Addressing process safety challenges in downstream industries in Brunei Darussalam

Abstract

International oil and gas corporations operating in Brunei may apply process safety management (PSM) and analysis techniques, resulting in varying approaches and measures to address process safety issues. Global corporations may have developed their own process safety standards while smaller firms employ established ones. This research compares the local PSM systems and standards with international ones to determine which employers face the most difficulties in implementing or increasing process safety inside their organizations. This study found that Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations are used by 30% of local users in downstream operations. Common challenges encountered by local users are management/leadership commitment to process safety (11.9%), mechanical integrity and management of safety critical devices (5.3%), management review and intervention for continuous improvement (4.9%), communication amongst workers (3.8%), management of change (3.8%), operational control, permit to work and risk management (3.8%) and incident reporting (3.8%).