Process Safety Management Boot Camp Training

Oil & Gas Skills (OGS)

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Module 4
Barrier concept

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Group exercise

 What is a barrier?

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Definition of a barrier

 Any technical, operational or organisational measure which prevents or minimises the probability
of threats from releasing a hazard

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Example:
Valero McKee refinery - barriers

Ignition control (e.g. boiler house)

Prevention barriers Mitigation barriers
Separation distance to fire
Remotely operated shut-off valves

Flammable Fire escalating

gas to adjacent pipes

Fire escalating
....
to chlorine bottles
Effects
LoC of Injury/fatality
propane from
....
Fire escalating Env. impact
control loop to
to LPG spheres Damage to plant
Extraction
Tower Deferred operations
Loss of reputation
Crack
....
in dead leg

....
Remove dead leg
Positive isolation (flanges)
Emergency response
Freeze protection programme
Active fire protection (deluge, fire water monitors)
Periodic inspections Passive fire protection

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Module objectives

 Explain how barriers can be hierarchically organized

– According to type or form
– According to 3 Ps
 Explain how this can help improve or benefit safety and environmental performance

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Hierarchy based on type or form

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Type of barriers

Engineered – Reduce the consequence or likelihood of an incident

passive arising from a hazard through devices which do not
require detection of an incident or action by any
person or device
Engineered – Reduce the consequence or likelihood of an incident
active arising from a hazard by detection of an incipient
incident and activation of devices which interrupt the
sequence of events resulting in the incident or mitigate
the consequences of the incident
Administrative Reduce the consequence or likelihood of an incident
arising from a hazard by detection of an incipient
incident followed by implementation of procedures or
human activated devices to interrupt the sequence of
events resulting in the incident or mitigate the
consequences of an incident

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Hierarchy of type of barriers

Increased effectiveness

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What type of barrier is it?

Barrier Passive Active Administrative

engineered engineered
Toxic gas detection
Fire wall
Fire water system - automatic
Fire water system - manual
Guard to prevent external impact
Lifting procedure
Corrosion monitoring program
Breathing apparatus
Blast wall
Pressure control system
Emergency shutdown system
Mustering procedure
Permit to Work
Layout

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Hierarchy based on 3 Ps

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Managing process safety – holistic view

Safety culture  Known and understood process safety

hazards and associated risks
 Process safety hazards are managed by
three types of barriers
– Plant
– Process
– People
Hazards  Barrier management is embedded in a
(safety) management system
People  Safety culture embodies the
Management system fundamentals of the management systems

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Barriers can be categorised in different ways – 3Ps

• Technological • Use of • Process safety

devices that are management competency
used to ensure systems – PSM • Risk competence
process safety processes to and awareness
• “Safety systems” manage risks

Plant Processes People

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What is a process barrier?

 The management of process safety requires a range of different plant and people barriers working
in a coordinated manner
 The most effective means of controlling this complexity is through a management system,
referred to as a process barrier
 In relation to a HSE or safety management system, some of the ‘system elements’ would typically
be assigned as process barriers

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Overview PSM process barriers

 Controls: direct management barriers that affect the integrity and management of the facility:
such as operating procedures, mechanical integrity, and design integrity elements
 Tools: mechanisms that support the application of the controls such as HIRA, MOC, operational
readiness
 Infrastructure: mechanisms that provide fundamental support services such as process safety
information, training and competency, and measurement and review

 In effect most – if not all – PSM elements!

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Keeping the process in the pipes - PSM building blocks

 PSM process barriers are aimed to achieve plant

integrity by building, operating and maintaining the
facilities correctly…
 They are underpinned by process safety knowledge Management system
and competency of personnel…
 They should be captured in an overall management

Maintain it right
Operate it right
Build it right
system – separate, or integrated into an existing
HSE/safety management system

 If all these processes aspects work effectively, then

plant integrity and thus process safety is maintained,
and even continually improved
Knowledge

People

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Flareline valve incident on LNG plant

– Start-up of commissioned LNG plant

– Incident occurred on common flare line common, fed by flare lines from two parallel trains
– Problems occurred on start-up of Train 2
– Considerable smoke development from flare
– Ice formation on flare header and body of butterfly valve

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Train1 & 2 flare and blowdown, 2009

092

RSB 553
To Flare

092-VML-2520

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Root cause analysis

 Direct cause:
– 32” flare line butterfly valve 092-VML-2520 (normally LO) was still closed

 What went wrong:

– Valve designed with stem in vertical (upright) position, but orientation was changed to horizontal because of
elevated height of valve assembly
– Gearbox not reoriented to reflect this change
– Misalignment went unnoticed: mechanical completion checks are back to indicator, not shaft marker
– As a consequence valve was not properly closed in “Close” position, allow LNG to escape through a limited
orifice cooling down the header and valve body (J T effect)

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Full closed

Keys on stem

Gearbox link

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Half open

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Full open

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Full open (misaligned)

Gearbox re-oriented without key change

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Valve in wrong quadrant

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Full closed in reverse direction

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Categorisation of barriers – example 3P barriers for relief incident

PLANT PROCESS PEOPLE

Inherently safer and more robust relief systems Transfer of design intent Competence and Awareness

Technical Gap analysis Piping design Site Gearbox Mechanical Commissioning In following up
Practices for for Technical not ‘joined up’ modification reorientation completion procedure does startup
Project do not Practice fails with performed procedure checks are not call for problems
prohibit use of to highlight specification to incorrectly from back to pressure operator
butterfly ‘deviant’ valve valve vendor manufacturer indicator, not buildup test for notices icing
valves in this for special fails to require shaft marker this class of on flare line
duty attention check valve and suspects
between valve position
indicator and
shaft marker

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Group exercise

 Go back into your groups. Identify which barriers are plant barriers, which are process barriers
and which are people barriers

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