An integrated offshore oil spill response decision making approach by human factor analysis and fuzzy preference evaluation

ABSTRACT Oil spill response along the coast of China has been recognized as an important issue by the Chinese government. The Bohai Sea in particular, is an area of high oil exploration and production activity, with offshore developments comprising platforms and FPSO's (floating, production, storage and off-loading) together with associated vessels and pipelines. Major shipping lanes from the East China Sea into China also pass through the offshore oil fields. For the oil companies operating in the area, the prospect of an accidental oil spill is a concern from both a domestic and international perspective. In 2000, the companies involved in upstream activities in the Bohai Sea began discussions with the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) to develop an oil spill response capability. Led by ConocoPhillips, the international oil companies worked with CNOOC to build a framework for developing an oil spill response organization (OSRO) to provide appropriate services within the Bohai Sea. The key tenet for this OSRO, was to be able to perform to international standards. In 2002, the CNOOC executive management, through its subsidiary, Bohai Corporation(COOBC) committed to establishing a commercial oil spill response organization, Bohai Environmental Services Ltd. (BES). The BES remit is focused on the Bohai Sea, but with the eventual goal of providing response services along the wider China coastal region and eventually fulfilling a longer term vision of expanding into the international market. This Paper describes the standards required by the international oil companies and how BES was conceived and organized to meet them.

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METACOGNITIVE DECISION MAKING IN OIL SPILL RESPONSE-BEHAVIORAL BIAS IN RELATION TO PERCEIVED RISK

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2017.1.1453 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 (1) ◽

pp. 1453-1470

Author(s):

LT Christopher M. Kimrey

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Homeland Security ◽

Perceived Risk ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Coast Guard ◽

Sense Making ◽

Self Awareness ◽

Behavioral Bias ◽

Oil Spill Response

ABSTRACT 2017-205 Catastrophic events like Deepwater Horizon, Exxon Valdez, major hurricanes, and other such anomalies have a tendency to overwhelm the initial crisis management leadership due to the chaotic nature of the event. The inability to quickly and accurately make critical assessments about the magnitude and complexity of the emerging catastrophe can spell disaster for crisis managers long before the response ever truly takes shape. This paper argues for the application of metacognitive models for sense and decision-making. Rather than providing tools and checklists as a recipe for success, this paper endeavors to provide awareness of the cognitive processes and heuristics that tend to emerge in crises including major oil spills, making emergency managers aware of their existence and potential impacts. Awareness, we argue, leads to recognition and self-awareness of key behavioral patterns and biases. The skill of metacognition—thinking about thinking—is what we endeavor to build through this work. Using a literature review and cogent application to oil spill response, this paper reviews contemporary theories on metacognition and sense-making, as well as concepts of behavioral bias and risk perception in catastrophic environments. When catastrophe occurs—and history has proven they will—the incident itself and the external pressures of its perceived management arguably emerge simultaneously, but not necessarily in tandem with one another. Previous spills have demonstrated how a mismanaged incident can result in an unwieldy and caustic confluence of external forces. This paper provides an awareness of biases that lead to mismanagement and apply for the first time a summary of concepts of sense-making and metacognition to major oil spill response. The views and ideas expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Coast Guard or Department of Homeland Security.

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Why Sample? - Understanding Common Sampling Objectives for Oil Spill Response

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2017.1.2561 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 (1) ◽

pp. 2561-2580

Author(s):

Angeline Morrow ◽

Christopher Pfeifer ◽

Victoria Broje ◽

Rachel Grunberg

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Alternative Response ◽

Response Options ◽

Worker Health And Safety ◽

Oil Spill Response ◽

Key Aspects ◽

Physical And Chemical

ABSTRACT #2017-204: There is a growing recognition of the role science plays in supporting oil spill response coupled with increasing reliance on data-driven management and decision-making approaches. Collecting samples for analysis of hydrocarbons and other chemicals potentially used during oil spill response (e.g., dispersants) has become common place on many spills. While the rationale and approaches for oil spill sampling may be well known to experienced chemists and environmental scientists, the response community is still gaining experience in integrating sampling programs into dynamic oil spill response and decision-making. This paper reviews common sampling objectives for three key aspects of spill response: operational decision-support, environmental impact assessment (including natural resource damage assessment), and source identification. These broad categories span a range of interrelated sub-topics including, among others, public/worker health and safety; understanding how physical and chemical properties of oil influence selection of response options; monitoring cleanup effectiveness, especially for alternative response technologies such as dispersants; identifying and differentiating between spill and non-spill pollution sources; and evaluating potential impacts to resources at risk. Methods for achieving sampling objectives, including development of Sampling and Analysis Plans, are discussed with the goal of increasing awareness among response managers and improving response capability among staff who may be tasked with sampling support during training exercises or actual incidents. Relevant considerations for study design, collection methods, and analytical parameters are also reviewed.

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The Multi-Partner Research Initiative: A Scientific Research Network to Support Decision Making in Oil Spill Response

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2021.1.686245 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kenneth Lee

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles ◽

Coast Guard ◽

Research Network ◽

Alternative Response ◽

Essential Information ◽

Research Initiative ◽

Oil Spill Response ◽

Partner Research

ABSTRACT The Government of Canada's Oceans Protection Plan (OPP) is a comprehensive, transformative $1.5 billion strategy to build a world-leading marine safety system to protect marine ecosystems, while enabling inclusive economic growth. A key component of the OPP is the Multi-Partner Research Initiative (MPRI), led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in collaboration with other federal agencies (Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Coast Guard, Natural Resources Canada, and Transport Canada), that aims to advance oil spill research by fostering a national/international research network that brings together scientific experts in the field. The core studies under this program are focused on the provision of scientific knowledge to support the development, validation and regulatory approval of Alternative Response Measures (ARMs) that include: spill treating agents, in situ burning, oil translocation and decanting/oily waste disposal. Additional research includes studies on key “cross-cutting” issues, such as natural attenuation and bioremediation of oil, assessment of toxic impacts associated with oil spills and the application of oil spill countermeasures, and oil detection and mapping by autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The deliverables from this research program will provide essential information to support Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) for decision making to select the optimal oil spill response option(s) to protect the marine environment and its living resources. With an emphasis on supporting the development of the next generation of scientists in the field through engagement with the private sector (i.e., spill response organizations and oil industry partners) and other international (e.g., USA, Norway, France, Australia, China) government agencies, MPRI is anticipated to have a profound influence on the oil spill research community and emergency response agencies within Canada and abroad.

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Integrated Accident Model for Marine Convoy Traffic in Ice-Covered Waters

10.3940/rina.2020.a2.599 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 162 (A2) ◽

Author(s):

B Khan ◽

F Khan ◽

B Veitch

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Decision Making ◽

Sensitivity Analysis ◽

Factor Analysis ◽

Significant Influence ◽

Risk Taking ◽

Human Factor ◽

Additional Risk ◽

Safe Navigation ◽

Accident Probabilities

Independent safe navigation in ice-covered water is difficult. Icebreaker assistance is required for sailing through ice- covered waters. This poses an additional risk of collision. The study proposes a modified Human Factor Analysis and Classification (HFACS) framework to identify and classify contributing risk factors during a convoy. HFACS integration with Nagel-Schrekenberg (NaSch) model considers an operator’s behaviour and links it with the occurrence of various risk factors. The study finds significant influence in risk from small changes in two new factors, viz., crew reduction and crew overload. For example, based on the sensitivity analysis, it is determined that about a 17% contribution of crew reduction and about a 24% of contribution of crew overload increase the contribution of risk taking by an amount of approximately 93% in the overall risk of accidents. The accident probabilities obtained here will be helpful in decision making concerning safe operations during a convoy.

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INTEGRATED ACCIDENT MODEL FOR MARINE CONVOY TRAFFIC IN ICE- COVERED WATERS

The International Journal of Maritime Engineering ◽

10.5750/ijme.v162ia2.1129 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 162 (A2) ◽

Author(s):

B Khan ◽

F Khan ◽

B Veitch

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Decision Making ◽

Sensitivity Analysis ◽

Factor Analysis ◽

Significant Influence ◽

Risk Taking ◽

Human Factor ◽

Additional Risk ◽

Safe Navigation ◽

Accident Probabilities

Independent safe navigation in ice-covered water is difficult. Icebreaker assistance is required for sailing through ice- covered waters. This poses an additional risk of collision. The study proposes a modified Human Factor Analysis and Classification (HFACS) framework to identify and classify contributing risk factors during a convoy. HFACS integration with Nagel-Schrekenberg (NaSch) model considers an operator’s behaviour and links it with the occurrence of various risk factors. The study finds significant influence in risk from small changes in two new factors, viz., crew reduction and crew overload. For example, based on the sensitivity analysis, it is determined that about a 17% contribution of crew reduction and about a 24% of contribution of crew overload increase the contribution of risk taking by an amount of approximately 93% in the overall risk of accidents. The accident probabilities obtained here will be helpful in decision making concerning safe operations during a convoy.

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Proving Dispersants Work

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-1999-1-1007 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 1999 (1) ◽

pp. 1007-1010 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Paul M. Gugg ◽

Charles B. Henry ◽

Todd Bridgeman ◽

Stephan P. Glenn ◽

Gregory W. Buie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Column ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Droplet Formation ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Front Line ◽

Case Histories ◽

Small Droplet ◽

Oil Spill Response ◽

Response Decision ◽

Monitoring Protocols

ABSTRACT Growing acceptance of dispersants as a front line oil spill response tool is due in large part to the availability of reliable scientific effectiveness measurements. This paper examines the procedures known as Specialized Monitoring of Advanced Response Technologies (SMART) that determine if dispersant chemicals are having the desired effect of causing small droplet formation and dispersal in the water column. Response decision makers will benefit from the discussion of monitoring protocols, the visual and empirical indicators of dispersion, and the equipment used to derive this data. Proof of SMART feasibility and utility is provided in the form of case histories, data, and photographs from recent exercises and two actual dispersant response operations.

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Spill Response Decision-Making in Relation to Wildlife Resources and Oil Spill Applied Technologies

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2003-1-311 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 2003 (1) ◽

pp. 311-318

Author(s):

Debra Scholz ◽

Steven R. Warren ◽

Heidi Stout ◽

Gregory Hogue ◽

Ann Hayward Walker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Oil Spill ◽

The United States ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Limited Experience ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Us ◽

Oil Spill Response ◽

National Marine Fisheries Service ◽

Spilled Oil

ABSTRACT During a response to spilled oil or hazardous material, the protection, retrieval, and rehabilitation of affected wildlife is the jurisdiction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the US Department of Interior (DOI), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the affected state resource trustees. Only permitted and trained individuals (Qualified Wildlife Responders - QWR) are allowed to directly handle the affected wildlife. QWRs are familiar with a wide range of actions that can be taken to minimize the adverse effects of spilled oil on fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. However, decision-makers and QWRs are not always familiar with the effects that various oil spill products and technologies may have on different wildlife resources. Applied oil spill products and technologies are listed under the National Contingency Plan (NCP) Product Schedule (40 CFR § 300.317) and are the focus of the Selection Guide for Oil Spill Applied Technologies. These applied oil spill products and technologies are relatively unknown and most decision-makers have limited experience in their use. To facilitate greater understanding of these products and technologies, the Selection Guide assists the decision-maker to evaluate the various spill response products and technologies for potential or suspected impacts to the environment, workers, and natural resources. Of particular interest is the evaluation of the use of various oil spill response

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