The safety implications for offshore maintenance of using proprietry management/scheduling software

This report deals with issues relating to the growing use of commercially available software adapted / applied to assist in the management of maintenance activities on offshore production installations. HSE has become aware of potential failings and reliability-related problems regarding the use of this software, and of certain industry-based concerns regarding the automation of maintenance scheduling processes. NEL, in conjunction with its parent TÜV Süddeutschland, undertook a project to investigate these issues for HSE. This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy. ISBN 0 7176 2745 4 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. This report deals with issues relating to the growing use of commercially available software adapted / applied to assist in the management of maintenance activities on offshore production installations. HSE has become aware of potential failings and reliability-related problems regarding the use of this software, and of certain industry-based concerns regarding the automation of maintenance scheduling processes. NEL, in conjunction with its parent TÜV Süddeutschland, undertook a project to investigate these issues for HSE. The primary objective was to establish the types and extent of potential and actual failures arising from the use of the software and other problems associated with the software. A two­ stage approach was used. In the initial phase a review was undertaken of commercially available packages currently in use by offshore industry to identify general issues. In the second phase specific examples were followed up in greater detail by means of case studies. In general it was difficult to schedule both telephone appointments and formal visits, although the contacts were generally helpful when these activities were finally arranged. Both general purpose business software and specific maintenance management / scheduling software are used. Overall, users of both types of package appear to be satisfied that the packages assist them in correctly scheduling maintenance, including that of safety-critical items. However, whilst the packages themselves appear satisfactory, issues such as the integrity of data in databases, confirmation that scheduled maintenance has been correctly carried out and general auditing procedures need to be …