HFE Implementation Journey in PDO, Benefits and Challenges

Abstract

Abstract Major process safety incidents such as Deepwater Horizon, BP Texas City and Piper Alpha have revealed that understanding Human Factors Engineering (HFE) is one of the biggest challenges faced in Oil & Gas Industry. PDO historical database has also identified high frequency of design-induced human errors resulting in incidents, which could have been prevented by proper integration of HFE at early design phases. Whilst efforts to minimize incidents have conventionally concentrated on machinery and technology, prevention measures today also recognize the importance of HFE as a major contributor to operational safety and to the optimization of system performance. The journey of implementing HFE design in PDO projects has focused on the following: Developing in house HFE expertise,Mandating HFE requirements at early design phases of projects through following a systematic process (Discipline Control Assurance Framework DCAF),Ensuring proper HFE awareness level is cascaded to all relevant stakeholders in projects at early engineering phases,Applying relevant learning's from previous audits/projects/incidents,Initiating online HFE simplified tools to aid the process of implementation,Emphasizing on formal HFE inputs during model reviews and,Verifying compliance to HFE design as several stages of projects. However, the process of implementation, on the other hand, has faced several challenges and obstacles. Lack of integrating HFE at the design phase can be attributed to a host of factors including lack of appreciation of HFE core values by engineers and managers, limited HFE expertise in the industry, and other challenges. This results in a general reluctance to spend the time and money when it comes to HFE design related issues, and eventually, resulting in poor HFE integration in projects. This paper explores the step-by step journey of implementing HFE requirements in PDO projects along with the challenges faced in inculcating good HFE design in projects and it highlights the lifecycle advantages of incorporating HFE in design. In addition to that, a story of success for implementing HFE requirements in major projects is showcased; which set out a roadmap for enabling future projects in oil and gas industry to achieve full compliance with HFE requirements.