Process Safety Management (PSM) for managing contractors in process plant

Accidents involving contractors continue to occur with regular frequency. By using the standard set within the PSM 29 CFR 1910.119(h) regulations, it has been identified that certain aspects of the way contractors do work are not up to the stipulated regulatory requirements especially regarding matters like not providing mandatory personal protective equipment (PPE) to the workers, not discussing hazards related to handling procedures with the workforce and improper control of non-routine activities during changes in shifts. The PSM 29 CFR 1910.119(h) regulations promulgated in 1992 provides standards that covered processes to obtain and evaluate data regarding contractors' health and safety programs as well as the contractors' performance evaluation. Many of the accidents involving contractors are direct result of poor training of contractors and/or poor control of the contracted work. Even though most organizations have their own contractor management systems, there are issues in meeting the requirements of PSM. The PSM standard only state “what to do” not “how to do it”. This is known as self-regulatory policy which depends on the industries understanding to interpret the standard that also contribute to this problem. This paper presents a structured and easy technique to plan and implement a practical and comprehensive contractors' management system in process industries that will comply with OSHA CFR 1910.119. A model has been developed based on this technique and its application has been tested in a pilot plant for compliance to PSM regulation. The model is beneficial to the process industries as any deficiencies in the PSM contractors' management program will be highlighted by the model which will then easily correct the identified deficiency so as to minimize and prevent catastrophic accidents.     

Lessons learned for process safety management in China

A number of chemical accidents have occurred in China over the past two decades with significant impact on humans and the environment. It is expected that lessons will have been learned from these accidents that will help industries to reduce the risk that catastrophic chemical accidents occur in future. In fact, to some extent there is evidence that lessons have been learned, to the extent that the Chinese government has substantially strengthened legislation and regulatory standards. Nonetheless, there remains a concern that much more still needs to be done to reduce chemical accidents risks in China. Important progress in this area requires not only government support but a commitment across all hazardous industries to learn from past accidents that may in many cases require establishment or considerable improvement of their safety management systems. To assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in this effort, results of an analysis of common causes of the chemical accidents reported in the Major Accident Information (MAI) website of Chinese State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) are presented in this paper In particular, inadequate process hazard analysis (PHA), training and emergency response planning (ERP) were identified as the top three process safety management (PSM) elements that contribute to most of the SMEs accidents in China. Seven recommendations are proposed in order to improve the effectiveness of lesson learning for government agencies and SMEs.     

天然气管道应急体系网络结构优化分析

为达到帮助应急决策机构能迅速高效地完成天然气管道事故应急救援方案和行动的目的,运用UCINET软件对天然气管道应急体系的网络结构进行优化。通过分析应急指挥体系的自组织特性、控制特性和不确定性,参考美国卡特里娜飓风事故的应急救援组织网络,借助UCINET对天然气管道事故应急救援体系中的组织部门程度、接近和中间集中性分别进行相应的计算分析,归纳总结出天然气管道事故应急过程中最重要的组织部门。通过加强重要组织部门的通讯能力,实现对网络结构的优化,为提高部门间的协作能力,快速高效地完成应急救援任务提供支持。     

Review on the emergency evacuation in chemicals-concentrated areas

For serious accidents such as toxic/flammable release, fire and explosion in chemicals-concentrated areas, one primary issue is to evacuate on-site workers from potential affected zones. In this paper, based on corresponding reports, photos and videos, some accidents involving emergency evacuation are firstly investigated to present important and interesting problems to be considered in practice. These problems are summarized into three kinds of aspects including the poor efficiency of emergency plans, the low accuracy and high time-consuming calculation for evacuation route planning, and the neglection of evacuee's behavior and decision-making. Two main factors influencing the behavior and decision-making of evacuees are concluded as potential risk and impact from hazard sources, and the visibility at different locations. Then, the literature with respect to the emergency evacuation under toxic gas leakage, fire and visibility-limited conditions are reviewed. The key problems are related to ignoring the time-consuming requirement in emergency activities and domino effects of accidents, and the oversimplification of corresponding models. At last, from the famous cellular automata (CA) for emergency evacuation and atmospheric dispersion, a new general research framework for evacuation in chemicals-concentrated areas is proposed. It relies strongly on the quantitative assessment of risk, the establishment of individual visibility field, the use of CA coupled with artificial neural networks, and the optimal route planning. This paper could be useful for realistic problems on emergency evacuation in chemicals-concentrated areas.     

Accidents in “normal” operation – Can you see them coming?

Despite the increased understanding of how accidents occur in the chemical process industry, today's safety measures and indicators do not prevent these accidents from occurring. Finding a way to better, proactively, identifying precursors to imminent safety risks, could help organizations to focus their limited resources. The protocol proposed and demonstrated in this paper shows a way to do this. Basis is to examine usually low consequence, high likelihood reoccurring disruptions or deviations in the process (e.g. defects, disturbances, anomalies) for their relevance to process safety and define those possibly leading to accidents as ‘precursors’. As a next step ineffective supervising and managerial control processes and their underlying latent conditions, causing the persistence of these precursors, are identified and it was shown how these cause safety barriers to become ineffective and to open the way to accidents. In conclusion, this paper demonstrates that the proposed 7-stage protocol developed to this end can explicitly and proactively indicate safety risks, and find the controlling latent conditions causing the trouble. It will help organizations to direct their resources to improve safety, which will include their control structure and their normal way of working and will yield higher efficiency as a side benefit.     

A rising tide raises all boats: Regional promotion of process safety through joint government/industry management

With the development of increasingly complex processes and technologies in chemical and manufacturing industries, Process Safety Management (PSM) has been globally recognized as the primary tool for operating companies to reduce process accidents on their industrial sites and the risks posed to their employees and surrounding communities. Yet, industrial facilities are often interdependent and collocated with others. Recognizing this, regional authorities are also applying PSM principles to reduce the cumulative incidents associated with high density industrial areas and the multiplicative risks posed to broader communities. This paper compares Strathcona County Emergency Service (SCES) in Alberta, Contra Costa County Health Service Hazard Material Programs (CCCHSHMP) in California, and Technical Standards & Safety Authority (TSSA) in Ontario and their PSM systems to provide practical recommendations to improve SCES's system. Four aspects of PSM are considered: regulation and guidance, auditing and inspection, annual performance indicators, and public participation. Based on the results of this comparison, we recommend that SCES develop comprehensive PSM regulations based on CSA Z767-17 PSM including clear instructions for assessing technologies and methodologies for consequence analysis. Both worst-case scenarios and alternative scenarios need to be considered as well as the domino effect of primary accidents. Furthermore, regular audits and inspections will ensure compliance with PSM regulations while helping the design of planning, performing, and following-up strategies to ensure effectiveness. In addition, we suggest the use of lagging and leading performance indicators to evaluate the performance of the PSM program. Finally, we recommend using advisory councils or commissions to increase public participation and ensure the representation of stakeholders' perspectives with the PSM system.     

重大事故应急计划要素及其制定程序

论述了重大事故应急计划组成及其十大要素 ;介绍了制定企业事故应急计划的程序方法 ;针对我国现状 ,提出了建立我国重大事故应急救援体系的建议     

Determination of emergency assembly point for industrial accidents with AHP analysis

Major industrial accidents, which are a type of technological disaster, are very important due to the security risks and financial damages that threaten the environment and human health in today's industrialization. In this study, it was aimed to propose an approach that will guide the decision makers to choose the emergency assembly point that should be in the distance or shelter where the employees will be not affected by the negative consequences of emergencies within the scope of the obligation of industrial establishments preparing an internal emergency plan for major industrial accidents. For this purpose, in the first stage, modelling studies were carried out with ALOHA (Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres) Software over possible accident scenarios in an industrial establishment containing different types and amounts of hazardous chemicals. As a result of modelling studies, possible toxic emissions, fire and explosion effect distances and threat zones for the industrial establishment were obtained. In the second stage, the weights of the main and sub-selection criteria to be used in determining the assembly point were calculated. This stage was carried out based on the comparison data obtained as a result of the questionnaire applied to professionals with the help of AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method, which is one of the multi-criteria decision making methods. In the last stage, three candidate points were selected considering the physical effect areas determined in the first stage in the boundaries of the establishment, where the employees were evaluated to be affected the minimum from the negative consequences of industrial accidents. These candidate points were evaluated again with the AHP method on the basis of the sub-criteria whose relative weights were determined in the second stage and a selection was made. As a result, an approach that provides the solution of our problem was obtained.     

Improved management practice and process hazard analysis techniques for minimizing likelihood of process safety incidents in Taiwan

In Taiwan, process safety accidents often occur despite the prior implementation of process hazard analysis (PHA). One of the main reasons for this is the poor quality of the PHA process; with the main hazards not being properly identified, or properly controlled. Accordingly, based on the findings of 86 process safety management (PSM) audits, dozens of post-accident site resumption review meetings, and hundreds of PSM review sessions, this study examines the main deficiencies of management practice and PHA implementation in Taiwan, and presents several recommendations for improved PHA assessment techniques and procedures. The study additionally examines the feasibility for using PSM-related information, such as process safety information and process incident information, as a tool for further enhancing the PHA quality. Overall, the study suggests that, in addition to following the basic rules of PHA and requirements of OSHA (1992),management in Taiwan should also provide training in the enhanced assessment techniques proposed herein and take active steps to incorporate PSM information into the PHA framework in order to improve the general quality of PHA and reduce the likelihood of process safety accidents accordingly.     

基于海洋石油作业事故风险分析的应急研究

海洋石油作业具有高危险性、高投入的特点,从事故应急管理内涵角度出发,以海洋石油作业事故历史数据统计及风险分析为基础,开展了不同海洋石油作业事故在应急管理过程中的重点内容的研究,进而指导、细化海洋石油作业应急工作。     

论特种设备事故(突发事件)的应急响应与科学处置

为满足基于大数据的特种设备事故推演和预防技术及平台的研发与应用,本文研究了特种设备事故(突发事件)应急处置现状和存在的问题,归纳总结出特种设备安全共性风险,设计和完善了事故响应、控制、预防等应急处置方案与应急救援体系,并进行了实例验证.同时,本文还对在应急处置平台系统上的部署和应用提出了期望.     

Managing process chemicals,technology and equipment information for pilot plant based on Process Safety Management standard

Injuries, accidents or even fatalities while working in pilot plant are reported worldwide. The OSHA Laboratory Standard and Hazard Communication Standard have been used as a guideline to manage safety of laboratories and pilot plant. In spite of the implementation of these standards, incidents which result in injuries and property loss are continuously occurring. The implementation of OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM) Standard in pilot plant is expected to further reduce the risks of accidents. This paper presents a new system for managing process chemicals, technology and equipment information in pilot plant and the concept is developed based on Process Safety Information (PSI) element of PSM 29 CFR 1910.119(d). It provides organized strategies to manage documentations, communicate information, and written program for maintaining, revising and updating related information. Process and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) is used as a foundation for data management. Implementation of this system at the CO₂ Hydrocarbon Absorption System pilot plant as a case study is examined and discussed.     

突发性环境污染事故应急监测的措施分析

突发性环境污染事故会对环境造成较大的伤害,如果不能及时采取措施,就会使污染进一步扩大,不仅带来经济的损失,而且会破坏到生态的平衡。因此,要建立起突发环境污染事故的应急监测,这样才能尽可能的减少突发性环境污染事件的影响。基于此,本文从突发性环境污染事故的特征入手,首先分析其应急监测的意义,然后探究具体的措施,希望可以借此给突发性环境污染应急监测的相关研究提供一定的参考意见。     

我国西部中小城镇防震减灾管理体系研究

分析了我国西部中小城镇防震减灾管理现状,借鉴发达国家防震减灾管理的经验,构建了西部中小城镇防震减灾管理体系,包括防震减灾法律保障、行政监管、地震监测预报和预警、防震减灾计划、建筑物和生命线工程的抗震性能保证、防震减灾教育与培训、基层单位对震灾的预防、地震救援组织建设、震灾应急救援服务等彼此关联、相互作用的子系统。指出其建设重点应放在建筑物和生命线工程抗震性能保证、行政监管、防震减灾计划、防震教育培训和基层震灾预防等方面。提出了深化西部中小城镇建设管理体制改革、提高防震减灾社会管理与公共服务水平、加强地震灾害应急救援体系建设等对策和建议。研究成果的运用将有助于增强西部中小城镇的防震减灾管理能力。     

铁路事故救援系统的构建研究

在研究事故救援现状的基础上 ,分析并提出了铁路事故救援系统的构建条件 ,将铁路事故救援的可用资源分为内部资源和社会资源两大类 ,归纳总结了参与铁路事故救援的各部门组织的结构关系 ;根据实践中铁路事故救援的工作程序 ,归纳出事故救援系统的工作流程 ,探索了事故救援预案的构成内容 ;将铁路事故救援系统划分为救援资源、救援预案库、事故救援辅助决策等 6个功能模块 ,并进行了功能模块的分析以及系统的特点分析。该系统已经应用在大同铁路分局的运输生产中 ,达到了缩短救援响应时间、减少事故的损失和降低对运输生产的影响等效果。     

企业生产安全事故应急救援预案编制技术的研究

企业编制生产安全事故应急救援预案是企业建立生产安全事故应急管理体系的基础工作,对于企业提高生产安全事故应急救援能力,降低企业生产安全事故损失具有重大意义。笔者在对广州发展油品经营有限公司南沙油库事故应急救援预案编制技术的研究基础上,进一步阐述了企业生产安全事故应急管理体系结构,指出了企业生产安全事故应急救援预案编制的总体思路,并从企业生产安全事故应急救援预案编制的技术层面,论述了企业生产安全事故应急救援预案的体系框架及文件要素,指出企业生产安全事故应急救援预案的体系框架可以由总预案和程序文件体系两大部分组成,文件要素可以由2个一级要素、18个二级要素和2 8个三级要素组成。笔者论述的企业生产安全事故应急救援预案编制技术已经在广东省数百家企业得到宣传应用,取得了良好的社会效益。     

突发性环境污染事故应急监测分析

随着我国经济水平的提高,人们对生活质量的要求也逐渐提高,因此政府也在逐渐加大经济建设和资源开发力度,力求满足人们对生活水平的要求。但是近年来由于资源开采过多,环境的污染程度逐渐加重,由于各种污染物质的相互作用,突发性的环境污染事故发生的次数也逐渐增多。山西是我国的能源大省,拥有很多重工业的基地,产生了大量的工业污染,对水体、大气以及土地都产生了不同程度的污染,引发了突发环境污染事故的出现。本文立足于山西突发性环境污染事故应急监测的现状,分析了山西省在应急监测上所存在的问题,并提出了相应的解决措施,力求降低突发环境污染事故的影响。     

Process safety challenges for SMEs in China

While process safety regulations and standards have been in place in western countries for more than two decades, China has only recently started to officially embrace these issues with the adoption of its Process Safety Management (PSM) regulation AQ/T 3034-2010 (SAWS, 2010). However, compliance with this regulatory framework requires substantial resources and may therefore appear too complex to be efficiently implemented by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the chemical sector. This is of particular relevance as about 99% of chemical companies in China are SMEs, accounting for more than 80% of all chemical accidents. To address this issue, additional local regulations and planning activities related to process safety have been implemented in China, including the establishment of hundreds of chemical industry parks. Some of the process safety problems faced by chemical industry parks are identified and discussed in this paper. To help solve these problems, UNEP's “Responsible Production approach for Chemical Hazards Management along the Value-Chain” is introduced in this paper and suggested as a simplified PSM approach targeted specifically at SMEs which, regardless of handling hazardous chemicals in their daily operations, may not have the knowledge or capacity to efficiently implement PSM and may not fall in the scope of the PSM regulation AQ/T 3034-2010. By introducing PSM to SMEs in a more manageable way, relevant steps can be progressively implemented by companies towards full compliance with the current regulatory framework, contributing to increased safety in chemical industry parks in China.     

A comparative analysis of process safety management (PSM) systems in the process industry

The root cause of most accidents in the process industry has been attributed to process safety issues ranging from poor safety culture, lack of communication, asset integrity issues, lack of management leadership and human factors. These accidents could have been prevented with adequate implementation of a robust process safety management (PSM) system. Therefore, the aim of this research is to develop a comparative framework which could aid in selecting an appropriate and suitable PSM system for specific industry sectors within the process industry. A total of 21 PSM systems are selected for this study and their theoretical frameworks, industry of application and deficiencies are explored. Next, a comparative framework is developed using eleven key factors that are applicable to the process industry such as framework and room for continuous improvement, design specification, industry adaptability and applicability, human factors, scope of application, usability in complex systems, safety culture, primary or secondary mode of application, regulatory enforcement, competency level, as well as inductive or deductive approach. After conducting the comparative analysis using these factors, the Integrated Process Safety Management System (IPSMS) model seems to be the most robust PSM system as it addressed almost every key area regarding process safety. However, inferences drawn from study findings suggest that there is still no one-size-fits-all PSM system for all sectors of the process industry.     

The effective control of major industrial accidents by the Major Industrial Accident Prevention Centers (MAPC) through the Process Safety Management (PSM) grading system in Korea

This paper examines effectiveness of a regulatory enforcement organization (Major industrial Accident Prevention Center, MAPC), and a grading system for implementation of the Process Safety Management (PSM) regulation in Korea. A lot of chemical installations have been built in Korea since the 1960s. The frequent occurrence of major industrial accidents had made people's concerns grow. The Korean government enacted PSM regulations in 1996 in order to curb these accidents.However, a key question is how to make sure companies comply with the PSM regulations. In order to improve company’ compliance with PSM regulations the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) responsible for the regulation introduced a grading management system in 2001 and then established special supervisory centers for enforcement of PSM regulations in 2005. This paper reviews the role and effectiveness of the system in term of PSM enforcement. The author found that the grade-based approach has encouraged employers to implement the requirements of the PSM regulations. MAPCs play an effective role in enhancing enforcement performance. Although the more chemical plants have been established in Korea, the fewer major industrial accidents have occurred since the introduction of the system. The results may be useful for the policy maker to build an effective and efficient enforcement system.