THE IPIECA GUIDE TO TIERED PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

ABSTRACT The profile of global oil spill risk is continually changing; as exploration/production activities expand, ship and pipeline transportation patterns alter and new fields are developed that encompass different political, economic and environmental challenges. The Tiered Response Concept was first developed by the oil industry in the 1980s as a means to ensure that appropriate response capabilities were available to deal with oil spills. Recognised since then by government and industry as international best practice, the tiered approach ensures a rapid and effective response can be mounted to events ranging from small operational spillages to worse case scenarios. Building response capabilities calls for careful consideration of the specific risks (probable events and their consequences at specific sites) that prevail in each case. The arrangements and resources that are determined appropriate for the risks faced in one case, may thus be deemed excessive, or inadequate, to deal with those prevailing in another. What a particular tier comprises, and the boundaries between the tiers of preparedness, will be different in each case under consideration. These differences may be slight, or very substantial, depending on what circumstances prevail and the tier level under scrutiny. Over the years, operators and government regulators have sought prescriptive rules to define what constitutes a Tier 1, 2 or Tier 3 capability. To address this, the IPIECA Guide to Tiered Preparedness and Response, originally published in the late 1990s, has recently been substantially updated. Whilst retaining the very same core principles, the new Report provides more guidance and illustration of the way in which tiered preparedness and response may be interpreted and implemented in practice. The scope of application, across marine operations in all sectors of the oil industry, has been embraced, and the issues are set out so that they may apply also to land-based scenarios. This Paper introduces the new IPIECA Report, provides clarity on the key features to be considered in assessing the risks of oil spills, and discusses the factors that may influence how preparedness and response capabilities may be built. It has relevance to all organisations involved in building or regulating oil spill response arrangements.