Safety » Safety resources
Safety resources
NOPSEMA has developed a series of advice documents to inform and assist stakeholders to interpret and meet the requirements of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Safety) Regulations 2009 and relevant state legislation where a state or the Northern Territory has conferred regulatory powers and functions to NOPSEMA.
NOPSEMA's advice documents should not be relied on as advice on the law, nor treated as a substitute for legal advice in any relevant situation. NOPSEMA's assessment of a regulatory permissioning document, monitoring and enforcement activities, are undertaken in accordance with the regulations.
NOPSEMA’s advice documents are subject to periodic review and update. Comments and suggestions on the content of any advice documents are welcomed can be directed to information@nopsema.gov.au.
Operator nomination and registration
Policies
Operator nomination, registration and deregistration policy (PDF 165KB)
Guidance notes
Criteria for registration and deregistration guidance note (PDF 151KB)
Replacement of a registered operator for a facility or pipeline guidance note (PDF 135KB)
Vessels subject to the Australian offshore petroleum safety legislation guidance note (PDF 352KB)
Guidelines
Frequently asked questions on operator nomination guideline (PDF 204KB)
Facility definition includes an associated offshore place guideline (PDF 216KB)
Forms
Facility operator nomination form (DOCX 103KB)
Analysis of operator status form (DOCX 92KB)
Removal of existing facility operator from operator register form (DOCX 93KB)
Registers
Register of current operators (PDF 131KB)
Validation
Policies
Guidelines
Validation guideline (PDF 318KB)
Forms
Proposed scope of validation submission cover sheet (DOCX 101KB)
Scope of validation matrix (XLSX 99KB)
Safety case
Policies
Safety case assessment policy (PDF 197KB)
Safety case levies policy (PDF 221KB)
Guidelines
Making submissions to NOPSEMA guideline (PDF 203KB)
Guidance notes
Operational risk assessment guidance note (PDF 457KB)
Safety case guidance notes cross reference guidance note (PDF 168KB)
Vessel facilities subject to external hydrocarbon hazards guidance note (PDF 592KB)
Vessels subject to the Australian offshore petroleum safety legislation guidance note (PDF 352KB)
The safety case in context - an overview of the safety case regime guidance note (PDF 777KB)
Safety case lifecycle management guidance note (PDF 1MB)
Safety case content and level of detail guidance note (PDF 850KB)
Hazard identification guidance note (PDF 662KB)
Supporting safety studies guidance note (PDF 504KB)
Risk assessment guidance note (PDF 631KB)
ALARP guidance note (PDF 545KB)
Control measures and performance standards guidance note (PDF 1018KB)
Safety management systems guidance note (PDF 457KB)
Involving the workforce guidance note (PDF 381KB)
Emergency planning guidance note (PDF 556KB)
Forms
Safety case content concordance table (DOCX 106KB)
Safety case submission cover sheet (DOCX 102KB)
Diving operations
Policies
Diving submission assessment policy (PDF 168KB)
Guidelines
Complying with the diving safety regulations guideline (PDF 1.1MB)
Forms
Diving safety management system submission cover sheet (DOCX 98KB)
Diving safety management system concordance tables (DOCX 104KB)
Diving safety management system concordance tables (DOCX 104KB)
Diving project plan (DPP) concordance table (DOCX 97KB)
Registers
Register of current diving safety management systems and diving project plans (PDF 122KB)
Safety zones
Policies
Safety zone assessment policy. (PDF 202KB)
Guidance notes
Safety zones and the area to be avoided guidance note (PDF 1.7MB)
Forms
Application for a safety zone form (DOCX 91KB)
Application form for consent to enter a Petroleum Safety Zone (DOC 114KB)
Application form for authorisation to enter the area to be avoided (DOC 107KB)
Report of an alleged safety zone infringement (DOCX 104KB)
Application form for a safety zone variation (DOCX 97KB)
Application form to revoke a safety zone (DOCX 93KB)
Application form for entry and presence in a safety zone (DOCX 92KB)
Occupational health
Qualifications of medical personnel on offshore facilities guidance note (PDF 314KB)
Noise exposure standards guidance note (PDF 206KB)
Fatigue avoidance guidance note (PDF 390KB)
Technical reports
From time to time NOPSEMA commissions technical reports from external consultancies. Selected reports are made available here.
Offshore petroleum facility accommodation
Technical Report - Offshore Petroleum Facility Accommodation (PDF 738KB) was prepared by SVT Engineering Consultants for NOPSA in July 2011.
Offshore helicopter operations 2010 update
Report - Offshore helicopter operations 2010 update - April 2010 (PDF 2.6MB) was prepared by HART Aviation Advisors for NOPSA in April 2010.
Investigation into the uncontrolled release of hydrocarbons from the Montara Wellhead Platform on 21 August 2009
The following reports were prepared by Stuart Wright Pte Ltd and are dated 17th February 2012.
Health and safety representatives
Policies
HSR assistance by consultant policy (PDF 171KB)
Guidance notes
Involving the workforce guidance note (PDF 381KB)
Workplace arrangements guidance note (PDF 2.2MB)
Powers of Health & Safety Representatives guidance note (PDF 1.1MB)
Forms
Request for NOPSEMA agreement to HSR assistance by consultant form (DOCX 101KB)
Use of this form is not mandatory, but may be used by HSRs to facilitate the request process.
Handbook
Course outline
Forms
Provisional OHS improvement notice form (DOC 57KB)
Request for NOPSEMA agreement to HSR assistance by consultant form (DOCX 101KB)
Inspections
Policies
OHS planned inspection policy (PDF 186KB)
Guidelines
Role of operator and workforce in planned inspection guideline (PDF 159KB)
Reporting accidents and dangerous occurrences
Guidance notes
Notification and reporting of accidents and dangerous occurrences guidance note (PDF 224KB)
Damage to safety critical equipment guidance note (PDF 223KB)
Guidelines
Deaths and injuries - monthly summary reporting guideline (PDF 224KB)
Forms
Deaths and injuries - monthly summary report form (DOC 148KB)
Report of an accident, dangerous occurrence or environmental incident form (DOCX 127KB)
Determinations
Determination - Reporting of accidents and dangerous occurences - March 2012 (PDF 164KB)
Enforcement
Polices
Enforcement policy (PDF 234KB)
Guidelines
NOPSEMA OHS inspector enforcement decision appeals guideline (PDF 173KB)
Amending the period of notices guideline (PDF 157KB)
Completion of a OHS provisional improvement notice guideline (PDF 172KB)
Forms
Provisional OHS improvement notice form (DOC 57KB)
Other safety resources
Policies
Sharing information with Australian and international agencies policy (PDF 169KB)
Guidance notes
Crane driver competency in the Australian offshore petroleum industry guidance note (PDF 174KB)
Guidelines
Assurance of TEMPSC and associated systems guideline (PDF 205KB)
Information papers
MODU mooring systems in cyclonic conditions information paper (PDF 242KB)
Offshore OHS legislative framework information paper (PDF 61KB)
Reports
Report - Error tolerance in dynamic positioning systems - November 2018 (PDF 291KB)
Interim report - Industry safety improvement initiatives - April 2013 (PDF 382KB)
Regulator articles
2020
The relentless nature of corrosion
Stewarding Australia's offshore assets
Ensuring regulatory effectiveness
Managing risk deep beneath the ocean
Working with your offshore teams
Strengthening relationships with health and safety representatives
Remaining Vigilant: Macondo Legacy and COVID-19 reinforce diverse threats to safety
Verifying oil spill emergency response measures
Supporting the offshore workforce through COVID-19
Training in the time of COVID-19: Delivering offshore health and safety training remotely
NOPSEMA introduces integrated inspections
Managing relationships and response arrangements across borders
2019
Appropriate use of crane design standards
Is safety, or safety collaboration, a competitive advantage?
2018
False alarms during maintenance of safety-critical equipment
Industry's obligations to meet community expectations
Effective frontline hazard identification tools
Effective control of work systems critical to preventing incidents and injuries
Health surveillance: occupational contact dermatitis
2017
How safe organisations can drift into disaster
Good industry practice in the construction of HPHT wells
Verifying safety features of light well intervention systems
DP systems' tolerance to human error: an international collaboration
Work management review following recent incidents
NOPSEMA concerned about misuse of Management of Change
Inspecting and maintaining Ex equipment
Industry good practice for saturation diving
NOPSEMA identifies more loss-of-position incidents
As low as reasonably practicable - guarding against 'reverse ALARP'
Third party certification of safety-critical equipment
Continual improvement of international well integrity standards
Maintenance of well-testing equipment
Significant changes to a facility require validation
Reporting of well incidents - titleholders' performance
Dynamic position control systems must be tolerant to human error
Failure to manage valve locking and car sealing systems
Are you analysing your failure rate data for process safety valves?
Hazardous chemicals information, instruction and training
2016
Chute based emergency evacuation system
Exclusion of major accident events in safety cases
Appropriate medical and first aid services
Critical maintenance for idle rigs
Investigating failures of riser emergency shutdown valves
2015
Thermal and overpressure protection for TEMPSC and muster stations
Risks associated with electric storage batteries
What changes require an operator to revise their safety case?
Demonstrating that risks are ALARP; a key element for safety case acceptance
Safe working load for crane operations
Marking of emergency-use attachment points and lifting equipment
Emergency shut-down and blow-down valve integrity management
Are you sure your lifeboats are ready to go?
Barrier systems for control of Legionella
Note: NOPSEMA's advice documents should not be relied on as advice on the law, nor treated as a substitute for legal advice in any relevant situation. NOPSEMA's assessment, monitoring and enforcement activities are undertaken in accordance with the Regulations. NOPSEMA’s advice documents are subject to periodic review and update. Comments and suggestions on the content of any advice documents are welcomed can be directed to information@nopsema.gov.au.