Magne Ognedal
It’s impossible to inspect quality into the petroleum industry. The latter must itself ensure quality. Magne Ognedal, Director General, Petroleum Safety Authority Norway
More thoughts from Magne:
Understanding risk is central here. We must all recognise first and foremost that the petroleum industry involves risk – just like any other activity.
However, accepting risk does not mean accepting accidents, he emphasises. “Quite the contrary. But we must constantly remind ourselves that accidents have happened – and can happen again.
“The risk of a major accident is present, in Norway and in all other nations with an oil and gas industry. This means that incidents will occur.
“Risk must accordingly be managed, with clear management responsibility, at every level and in every company which participates in the industry.”
Preventive measures can be a challenge, Mr Ognedal concedes, because they require that action is taken – often at a cost – without a disaster or other accident having occurred.
“However, history offers many examples where extensive measures are adopted after disasters. Companies in the petroleum business should consciously ask whether it would not be far better to have an established system which means that preventive measures based on learning, new technology and so forth are implemented, in order to be able to prevent accidents and disasters.
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