Introduction
The programme “Professional Mini-Master's in Security and Safety in the Oil and Gas Sector” develops professional practice in Mini Professional Master Programmes. It connects the subject with workplace challenges by examining existing evidence and practices and choosing methods appropriate to the organization and its available resources.
The learning progresses from process safety, barriers, and management of change to risk assessment, controls, and response, with practical work on occupational safety, risk assessment, and prevention, the oil and gas value chain and operations, crisis management, communication, and response. Participants prepare outputs to support workplace application and review the quality and results of implementation.
Learning objectives
- Analyze an operational hazard scenario and review barriers and change control responsibilities in an application related to “Professional Mini-Master's in Security and Safety in the Oil and Gas Sector”.
- Prepare a work risk assessment and prevention and response plan based on the hierarchy of controls.
- Analyze an oil and gas value chain process and connect performance to reliability and safety.
- Prepare a crisis response and communication plan covering roles, messages, and escalation.
- Prepare a risk register connecting causes, consequences, controls, and treatment responsibilities.
Learning areas
1. Process Safety, Barriers, and Management of Change
- Identify sources of hazardous materials and energy and process boundaries, distinguishing process safety from individual occupational safety in the case presented.
- Analyze the sequence, causes, and consequences of a hazardous event, and identify preventive and mitigating barriers and evidence for verifying their readiness.
- Review work permits, isolation, and coordination among parties under facility procedures, and identify hold points requiring specialist approval.
- Prepare a change request identifying its rationale, risks, and effects on documents, training, and emergencies, with technical review before implementation.
- Conduct a tabletop exercise involving a hypothetical barrier failure or leak, and document escalation and response actions, lessons, and the subsequent verification plan. The application examines a case related to “Professional Mini-Master's in Security and Safety in the Oil and Gas Sector”.
2. Occupational Safety, Risk Assessment, and Prevention
- Identify task hazards, exposed people, and site conditions, gathering information from observations, records, and equipment instructions.
- Estimate the risk level and select appropriate controls from elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment.
- Review work procedures, permits, isolation, communication, and supervision according to the task, and define responsibility for stopping unsafe work.
- Analyze an incident or near miss using facts and evidence, examining systemic causes and failed controls beyond blaming individuals.
- Prepare a tabletop emergency exercise and an inspection, awareness, and follow-up plan, assigning field execution to qualified personnel under approved procedures.
3. The Oil and Gas Value Chain and Operations
- Understand the links between exploration, development, production, processing, and transportation, and define process boundaries, participants, and intended outputs.
- Read a training process diagram, identifying material and energy flows, measurement points, critical equipment, and their relationship to product quality.
- Analyze production, downtime, losses, and resource consumption data, distinguishing measurement problems from process or equipment problems.
- Define coordination requirements among operations, maintenance, safety, and contractors, and document handovers and changes under facility procedures.
- Prepare a process improvement proposal covering hypotheses, controls, resources, and review criteria, using a training case without unauthorized field operations.
4. Crisis Management, Communication, and Response
- Identify crisis scenarios, warning indicators, and effects on people, services, and reputation, and define response activation thresholds.
- Allocate crisis team roles, decision-making authority, and escalation paths, and establish a mechanism for collecting and updating verified information.
- Draft an initial message explaining confirmed facts, actions, and update channels, avoiding speculation or disclosure of sensitive information.
- Run a simulation involving changing information, time pressure, and multiple parties, recording decisions, their rationale, and their timing.
- Conduct a post-crisis review comparing the plan with execution, and define improvement actions, owners, and dates for retesting readiness.
5. Risk Assessment, Controls, and Response
- Define the work context, objectives, and assessment boundaries, and distinguish the risk source, potential event, and effects on results.
- Gather risks from processes, data, past incidents, and interviews with responsible staff, and document causes and existing controls.
- Estimate likelihood and impact using stated criteria, and review control effectiveness to determine residual risk levels.
- Select a response proportionate to the risks, resources, and authority, and specify the owner, deadline, and early warning indicator.
- Test a scenario involving changing circumstances, update the risk register, and present material risks and required decisions to the appropriate authority.
Practical outputs
- A register of risk scenarios and barriers, and an operational change review plan.
- A task risk assessment and an inspection, training, and response plan.
- An oil operations process map, requirements matrix, and operating indicators.
- A crisis plan, decision register, initial statement template, and simulation exercise.
- A risk register, control matrix, and prioritized treatment plan.
Who should attend
- Practitioners, specialists and supervisors whose work relates to the programme subject.
- Managers and teams working in mini professional master programmes, according to their practical responsibilities.
- Professionals responsible for applying the outputs of “Professional Mini-Master's in Security and Safety in the Oil and Gas Sector” within their organizations.
Prerequisites
- Working familiarity with the programme field and the ability to discuss a professional case or challenge.
- Confirm the suitability of your experience and any specialist prerequisites with the Union before participation.
Conclusion
The programme “Professional Mini-Master's in Security and Safety in the Oil and Gas Sector” brings together concepts, case review and a practical application. Participants prepare steps that can be adapted to their responsibilities and organizational resources, with an indicator to follow application and review results after returning to work.
Participation arrangements and any special requests are specified in the confirmation issued by the Union.