The Oil Spill Response Effectiveness in UK Waters Guidelines – Issue 2

2013/30/EU Safety Directive1 states a need for the effectiveness of oil spill response systems to be measured.

Specifically, it states that: Oil spill response effectiveness means the effectiveness of spill response systems in responding to an oil spill, on the basis of an analysis of the frequency, duration, and timing of environmental conditions that would preclude a response. The assessment of oil spill response effectiveness is to be expressed as a percentage of time that such conditions are not present and is to include a description of the operating limitations placed on the installations concerned as a result of that assessment.

The Directive also states:
Environmental (Metocean) conditions to be considered in this response analysis shall include:
I. weather, including wind, visibility, precipitation and temperature;
II. states, tides, and currents;
III. presence of ice and debris;
IV. hours of daylight; and
This guidance document meets and exceeds the requirements of the EU Safety Directive by:
• Showing the individual effectiveness of each of the seven main spill response systems for the different environmental conditions around the UK.
• Showing the combined effectiveness of response strategies that use one or more of the response systems in parallel.
This document looks at oil spill response systems as per the directive and does not address source control systems, such as well capping or relief well drilling.

Available as a PDF Download only.