A resilience-based integrated process systems hazard analysis (RIPSHA) approach: Part II management system layer

Abstract

Abstract The Chemical Process Industry has witnessed an increase in process safety challenges and changes in the global public perception of risk. The key hazard identification and analysis methods used in the industry follow a univariate analysis which limits them in their approach to consider multiple factors, complex interactions among system components, and their relationships. It is evident that the majority of incidents are a result of human, organizational, mechanical, and operational failures. Most methods lack the anticipation element as well as the full scenario anatomy of incident–initiation, propagation, and termination. Furthermore, the incompleteness of possible scenarios may lead to the reduction or absence of essential risk reduction measures. The hazard analysis method for a complex socio-technical system, such as a process plant, should incorporate the following characteristics: consideration of all system components (e.g., processes, human operations, equipment, instruments, and control systems), all plausible deviations, a multi-disciplinary team, and proper documentation. Analyzing the extent of the resilience of the whole system, with respect to the plant and management system layers and strengthening weaknesses, is expected to result in significant reduction of unexpected failures and threats to develop and terminate as mishaps. To this end, in Part I (Jain et al., 2018b), the paper presented the Resilience-based Integrated Process Systems Hazard Analysis (RIPSHA), proposed a bi-layered approach that takes two distinct layers into account, and treated the second layer called the Plant System. In Part II, the first layer, called the Management System is presented that comprises three rational sub-systems for analysis-process safety culture and leadership, operational discipline, and process safety systems. This work establishes and presents worksheets and guidewords based on resilience metrics for management systems hazard analysis. The paper closes with a case study on tank explosion accident to illustrate the key concepts of the management system layer hazard analysis.