Applied risk control for oil spills

To be effective, risk control requires scientific, engineering, technological, and managerial expertise. The latter discipline is frequently overlooked. This is ironic because it is the managerial factor that truly establishes a result-oriented program. A new concept has recently been developed and successfully carried out that stresses management of risk control function. This concept steps ahead of traditional methods and answers two important questions: What is the necessary level of control for your organization? How can that level of control be economically attained?

It is important to have an understanding of an organization's error exposures and existing control over these exposures before any effective program can be carried out. Only when the exposure/control relationship is known can potential incident causes be identified in time to take corrective action. The combination of these three principles is the basis for this program.

Effective management of the risk control function requires recognition of the control/exposure relationship,subsequent prediction of future incident trends and appropriate action based on these predictions. The numerous forces exerting an influence on the control/exposure relationship are summarized in four factors: resistance, operational, motivational, and historical.

Quantification of these factors leads to the determination of the risk control performance index for the operation. Comparison of this index to past incident trends will permit prediction of future incident and loss trends. With this understanding, an action plan containing sound, well-directed risk control procedures and practices can be developed and carried out, greatly assisting in the prevention of future oil spills.