The energy industry in Mexico has changed. The entry into force of the so-called Energy Reform opened the energy market to free competition with new guidelines, actors and regulatory bodies, such as the Hydrocarbons Law and the Safety, Energy and Environment Agency (ASEA).
In turn, the companies that participate in this important sector of the national economy -particularly in the hydrocarbons industry- must comply with the provisions of the laws on the subject and comply with the requirements of the regulatory authorities in states and municipalities in the various aspects covered by this type of project.
This is so, because although all human activities involve a certain degree of risk, the energy sector involves even more so due to the type of inputs and processes that are carried out in its facilities, transportation lines and storage areas, and safety is of great importance for the responsible development of its activities.
The constant increase in the cost of equipment, insurance premiums, as well as possible human losses due to undesired events, are some of the aspects that have motivated the industry's drive towards risk prevention objectives.
In this regard, the danger is defined as the probability of occurrence of a potentially damaging disturbance agent of a certain intensity during a given period and at a given location, whereas the risk identification is the ability to recognize and assess probable losses or damages on the agents susceptible to be affected and their geographic distribution, through the analysis of hazards and vulnerability. All this, as established in the General Law of Civil Protection of Mexico.
According to the above, the risks of accidents in the energy sector must be identified and evaluated to implement measures to prevent their occurrence or minimize the consequences associated with them, i.e. to identify, prioritize, evaluate and if necessary reposition the risk, analyzing the occurrence and severity of the consequences that could arise, from which safeguards can be established for their mitigation, as well as the protection of personnel, equipment and the environment.
In this sense, risk analysis is an instrument that facilitates the management of this type of events, being the reference document for those involved in decision making to know and apply the necessary actions to minimize them and reduce losses.
This type of analysis allows any organization to operate safely, efficiently and prevent any scenario that could represent economic and life costs in the event of an undesired event.
At RIALVAS we have a multidisciplinary group of specialists in the elaboration of risk analysis, not only for the energy sector but for any type of industry or company for a responsible management of its human and material resources, as well as the natural environment where it operates.
