The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (formerly Norwegian Petroleum Directorate) took in 1999 the initiative to develop an approach in order to assess trends and status for the risk levels in the Norwegian offshore petroleum industry. An approach was developed, and a pilot study report was issued in April 2001, covering the period 1996–2000. Annual updates have been performed since then, and the latest report covers the period 1996–2004. The project covers major hazards, as well as occupational hazards, health hazards as well as risk perception, HES culture, motivation and communication.

The statistical approach is based on recording occurrence of near...