What Are the Critical Components of an Oil Spill Management Plan.

Oil is an essential resource to power the world. Industries go to great lengths to prevent oil spills to ensure that the environment is protected and conserves the natural resource that supplies the economy and way of life (Oil Spill Prevention and Response). Oil spills are unpredictable and can occur anytime during an exploration, transportation by way of tankers and pipelines while loading, unloading or during pipeline operations. Even from a collision or grounding vessels carrying the oil and its products to local ports and coastal waters. An oil spill can be described as an accidental or intentional release of crude or refined oil on land or sea, often affecting the coastal ecosystems and communities. Therefore, the risks posed by an oil spill need to be recognized and a management plan devised in the instance of an emergency situation. Prevention, preparedness, response and recovery are four critical components of an oil spill management plan.

Prevention is one aspect of an oil spill management plan. Industries are committed to meeting the oil demand while maintaining safe and environmentally sound operations (Oil Spill Prevention and Response). It is important to ensure the prevention process is continuously updated especially in every operational phase in oil production. An important component in prevention is ensuring the equipment is functioning efficiently and that alerts are promptly made when breakdowns occur with the machinery. This is a proactive measure of prevention. Another facet of an oil spill prevention plan is the procedural process. Following appropriate protocols along with maintenance procedures ensures the operation of equipment safely therefore, aiding in preventing oil spills. One such extensive step in the procedural process is the Specific Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Plan (SPCC) (Oil Pollution Prevention Regulation Overview). Employee training is another characteristic in the prevention plan of oil spill...