are employed, and 2) the combined BP Amoco and Contractor safety scorecard meets the established safety targets.

In order to set targets and ultimately achieve "World Class Safety Standards", the Amherstia Project team first had to define "World Class Safety". Following extensive analysis of capital projects and peer companies demonstrating safety excellence, it was determined that "World Class Safety" means living the philosophy that all accidents are preventable.

The Project's analysis revealed that World Class Safety organizations demonstrate the following characteristics:Management is committed to safety excellence - this is actively demonstrated and expectations are consistent.Line Management is accountable for safety.Safety is everyone's responsibility.Safety is managed just as other aspects of business are managed.The safety program is behavioral based, proactive and continuously improving. The Amherstia Project team concluded that if these characteristics are demonstrated continuously throughout the project that "World Class Safety Standards" are achievable.

The Amherstia Project team also discovered that to achieve "World Class Safety" it was not a simple matter of completing a list of tasks. Instead, there is a multitude of tasks that the Project must do well and do consistently in order to achieve safety excellence. These tasks are both numerous and diverse including such activities as Contractor SH&E pre-qualification audits, safety training, design and construction risk analysis, routine SH&E inspections, and incident analysis. In order to effectively plan, perform, measure and improve such a numerous and diverse list of tasks, a systematic approach is critical.

The systematic approach developed to manage SH&E issues for the Project is documented in the Safety, Health and Environmental Management System (SHEMS). A systematic approach is also in keeping with the Corporate policy of utilizing management systems to continuously improve SH&E performance.

The SHEMS is a tool which 1) formalizes SH&E expectations, processes, procedures, and programs, and 2) provides a mechanism for achieving compliance, continuous improvement and integration of SH&E issues into business planning, engineering, procurement a