Revalidating Process Hazard Analyses

by Walter L. Frank and David K. Whittle

Copyright © 2001 American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Appendix G
Human Factors Checklist"

Question

7 ~~ --
cleanup, or staging areas to warn workers of spe- I I
1 cia1 or unique hazards associated with the areas? I
1 I - - - -

2 Are adequate barriers erected to limit access to 1

maintenance,
-
cleanup, or staging areas?
- -
I
-
I
3 1 Are- working areas generally clean?
~ ~ - - 1 -I
4 Are provisions in place to limit the time that a I

1, 1 worker spends in a n extremely

- -
hot or cold area?
- -

l~ 5
&Isnoise maintained at a tolerable
~-
level? 1 - I
1
- - -

6 Are alarms audible above background noise both

1
~

inside the control room and in the process area?

7 1 Is normal and emergency lighting sufficient for
. all area operations? I

8
.- - -
-
Is there adequate backup power for emergency
-

1 -1 ~

1
I -lighting?
~
- - - - t 1 - -

1
I.
1 performance? I I

11. Accessibility/Availabllityof Controls and Equipment

---._ ___ -~

I-lTreadequQte s u p p i e s of protective gear readily '

' This checklist is provided for illustrative purposes only. Readers may wish to develop such a
checklist specific to their own situation and needs.

I03
I04 Appendix G. Human Factors Checklist

Question Response Recommendations

Are workers able to perform both routine and
emergency tasks safely while wearing protective
equipment?
-- _____ - ~ _ ~ _ _
Is emergency equipment accessible without pre-
senting_
~
further _
hazards to personnel?
~- -
~~

Is communications equipment adequate and

easily
-
accessible?
~~~ ~ ~--~~ _ _
Would others quickly know if a worker were inca-

t-
pacitated
- -~ in a process area? -

Are the right tools (including special tools) avail-

able and used when-
needed?
Is the workplace arranged so that workers can
maintain a good working posture while perform-
ing necessary movements to conduct routine
tasks?
- - -_ -
Is access
~ to
_ all
__ controls adequate?
~__
Can operators/maintenance workers safely per-
form all required routine/ emergency actions,
considering the physical arrangement of equip-
ment (e.g., access to equipment, or proximity of
tasks to rotating equipment, hot surfaces, haz-
ardous discharge points)? ~ _ _ _
Are valves that require urgent manual adjust-
ments (e.g.. emergency shutdown) easily identifi-
able and readily accessible?
11. Labeling
1 Is all important equipment (vessels. pipes,
valves, instruments, controls, etc.) legibly, accu-
rately,
-
and unambiguously
- _ _ ~labeled?
~ ~ ~ _ _ _ _ _

2 Does the labeling program include components

(e.g., small valves) that are mentioned in the pro-
cedures even if they are not assigned an equip-
ment number?
3 Has responsibility for maintaining and updating
labels been assigned?
- - _ _ ~ ~
~-

!
Are emergency exit and response signs (including
wind socks) adequately visible and easily under-
stood?
- ~~
~
___
~
-~ ~
~-
Appendix G. Human Factors Checklist I05

tem
No. Question Response Recommendati
5 Are signs that warn workers of hazardous mate-

Is adequate information about normal and upset

process conditions clearly displayed in the con-
trol room? - 1 -

Are the controls and displays arranged logically

to match operators'
-
expectations?
~~~

Are the displays adequately visible from all rele- I

-t
vant working positions?
~ - ~ ~~

Do separate displays present similar information

-1 '
-

in a consistent manner?
~~~

Are automatic safety features-

process upset
provided when a
requires rapid response?
--I-
1
-

Areautomatic safetyqaturesprovidedwhea -
process upset may be difficult to diagnose due to I

complicated
~-
processing
-
of various information?
~ - ~

Are the alarms displayed

- ~
by-~~
priority?
Are critical safety alarms easily distinguishable
from control alarms?
- - - -~ ~

Is an alarm summary permanently on display7

- !
~ ~ ~ ~

Are nuisance alarms corrected and redundant

alarms eliminated as soon as practical to help
prevent complacency toward alarms?
Have charts, tables, or graphs been provided (or
programmed into the computer) to reduce the
need for operators to perform calculations a s part
of the operation?-~ ~ - .
If operators are required to perform calculations,
are critical
-
calculations independently checked?
Does the computer check that values entered by
operators are within a valid range?
- - -

Do the displays provide an adequate view of the

~~

entire process as well as essential details of indi-

1 -
- i!
vidual svstems?
 I06 Appendix G. Human Factors Checklist

NO. Question
1
__ _ _ ~ ~
I Do the displays give adequate feedback for all I
~~

15
-operational actions?
- ~= -I
1 16 1 Are instruments. displays, and controls promptly

''
1
I -
1 repaired after a-
-
malfunction? ~ + -I - ~

17 Do administrative features exist that govern when 1

instruments, displays, or controls are deliberately
disabled or bypassed and that govern their return I I1
t -
l to normal service at the appropriate time?
- -. ~~ - L
1 18 Does a formal mechanism exist for correcting
human factors deficiencies identified by the opera- 1 I
1 1 .
tors (e.g., modifications to the displays, controls,
or equipment to better meet operators needs)?
I

l1 v. controls
I
' Is the layout of the consoles logical, consistent,
and effective? I
- l -
1 Are the controls distinguishable, accessible, and
~~

easy to use?
- ~~

- I 4
Do all controls meet Standard expectations
(color,
-
direction of movement, etc.)?
- - - c
Do the control panel layouts reflect the functional
aspects of the process or equipment?

I-
~- -~

Does the control arrangement logically follow the

l, - normal sequence of operation? ~-

Can operators safely intervene in computer-

- -
I
I- controlled processes? .-
I!
-~ - ~ -

Can process variables be adequately controlled

-
with the existing
~- ~-
equipment? - - 1 -

Do operators believe that the control logic and

interlocks are adequate?
~ - ~- - - ~ ~

.
Does a dedicated emergency shutdown panel
exist? If so. is it in an appropriate location? I

I
~,~Workload
I VI. and Stress Factors
________ _ _ _ - _ _ _ ~ -

" 1 Is the control room always occupied (i.e.,

assigned duties do not require the control room ~
I 'I
operator to be absent from the -~
control room)? - - - , - i
~~ ~ ~~-~ =
 Appendix G. Human Factors Checklist I07
-~ - .--
4
~ ~

Ii Item
Question Response Recommendations '
__ __ - ~ _.

and frequency of manual adjust-

ments required during normal and emergency
'
operations limited so that operators can make I
1 I the adjustments without a significant chance of
mistakes a s a result of overwork or stress?
~ ~ ~

I
3 Is the number of manual adjustments during
normal operations sufficient to avoid mistakes as
-
a result of boredom?
- ~ l~ j
I
4 1 Have the effects of shift duration and rotation
I' been considered in establishing workloads? 1
Is the number of extra hours an operator must I
work if his or her relief fails to show up suffi-
ciently limited so that worker safety is not I I
adversely affected?
1 1 - 1 - ~ ~
-

I' 6 Is the number of hours an operator or mainte- 1

nance worker must work during startup or turn- I
" .I arounds sufficiently limited so that worker safety
-
is not adversely affected? ~
- ~
I
I
- I
Can additional operators (e.g.. from other areas
I1' 7
or from off site) be called in quickly to help
during an emergency?
~~ - ~
I 1 - /I

Is the staffing level appropriate for all modes of 11

operation (normal, emergency, etc.)? I 1

I
-~ -~ ~

1 Do written procedures exist for all operating 1

phases (i.e.. normal operations, temporary opera-
tions, emergency shutdown, emergency opera-
'I tion, normal shutdown, and startup following a
turnaround or after an emergency shutdown)?
- ~ -
'I
Are safe operating limits documented, providing
consequences of deviating from limits and I
actions to take when deviations occur?
- ~ -

Are procedures current (i.e., are they revised 1

I
,when changes occur)?
- ~ !I
1 4 ' Do operators believe that the procedure format
I '
and language are
-
easy to follow and understand? 1- 1 - 1
1 Are the procedures accurate (i.e., do they reflect
~ ~

1 5
the work is actually 1
-
the way in which
-~
~ ~
-
performed)?
~ ._
- -
~-- _I --
I08 Appendix G. Human Factors Checklist
-.
~

tern
No. Recommendations
Is responsibility assigned for updating the proce-
dures. distributing revisions of the procedures,
1'
and ensuring that workers are using current revi-
sions
~- of the procedures?
- ___

Are temporary notes or instructions incorporated

~ I-
into revisions of written operating procedures as
~
as practical?
soon __ - - -

Do procedures address the personal protective

equipment required when performing routine
and/or nonroutine tasks?
all. Training (Employees and Contractors)
-7-
Are new employees trained in the hazards of the
~
processes? ~- ~ ~~~

Do operators and maintenance workers receive

adequate training in safely performing their
assigned tasks before they are allowed to work
without
~.
direct supervision?
- -~~ ~

Does operator and maintenance worker training

include training in appropriate emergency
response?-~ - ~ - -

Do operators practice emergency response while

wearing
-
emergency
~-
protective
-
equipment?
__ ~

Do operators practice emergency response during

extreme environmental conditions (e.g., at night
or when it is very cold)?
~ ~ ~- ~~ ~

Are
_ _
periodic emergency drills conducted?
- ~~ ~-

Are emergency drills witnessed by observers and

critiqued? ~-
~ - - -

Does a periodic refresher training program

~~ ~~ -
exist?
-

Is special or refresher training provided in prepa-

ration
-.
for an infrequently
-
~
performed operation?
~~ ~~ --i - 1
When changes are made, are workers trained in
the new operation, including an explanation of
why the change was made and how worker
safety can be affected by the change?
~~ ~
~ -~ _ __
_ ~
~
~
-
ResourcesAppendix G. Human Factors Checklist I09
~- -

Item
No. Question

to request assistance when they believe they

need it to safely perform a task?

to report near misses as part of the incident

1
~ ~~~ __.
Are operators trained to shut down the process
when in doubt about whether it can continue to
l3 operate safely?
~. -~ ~ _ _ ~
~

Resources

1. Center for Chemical Process Safety, Guidelinesfor Preventing Human Error in Process
Safe&, New York: American institute of Chemical Engineers, 1994.
2 . D.K. Lorenzo, A Manager’s Guide to ReducingHuman Errors, Washington: Chemical Man-
ufacturers Association, 1990.