Unit # 2

Reasons for developing a PSMS

Moral reasons
–Avoidance of incidents and disasters.

Legal/compliance reasons
–Often a clear legal requirement.
–May be internal company standards.

Financial reasons
–Avoids losses associated with disasters.

Key elements of PSMS -PDCA

PLAN
•Policy.
•Planning.

DO
•Implementation and operation.

CHECK
•Checking and corrective action.

ACT
•Management review.
•Continual improvement.

Key terms
Leading indicators
Proactive measurements of conditions that monitor process safety before something goes wrong and to see
if things are operating as intended.

Example: testing of emergency systems vs plan.

Lagging indicators
Reactive measures that look at failures, such as the number of injuries, near misses, and spills which are
reported, or excursions where the plant is operated outside of the intended operational envelope.

Example: accident, incident, near-miss data.

Auditing
A systematic, objective, critical evaluation of how well an organization’s management system is
performing by examining evidence.

Hazard
Something that has the potential to cause harm.
Risk
The likelihood that a hazard will cause harm, in combination with the severity of injury, damage, or loss
that might foreseeably occur.

Risk Management Techniques

Barrier Models
Prevention Barrier
Mitigation Barrier
Main Pathway Barrier
Critical Barrier

Bow Tie Model

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Hierarchy of Risk Control
inherent safety: Build safety at the design stage.
Elimination: Remove a hazard, and minimize inventories.
Substitution: Lower hazard alternative.
Engineering controls: Segregation/spacing of process plant.
Administrative controls: Procedural/behavioural.

Integrity standards
•Consideration of relevant standards at design stage.
•Standards ensure safety and integrity.
•For example:
‒EN ISO standards;
‒welding standards;
‒pressure ratings.

Asset
An item of equipment or an area of the production plant

Asset integrity
The ability of an asset to operate as intended effectively and efficiently over its entire lifespan whilst
ensuring the health and safety of those exposed to it, including the environment.

ATEX
‘ATEX’ is commonly used to refer to the two EU directives that control explosive atmospheres.

Selection of equipment for the operating environment

Considerations include:
•flammable atmospheres.
•wet conditions;
•harsh environments (e.g. salty atmospheres);
•corrosive chemicals.

Asset integrity through the lifecycle

Phases
1. Design: Designed to be safe.
2. Procurement, construction installation and testing: Build completed correctly.
3. Commissioning: Standards checked and signed off.
4. Operations: Operate within design intent;
maintenance and inspection.
5. Modifications: Planned and assessed first.
6. Decommissioning: Safe removal from operations.

Risk-based maintenance and inspection strategies

Three types
•Breakdown maintenance.
•Condition monitoring.
•Planned preventive maintenance.

Permit-to-work system
A formal, documented procedure that forms part of a safe system of work. It is commonly used for high-
risk work and it documents measures to reduce risks, such as isolations. It is used to ensure that the
correct precautions are in place and that all those who need to know about the work are informed.

Purpose and effective use of a permit-to-work (PTW)

•Used in high-risk activities.
•Part of a safe system of work.
•Communicates hazards and controls to user.

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Types of permits include:
–isolation permit/general permit to work;
–hot work permit;
–cold work;
–electrical;
–confined space.

Importance of safe shift handover

•Transfer of critical information to the incoming shift.
•Failure to do so can have devastating consequences as in Piper Alpha.

Two-way communication and joint responsibility

•Joint responsibility of both outgoing and incoming shift leaders.
•Needs time to be done properly.

Competence
•Workers carrying out shift handovers must:
-have the right level of technical knowledge, and expertise;
-be able to communicate effectively.

Shift handover requirements

Shift handover must be:
•given the highest priority;
•conducted face-to-face;
•done using accurate verbal and written communication (handover logs are useful);
•based on information needs of incoming staff;
•given as much time as necessary.

Typical information shared at shift handover

The main issues communicated include:
•operational status of the plant;
•emergency situations or incidents;
•any safety issues;
•maintenance activities underway/planned;
•permit-to-work details, especially those still open;
•operational issues for the incoming shift (eg. production plans);
•planned receipt of hazardous material deliveries;
•any drills or exercises planned;
•physical demonstration of plant state.

Handover to client
•Hand back of plant and equipment.
•Handover of building or installations arising from project.
•Information handed over includes:
‒operation and maintenance manuals;
‒pipework and instrumentation diagrams;
‒updated layout plans, including location of services;
‒design specifications;
‒as-built drawings.

Contractor selection
Assessed for suitability using criteria including:
•experience in the type of work;
•trained in specific safety requirements of the environment;
•suitability of the organization’s health and safety policy;
•quality of their risk assessments;
•suitability of method statements;
•accident history, including near-miss reporting;