High Value Learning - Facility emergency response capability unexpectedly impacted by power outage

Description of Incident

A power outage occurred after maintenance activities on a safety instrumented system on an offshore oil & gas production facility that inadvertently initiated the highest-level emergency shutdown on the installation. The outage unexpectedly impacted a number of the facilities emergency response systems.

Good Practice Guidance

Consider, does the facility have:

• A functioning and properly maintained evacuation route emergency lighting system which is designed to operate during a loss of normal power and is resilient to executive actions (ESD or abandon platform shutdowns) to loss of containment events during emergency response;
• A functioning and properly maintained internal emergency communication system (e.g. by Public Address (PA) system) that operates during a loss of normal power and is resilient to executive actions (ESD or abandon platform shutdowns) to loss of containment events during emergency response;
• An emergency response plan which addresses the scenario of an unplanned complete loss of power and where operations personnel are trained to execute the plan;
• Written procedures that are practiced by operating personnel for safe re-start following an unplanned loss of normal and emergency power;
• Installed operations critical telecommunications (OCT) equipment which has been reviewed by a competent OCT engineering professional to confirm equipment and systems are fit for purpose for emergency support in accordance with international standards such as SOLAS;
• OCT equipment which is available and functioning on the facility in case of loss of both primary and emergency power;
• Inspection and testing plans of OCT and associated backup power equipment, including batteries and charging systems at facility which have been reviewed and confirmed against OEM maintenance requirements and recommendations.