Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill Assignment

First, go back and review, as needed, any of the documents you researched in the last module
relating to the BP Gulf oil spill.
Using the information from Deep Water Horizon explosion and the PHL you constructed, it is time
to put what we learned in this module to good use. Take the PHL you made in Part 1 of this case
study and construct a detailed Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA) on each item on your PHL.
Realize that the PHA takes what your brainstorming session came up with in the PHL and gets a
little more into the weeds with such things as causal factors, consequences, and relative risk.
These are the things you should focus on in a one to two-page report to your boss. Use the Risk Assessment Matrix to quantify the risks you identify (see the example form on page 12 in the MIL
STD 882E (PDF)Preview the document for the risk assessment matrix ).
As stated in Part 1 of this case study, there are no right or wrong answers. You might even come
up with something that the investigators of this explosion never even thought to explore. Put on
your thinking caps and get outside the box. If you feel you need to research this accident further,
you are free to use any credible sources to get a better feel for what happened. Just remember
to cite any sources you use in your report.
This assignment has two requirements that must be completed. The first is a chart presenting the
data you used to construct your PHA (examples are found in the Ericson text). The second is a
short narrative to the boss telling them why the items you show in your PHA are important and
need to be addressed. Both of these must be turned in for this case study.
Note: A good example of the PHA can be found on pages 137-142 of the Ericson text (Tables
8.3-8.8). Another good example can be found on page 89 in the Vincoli text, Basic Guide to
System Safety (Links to an external site.) (Hunt Library).
https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/doi/book/10.1002/9781118904589
Please note, the Vincoli text is available through the Hunt Library. You will need your ERNIE
credentials to access the book.

Your Instructor will evaluate your PHA based on the Case Study Rubric.
Save your assignment using a naming convention that includes your first and last name and the
activity number (or description). Do not add punctuation or special characters.
Your paper will automatically be evaluated through Turnitin when you submit your assignment in
this activity.
Most of the modules in this class contain case studies that you will complete. As mentioned in
the intro video, this class uses a building block process to introduce you to the techniques used
by systems safety professionals to completely analyze a system. The specific directions for
accomplishing these case studies are contained in each module.
General rules for all case studies – The case studies are designed to allow you to use the
techniques you have read about each of the module readings. There are two basic requirements
for each case study:
Every one of the case studies requires some form of a chart to be done. For example, in Module
2, you must construct a Preliminary Hazard List (PHL) just like the one shown in the samples in
the class textbook. In Module 6, you must construct a full Fault tree analysis chart, again just like
what is shown in the textbook. Now, if you don’t have a program that allows for building an FTA

chart and are having a hard time formatting it, then there is nothing wrong with drawing it out
legibly and submitting it that way. Realize that sometimes rapidly getting the information
presented to the boss for action is more important than taking the time to make it pretty.
A report to your boss outlining what you have found and your thoughts on it. Your report should
include sections that tell the boss what you found, and analysis of why what you found is
important and needs to be addressed, and finally what needs to be done to correct the issues
you found or what is needed to bring it into compliance. This report should be a minimum of 1 to
2 pages in length and double spaced. These reports may require correctly APA formatted
references and citations depending upon what information you used to draft your report.
Your assignment will automatically be evaluated through Turnitin when you submit your
assignment in this activity. Turnitin is a service that checks your work for improper citation or
potential plagiarism by comparing it against a database of web pages, student papers, and
articles from academic books and publications. Ensure that your work is entirely your own and
that you have not plagiarized any material!
Hazard Analysis Techniques for System Safety
Edition: 2nd
Year: 2015
ISBN: 978-1-118-94038-9
Author: Clifton Ericson II

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Edition: 6th
Year: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4338-0561-5
Author: American Psychological Association
Publisher: American Psychological Association
Note: For further information, see the APA website.
Note: The following materials are available for free. Links to these items are also located in the
activities within the course which require the specific sources.
Basic Guide to System Safety
Edition: 3rd
Year: 2014
ISBN: 978-1-1184-6020-7
Author: Clifton Ericson II
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Note: This ebook is free through the ERAU Hunt Library.
Air Force System Safety Handbook (PDF)
Note: Available through the Air Force Safety Agency
System Safety and Risk Management: A Guide for Engineering Educators (PDF)
Note: Available through the CDC