The barrier memorandum, on principles for barrier management in the petroleum industry, is a product of the PSA's main priority related to barriers. Supervisions, investigations and surveys of the risk level in the Norwegian petroleum activity have identified relatively substantial differences between the players over their understanding of, and thereby their compliance with, the regulatory requirements that concern barrier management.

As a result, a number of non-conformities of significance for safety have also been identified, and the PSA has followed these up through its supervisory activities.

That follow-up has highlighted a need to make the regulatory requirements related to barrier management more easily accessible. An explanation is also needed of the way the PSA, for its part, relates the stipulations in the regulations and the guideline texts to the content of relevant standards. However, this document doesnot form part of the formal petroleum regulations.