Process Safety Management Research Articles

Patient safety during joint replacement surgery: experiences of operating room nurses

BackgroundAvoidable complications for surgical patients still occur despite efforts to improve patient safety processes in operating rooms. Analysis of experiences of operating room nurses can contribute to better understanding of...

Analysis of Explosion Accidents in a Chemical Plant using STAMP, a Systematic Cause-and-effect Analysis Technique

The process safety management system for chemical plants was introduced approximately 25 years ago. With the improvement in the safety management levels for the safe operation of the chemical plants, the number of serious industrial accidents has gradually decreased; however, increased damages have been observed when accidents do occur. The cause of accidents has also increased in cases where several factors, including social and cultural factors, are complexly related, in addition to facility and human factors. The need for an overall integrated systemic approach related to society, technology, and organization, and a sequential approach for finding the direct cause of accidents, is growing while analyzing the accidents. For this reason, foreign countries have introduced and applied a method to analyze accidents in an integrated manner from a systemic point of view; however, reports of cases or research results used in Korea. In this study, the case of explosion accidents, which occurred during a trial operation at a domestic chemical plant, was analyzed using Systems-Theoretic Accident Model and Processes, a systematic accident analysis technique, to reveal the primary cause, organizational, and operational problems, so that it can be used for future investigations when other accidents occur.

Process safety management and process hazard analysis implementation progress in Pakistan chemical process industries

AbstractPakistan is a developing country and has various chemical process industries to fulfill the local demands of numerous chemical products. In order to maintain the uninterrupted production from these industries, safety protocols need to be implemented. Safety progress must be studied with passage of time to identify the gaps and to decide the future actions. In this article, process safety in various chemical process industries (CPIs) of Pakistan is investigated regarding process safety management (PSM) and process hazard analysis (PHA). The covered industries include mainly fertilizer complexes, food processing plants, gas and oil processing plants, oil refineries, petrochemical plants, polymer processing plants, paper industries, tire industries, and sugar industries. This research will help in addressing the weaknesses. A comparative analysis of all considered CPIs is provided graphically. Overall analysis of all industries depicts that more emphasis on three categories is required, namely (1) documents upgradation and staff communication, (2) PHA revision and auditing, (3) PHA recommendations documentation and implementation. Provided suggestions, the implementation of PSM and PHA in Pakistan CPIs is expected to enhance, which may lead to a substantial increase in productivity of these industries without accidents.

A theoretical framework for data-driven artificial intelligence decision making for enhancing the asset integrity management system in the oil & gas sector

Asset integrity and reliability is one of the 20 elements of Process Safety Management (PSM) as defined by the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS). We combine expert knowledge and data analytics (Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Keyword Analysis) to create a reaction network for Asset Integrity Management (AIM) and provide a theoretical and practical basis for handling uncertainty in large data sets such as company incident databases. The purpose of the current study is to control and minimize the total number of incidents that occur within an oil and gas operation by applying a multidisciplinary approach to explore and develop AIM. This systematic approach can improve AIM to better understand PSM as a whole and the underlying dynamics ever-present in the system. In this study, AIM is divided into 2 major groups – asset and human factors – and then, in order to get more detailed results, each group is divided into 9 and 5 subcategories, respectively. To analyze the relationships between the different factors of AIM, two score-based (Tabu and Hill Climbing) and one hybrid (Max-Min Hill-Climbing) Bayesian networks are used to develop one final viable solution. The findings of these techniques point towards the same results for reducing incident rates. Four factors related to assets, including construction, testing, inspection, and maintenance, account for more than half the incidents (54.78%). Additionally, there must be a greater emphasis placed on the impact of human factors as they are directly (23.58%) and indirectly (11.10%) responsible for accidents as well as other technological malfunctions. By focusing on AIM which is a key element of PSM, it will be possible to gain a better understanding of one of the most significant and problematic sources of risk in process safety.

Addressing process safety challenges in downstream industries in Brunei Darussalam

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%).

Research on Safety and Quality Control Intelligent Systems of Engineering Project Based on Blockchain and BIM Technologies

Focusing on the problems of Safety and Quality Control of Engineering Project, research on technologies for safety and quality control of engineering projects based on blockchain and BIM technologies can be investigated. A software intelligent system based on BIM, blockchain, artificial intelligence and data mining technologies is established. The problem of trace and tracking in the safety and quality management process can be solved. The innovation of engineering project safety control models can be promoted.

Analysis of the impact of a pandemic on the control of the process safety risk in major hazards industries using a Fault Tree Analysis approach

The control of the risks associated with major hazard events is critical to the safe and continuous operation of the process industry. Over the last decades, the process industry has been successful at establishing and implementing robust Process Safety Management (PSM) systems to prevent and mitigate the consequences of such major hazard events. While there exist some industry guidelines developed relatively recently for events initiated by natural disasters and security-related threats, for initiating events like outbreaks of pathogens and pandemics, there is currently a clear lack of understanding of the impact of the restrictions and disruption caused by a pandemic on the ability of companies operating major hazard facilities to keep controlling the risks associated to their hazardous operations. Moreover, there is no industry guideline on how to account for such an impact in PSM systems for process safety hazards. The recent COVID-19 outbreak caused serious disruptions to normal operations that have challenged industry in their ability to control risks.The objective of this paper is to perform an analysis of the impact of a pandemic situation on the implementation of selected elements of PSM systems related to the identification and evaluation of the risks of a major hazard and their control. The approach chosen involves the analysis of the root causes of the failure of the selected PSM elements using a Fault Tree Analysis method. The findings provide the first steps in the establishment of recommendations for the upgrade of PSM systems to face events such as pandemics.

A New Semi-Quantitative Process Safety Assessment Method and Its Application for Fluorochemical Industry

Traditional hazard and operability analysis (HAZOP) is one of the most widely applied methods for process safety management in process enterprises. Due to its principles based on the conservative and qualitative judgment, it often leads to too conservative risk identification results for the fluorine chemical industry usually with high-risk processes to keep the continuity of production. Most of improved quantitative and semi-quantitative methods are based on the layer of protection analysis (LOPA) to resolve the over-conservative problem of traditional HAZOP with the database of LOPA. However, the improved model, taking LOPA as the main line and HAZOP only as the provider of scenarios and influencing factors, is limited to the fact that LOPA can only analyze complete and independent protection layers (IPLs). Therefore, in order to realize the quantitative or semi-quantitative analysis of disaster causes and consequences, a new semi-quantitative HAZOP method takes HAZOP as the main line to integrate LOPA, F&EI (fire and explosion index) for quantitatively calculating the reduction factors, probability on failure demand (PFD) of general protection layers (GPLs) and PFD of IPLs. With the case comparison of fluorine chemical industry, it is proved that this new method can effectively improve the problem that traditional HAZOP are too conservative in complex scenarios.

Characteristics of enhanced safety coordination between high-speed rail operators and manufacturers

The current study analyzes safety issues that emerge owing to complex inter-organizational coordination between operators and manufacturers of high-speed railway (HSR) rolling stock, a topic rarely discussed in previous literature despite the prominence of HSR as an advanced transport mode. Risk factors pertinent to inter-organizational coordination between HSR stakeholders and solutions for managing these risk factors are critically examined through the functional resonance analysis method (FRAM) of an authentic safety incident. The analysis is conducted using official investigative reports and accounts of the incident triangulated from multiple sources within the Japanese HSR industry. Based on an FRAM-based taxonomical analysis of the theoretical solutions and considering the feasibility of the generated solutions, this study provides comprehensive and novel recommendations on the required characteristics of inter-organizational coordination for enhanced safety. In contrast to existing studies on safety coordination, the study finds that increased inter-organizational coordination between stakeholders directly involved in the process may not be sufficient to improve safety and that regulatory facilitation may be necessary. Moreover, the study concludes that the necessary coordination between stakeholders across the safety management process should be structured in order to conduct industry-wide integrated systematic risk assessments.

Current challenges in performing PSM audits

AbstractIn the last 2–3 years, Process Safety Management (PSM) audits have become more difficult to perform. As time has passed since the adoption of the PSM Standard and Risk Management Program (RMP) rule, as well as state PSM regulations, the guidance published in support of applying the regulations has expanded, while the regulations themselves, at least the federal ones, have remained static. Facilities have become more sensitive to the number and the nature of audit findings, continuous improvement in PSM programs has become somewhat controversial, and the definitions of “overdue” and “timely” have become more difficult to interpret and apply. These issues and others have conspired to create some of these difficulties.

Deep learning methods for damage detection of jacket-type offshore platforms

Recently, big data and machine learning based damage detection methods to support risk management of offshore facilities have received great attention, compared to traditional modal parameters-based methods. This paper illustrates the application of deep learning methods in damage detection of offshore platforms using measured vibration response of the structures subjected to random excitations. The numerical example of a jacket-type offshore platform under random wave excitation is applied to verify the applicability of convolutional neural network (CNN), long short-term memory (LSTM) networks, and CNN-LSTM method. The comparison of the three approaches are conducted in terms of accuracy and efficiency of damage localization and severity estimation for the simulated damage cases. In addition, the random decrement technique (RDT) for data preprocessing is used to improve the capability of damage detection of the three deep learning methods in noisy conditions. Moreover, the proposed RDT combined with the deep learning methods are applied to laboratory tests of a jacket platform model under random loading produced by a shaking table. Minor and major damages at different locations are discussed. Results show that the proposed combination method has an outstanding performance in structural damage detection even in noisy conditions, and also has great potential application in industrial process safety and operational risk management.

How Just Culture and Personal Goals Moderate the Positive Relation between Commercial Pilots’ Safety Citizenship Behavior and Voluntary Incident Reporting

Flight safety is consistently influenced by pilots’ self-inflicted incidents in routine flight operations. For airlines, pilots’ reports on these incidents are essential input to learn from incidents (LFI) and for various safety management processes. This paper aims to explain the voluntary reporting behavior of pilots’ self-inflicted incidents from an occupational safety perspective. We investigate how the relation between pilots’ safety citizenship behavior (SCB) and reporting behavior is moderated by pilots’ fear, shame, goals, and goal-striving when reporting, as well as the influence of a just culture on the decision to report incidents. In total, 202 German commercial pilots participated in an online survey. The results showed that reporting behavior can be considered a specific form of self-intentional SCB, but should be differentiated into subtypes depending on a pilot’s unsafe acts (errors or violations) that caused the incident. Reporting behavior-specific motivational factors influenced different subtypes of reporting behavior: Just culture moderated a positive relation between SCB and reported incidents caused by violations. Moreover, depending on the subtype of reporting behavior, the relation was moderated by different types of goals in relation to the pilots. No moderating effects of fear or shame could be demonstrated. Our findings highlight the value of a just culture for encouraging goal-oriented reporting behavior in the context of LFI and safety management.

Process Safety Management Quality in Industrial Corporation for Sustainable Development

In recent years, also in connection with Covid-19 pandemics and enforced restrictions, there has been the formation of large industrial corporations gathering separate companies with similar, sometimes complementary production profiles. This evolving trend has brought usually positive economic effects; however, it has also created some integration problems that include the process safety management. The Texas City BP accident in 2005 and its tremendous human and economic losses underlined the obstacles in defining a well-structured corporation process safety management. The main causes of the above-mentioned accident were connected to an inadequate safety culture at the managerial level. Strong leadership and high standards of corporate governance are required to inspire correct safety behavior in the staff. The so-called soft skills become even more important in the Industry 4.0 arena, where the foundation of the whole system is based on an intelligent use and interpretation of data. The importance of this aspect is confirmed by several post-accidental analyses of past events. Although some research on this topic has been already done, it is worth it to dedicate some effort to identifying specific factors which influence the corporate process safety management quality, and, once identified, to assess them. This paper applies the concept of “lessons learnt” for the identification of organizational and managerial aspects worth consideration in process safety management. Based on accident and literature reviews and expert opinions, the aim is to identify the major contributing factors among leadership and safety culture, risk awareness, knowledge and competence, communication, and information and decision-making processes. To self-assess the level of commitment of the top leaders in process safety management, a checklist approach is proposed, combined with a quantitative, weighted evaluation based on the Relative Efficiency Indicator (REI). Positive value of REI may ensure the effectiveness of process safety management in major hazard industries and their appropriate adaptation to the corporation community. The proposed method, which is validated in an actual case study, underlines the importance of an appropriate education, and of a more careful selection of HSE managers.

Examining the impacts of crash data aggregation on SPF estimation

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Highway Safety Manual (HSM) includes a collection of safety performance functions (SPFs) or statistical models to estimate the expected crash frequency of roadway segments, intersections, and interchanges. These models are applied in several steps of the safety management process, including to screen the road network for opportunities to improve safety and to evaluate the performance of safety countermeasure deployments. The SPFs in the HSM are generally estimated using negative binomial regression modeling. In some instances, they are estimated using annual crash frequency and site-specific (e.g., traffic volume) data, while in other instances they are estimated using aggregate crash frequency and site-specific data. This paper explores the differences that result from estimating SPFs using aggregate versus disaggregate data using the same methods as those used to estimate the SPFs in the HSM. A synthetic dataset was first used to conduct these comparisons – these data were generated in a manner that is consistent with the properties of the negative binomial distribution. Then, an observational dataset from Pennsylvania was used to compare the SPFs from both aggregate and disaggregate data. The results show that SPFs estimated using the panel (disaggregate) data and aggregated data provide similar model coefficients, although some differences may sometimes arise. However, the overdispersion parameter obtained using each dataset can differ significantly. These differences result in systematic biases in calculations of expected crash frequency when Empirical Bayes adjustments are applied, which – as the paper demonstrates – could lead to different outcomes in a network screening exercise. Overall, these results reveal that aggregating crash data might result in biased SPF outputs and lead to inconsistent Empirical Bayes adjustments.

To Manage Societal Security in COVID-19: Operational Continuity of Fire Rescue Service in Disaster Conditions

Purpose: The research objective is the question “How to manage societal security in COVID-19 conditions from the perspective of operational continuity of fire rescue service?” Design/Methodology/Approach: In order to achieve the research objective, the qualitative method was used. The research materials was collected using the SWOT analysis. We involved 99 fire rescue experts in SWOT analysis to identify the continuity factors. Basing on 3731 elementary results, we unified them to the reference 40 (10 per each SWOT category). This gave us a background to formulate specific and general manners to ensure the security. The collected empirical data was processed using the methods of analysis, synthesis and comparison to form conclusions. Deductive and inductive inference methods enabled the presentation of a comprehensive approach to social safety management. Findings: Specific methods relate to SWOT results, risk specifications and service conditions. Particular attention should be paid to physical isolation, organizational flexibility, personal protective equipment, training and access to up-to-date information on the outbreak. The research results can be used in scientific works, as well as in expert opinions for the needs of public administration units, in particular for the improvement of the management process of fire protection units. Practical Implications: The study will positively influence the understanding of the needs of various participants in the safety management process, both in the current functioning of the organization and in crisis situations. Originality/ Value: The study is an opportunity to present a comprehensive approach to managing social security in the face of COVID-19 and future epidemics. It covers risk management, operational continuity, and the safety and well-being of firefighters. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to present such an approach.

Risk‐based decisions: Implementing the asset integrity program

AbstractAt present, there exists a lot of interest in the applications of Process Safety Management (PSM) System in Oil & Gas Industry, and, in particular, in implementing an Asset Integrity Management Program, this paper is offering a Risk‐Based model approach, that help both facilities operations and maintenance crew to achieve their goals in terms of PSM in a rapid and well orientated manner.

Параллель между экономической дестабилизацией и созданием безопасных условий труда в субъектах малого предпринимательства в Республике Узбекистан

Small business plays a significant role in the economy of the state and in providing employment for the population. This is confirmed by the statistical indicators of the share of small business in the gross domestic product of the Republic of Uzbekistan over the past 5 years — in 2020 it reached 48 %, while the share of employment in the small business sector was 68 %. Considering that the small business sector during the pandemic often escaped the attention of the state control over working conditions, it can be concluded that a significant part of the small business employees works in potentially unsafe conditions. The main economic and social problems in the sphere of small and medium-sized businesses, directly or indirectly affecting occupational safety are considered in the article. Analysis of the statistical data revealed the dependence between the economic destabilization, and an increase in incidents: their growth in 2020 amounted to almost 50 % in relation to 2019. It is concluded that forcing small businesses to work in accordance with the international codes and the current Occupational safety and health management system in the event of a crisis is inappropriate. Proposals were formulated on transforming the work of such enterprises, considering their capabilities, in three stages: mass audit of Occupational safety and health management system of small enterprises considering their structural and target differences; systematization of occupational safety management processes in the small businesses; introduction of Occupational safety and health management system as the main anti-crisis measure for the small businesses.

Process Safety for Sustainable Applications

Process safety techniques have been used in industry for decades to make processes and systems safer and to optimize them, and thus to improve sustainability. Their main aim is to prevent damage to people, equipment and the environment.In this overview, process safety and risk management techniques are shown that can be applied in the different life cycle phases of an application without much implementation effort. A broad and universal applicability in a wide range of business sectors is set as the main focus.In addition to the application of system improvement techniques, a number of additional considerations, such as maintenance and the consideration of abnormal operating conditions, are included in order to be able to comprehensively improve a system or application.

Nothing lasts forever: Items missing from your preventative maintenance system

AbstractDue to the number of serious Process Safety incidents that have occurred from the implementation of the Process Safety Management Standard, US Occupational Safety and Health Administration has implemented National Emphasis Programs to audit process safety compliance at refineries and chemical processing plants. Both the Refinery and the Chemical National Emphasis programs identified Mechanical Integrity as the element with the largest number of compliance gaps. An overview of the techniques used to identify the scope of an Asset Integrity System will be provided. Learning from incidents, including outside the Chemical Processing Industry, that have occurred will be reviewed to illustrate the importance of smaller, often overlooked, items that became root causes of incidents. The goal of this paper is to provide the reader with guidance on identification, determination of inspection frequency, documentation and deficiency resolution of critical equipment that not only satisfies the regulatory requirements but also includes all items, including small, often overlooked items.

Measuring vital signs of process safety culture

AbstractIn line with Fatima Group's vision and Health, Safety and Environment policy, Fatima Fertilizers Company Limited (FFCL) stipulated a process safety management program (PSM) as the major corner‐stone. It was purely a self‐initiative to implement this model rather than following any regulatory requirement. At FFCL, process safety performance is tracked using global method of leading and lagging indicators. Leading indicators are a set of data that measures performance across various elements of process safety. In 2020, in order to uplift process safety performance at FFCL, we invested in activities keeping in view core principles of process safety culture. While analyzing Leading Indicators for 2019, FFCL performance across various elements was linked with core principles of process safety; this helped to identify strong and weak areas of our culture. To supplement this analysis in pursuit of strong process safety culture, another study was conducted with title “What is it in for me, Two Decades of Process Safety Beacons”. All Process Safety Beacons to date were critically reviewed and relevant information was extracted. Main objective of this activity was to learn from past mistakes and strengthen process safety elements.