Page 185 - CW E-Magazine (18-3-2025)

Special Report Special Report

Elements and guidelines of Process Safety Management skills, efforts, ideas, suggestions 12. Criteria for maintaining minimum identifying and understanding the
risk involved.
and safety performance. It involves
level of knowledgemust be estab-
or a long time, people were say- initiating the thinking process on how JOY M. SHAH each employee as well as involves lished: Criteria for maintaining 16. Process risk analysis is used to iden-
minimum level of knowledge, train-
managing the consequence of un-
tify, evaluate and control process
ing that most accidents were due to develop a safety and risk culture for
Fto human error and this is true incident-free and sustainable operations Founder and Chief Consultant acceptable behaviour with consistent ing of new entrants and their fi eld risk: It has two legs, viz. Conse-
demonstration, as well as annual
Innov8 ProTech Solutions
quence Analysis or Hazards Assess-
and fair disciplinary policy.
in a sense but it’s not very helpful. It’s in high hazard chemical industries. Former Sr. Vice President – Technical 8. Effective two-way communication review of capability must be estab- ment and Process Hazards Review.
a bit like saying that falls are due to Reliance Industries Ltd. is an integral part of operating dis- lished for every position as well It is an organised and systematic
gravity. – Dr. Trevor Kletz The dictionary meaning of culture E-mail: joymshah@gmail.com cipline: World-class performance as must be integrated to personnel analysis of facilities segmented into
is a set of shared attitudes, values, goals
After the Bhopal Disaster on Decem- and practices that characterises the 1. Strong and visible leadership com- can be achieved only if message is change management system. manageable process blocks. Every
ber 3, 1984, a lot of talk was ongoing institute or organisation. In process in- mitment: Personal involvement of developed with true content, con- 13. Contractor’s employees play very fi ve year, it must be re-evaluated.
veyed in formal and informal ways,
critical role: Contractor’s employees 17. Every technology change brings
on Safety Management System such dustries, we defi ne it by how we behave management and leaders in all safety as well as ensured that the message play very critical role as they new risk: It can be related to mate-
that human error can be taken care when no one is watching. The Process activities. was received and understood by are exposed to same or more risk. rial or process design and equipment
of. Almost every developed country Improvement Institute has given very 2. Lay down explicit safety policy audit, test, feedback mechanism and Employee and contractor must pass design. Every technology change
has risen to the occasion and developed good pictured defi nition as below. which is used and followed on daily effective observations. through same level of training and must be analysed in advance and
fail-proof guidelines for Safety Man- basis: Policy must spell out the 9. Continuous safety training: Conti- identical qualifi cation procedures. authorised before its implementa-
agement System. OSHA was the leader Organisation defi ne the core princi- principles that will govern decision nuous safety trainingis essential 14. Emergency response and contin- tion.
in providing such guidelines and give ples of safety culture in their own way, making in safety. for development of employees at gency plan must be logical, com- 18. Quality assurance procedures must
vision to all industry leaders on how but four thing sare very common: 3. Set challenging targets and objec- all levels, viz. freshers, transferees, plete and based on all emergency be applied to all process equipment:
to make safety systems reliable by in- 1. It has to start with leadership and tives: Set challenging targets and supervisors and contractors. Refresher situations: It must be published and Quality assurance procedures must
volving all employees. OSHA issued its visible management commitment. objectives for the organisation and course is required for long time well understood by an employee. It be applied to all process equipment
fi rst guideline in July 1990, which was 2. It involves and empowers emplo- encourage people to make their per- employees. involves consequence analysis, noti- to ensure they are manufactured, as-
fi nalised in February 1992. Thereafter, yees. sonal safety action plan. 10. All injuries as well as incidents fi cation to employee, notifi cation sembled and installed as per project
it has been regularly updated based 3. Ensure development of capabilities 4. Demand high standard of perfor- must be reported and its underlying of affected personnel, notifi cation specifi cation and are safe to operate.
on feedback from professionals. To- and position right resources. mance: Ensure rules, standards and causes identifi ed: Learning from of regulatory authority, escape & 19. Pre-start up safety review provide
day, all information on Process Safety 4. Ensure process safety into manage- procedures are written and are un- incident investigation must be clas- evacuation route, personal account- fi nal checks: Pre-start up safety re-
Management (PSM) is freely available, ment decision making process. derstood by workers. Also ensure sifi ed and communicated to right ing for employees & contractors, view provides fi nal checks for new
however to deploy the same in an 5. Process safety culture must be real, verifi cation checks and authorisa- group of employees. rescue operation and medical assis- and modifi ed equipment to confi rm
effective way, a strategy and systematic fi nite and tangible. tion for non-routine work is defi ned. 11. A good safety management system tance, as well as designated assem- that all appropriate guidelines of
approach as well as handholding is 5. Ensure accountability for safety must include evaluation and audit: bly points and primary & secondary process safety are addressed appro-
required. Following can be the 21 best prac- and implementation of safety poli- A good safety management system control centres. priately and facility is truly safe to
tices (or elements) for Behavioural and cies is placed in the line organisa-
This series of articles are aimed at Process safety management. tion: Supportive safety personnel must include two distinct types of 15. Process safety information should operate and maintain. It ensures that
verifi cation, evaluation and audit –
describe material hazards, process
process safety management systems
to facilitate, participate and audit one to evaluate people and their design basis as well as equipment are in place before start-up.
the system and work practices and behaviours, and another to evaluate and installation design basis: These 20. A comprehensive mechanical integ-
analyse safety performance, must the management system in terms of are the fi rst steps in safety manage- rity program is required: A compre-
be ensured. suitability and compliance. ment system and provides basis for hensive mechanical integrity pro-
6. Safety must be integrated into or-
ganisation management system Table 1: 14 guidelines of PSM
from top level to shop fl oor level: Technology Assets Human
Every employee needs to feel res- Process technology or process safety Quality assurance Training and performance of an
ponsible for safety and must be information employee.
involved in decision making related Standard operating procedure and Pre-start up safety reviews Contractor safety and performance.
to safety. safe practices
7. Progressive motivation for safety
comes through positive reinforce- Management of change related to Mechanical integrity Incident investigation and reporting.
ment: Progressive motivation for technology
safety comes through positive Process hazards analysis Management of subtle change Management of personnel change.
reinforcement by recognising and Emergency planning and response.
rewarding individuals for their Audit and assessment.

184 Chemical Weekly March 18, 2025 Chemical Weekly March 18, 2025 185

Contents Index to Advertisers Index to Products Advertised