Connecting Progress Safety and the Dynamic Frontline

Abstract

The real world of operations is neither simple nor static. It’s dynamic and can be difficult to manage. Deviations from management system or procedural practice, changing equipment status, hazards introduced through maintenance and repair work, and human and environmental factors can increase risk exposure which can escalate into a significant process safety event. While process safety tools and techniques have enabled us to improve the design basis of our facilities, we simply do not provide adequate systems and solutions to help Operations prioritize their work and operate the facility in a way that proactively minimizes and manages risk. In fact, according to Petrotechnics’ 2018 survey on process safety and risk management, 86% reported a gap between how process safety is intended and the reality of its implementation in operations. In 2017, an overwhelming 90% said risk awareness and safety would be improved with access to real-time process safety risk indicators – and yet the 2018 survey reveals that today 60% of companies are not proactively monitoring and managing impaired process safety barriers. While the current digitalization initiatives of the industry offer companies an opportunity for a more precise understanding of risk and provide a route map for the journey towards sustainable production, often the last people in the organization to be connected are the frontline work teams. This is all about to change – and process safety and operations teams need to prepare for a substantial digital leap. A new category of Operational Risk Management (ORM) tools are emerging which seek to close this gap. This paper shares the approaches adopted by two major international oil industry operators who are leveraging a new approach to process safety and operational risk management to achieve safer, more sustainable operations.