Health and Satety Executive Introduction ‘Scope and target audience 1 This publication provides guidance on the general principles of safe process ‘solations. It describes how to isolate plant and equipment safely, and how to reduce the risk of releasing hazardous substances during intrusive activities such as ‘maintenance and sampling operations. 2 It ncludes a methodology for selecting ‘baseline’ process isolation standards and outlines preventive and mitigatory risk reduction measures. It is intended for use as.a reference to assist duty holders to develop, review and enhance their own 'solation standards and procedures, e The guidance applies to the following Industries: the onshore and offshore oll and gas industry; chemical manufacturing; and pipelines associated with these industries, It also has general application to all industries where process isolations are made, land applies to mobile offshore driling units where relevant (eg well test facies, underbalanced dling ete) 4. This guidance is primarly intended for senior operational managers who are responsible for their companies’ isolations systems, and for the health and safety professionals who advise them. It will also be of interest to employes representatives and to anyone who monitors, audits and reviews isolations systems. Organisations responsible for the design and modification of plant should use this guidance to ensure that their designs provide adequate isolation facilites. a Key issues for this guidance include: the importance of good design (for new plant and for plant modifications); the ciical role of human factors in preventing loss of containment a revised and recalibrated selection tool Plant reinstatement as a critical element of tsolation activity: guidance on the use of ‘variations’ from company standards; advice on controlling own isolations and extended term isolations; and the inclusion of medium and low pressure gas distribution networks within the scope of the document, 6 The guidance is intended to rellact industry ‘good practice’ for the design of new plant, Itapplies to existing plant to the extent that its reasonably practicable to do So. Any alterations required to reduce risks for existing plant to ‘as low as reasonably practicable’ (see paragraphs 13-16) should be identified and carried out within an appropriate timescale 7 The primary concem of this guidance is with process isolations eg for intrusive maintenance on Ive plant. The principles are also relevant for non-intrusive isolations that involve breaking the containment envelope and for controlling long- term process plant configurations. The guidance is not intended for emergency Situations where loss of containment has oscurred and immediate Solation of inventory is required. It does not apply to non-process plant and equipment (eg Powered access equipment used during isolation acthties). The sa lscaton of plant and equipment Page Sot