Investigation of stakeholders' awareness and adoption of Inherently Safer Design (ISD) principles in South African utility industry projects

The paper examines the level of awareness of stakeholders in adopting Inherently Safer Design (ISD) principles in the Project Life Cycle Management (PLCM) of South African Energy utility projects. It seeks to understand whether stakeholders in the latter stages of the Project Life Cycle are competent to make design change decisions on these projects. ISD principles are essentially useful for reducing risks and as such, safety experts have acknowledged it as an excellent approach in the design process. However, there are no known efforts to date that attempt to integrate ISD concepts into PLCM. This paper seeks to fill this gap. This study, through the review of extant literature establishes that ISD principles can be used in project procurement, and adopts a quantitative survey approach in obtaining information from stakeholders in the South African utility industry. Findings reveal that the principles of inherent safety are permeating into the management of South African utility projects but the level of awareness and its adoption are below optimal levels. It also emerged that there is a divergent awareness of ISD strategies amongst PLCM stakeholders and that the design engineers are better informed about the ISD approach of eliminating risks and hazards in the industrial systems studied than other stakeholders. The findings also indicate that the level of awareness of stakeholders of ISD principles is greater within earlier project phases. Based on these findings, the paper concludes that the hazards witnessed within the project execution and finalization phases could be as a result of the low levels of awareness, divergent views and lower use of ISD strategies by PLCM stakeholders. It is suggested that the level of awareness of the principles, concepts, basics and benefits of integrating ISD into PLCM be raised amongst stakeholders functioning within utility industry project procurement in South Africa and that design changes be limited to the earlier phases of utility project procurement.     

海上生产设施远程监控和管理系统的建设探讨

针对海洋石油行业面临的海上作业设施如何安全有效监控及管理的问题,从实际的安全生产管理需求出发,结合通信网络链路及传输特点,采用先进的远程监控技术和海洋石油应急管理理念,设计开发了海上生产设施远程监控和管理系统平台,并论述了总体框架、软硬件结构及发展趋势。系统已经作为保障安全生产的重要手段应用于海上作业平台及船舶运输,提高了安全生产管理水平,并取得了很好的效果。     

A new practical approach to risk management for underground mining project in Quebec

The mining industry worldwide is currently experiencing an economic boom that is contributing to economic recovery and social progress in many countries. For this to continue, the mining industry must meet several challenges associated with the start-up of new projects. In a highly complex and uncertain environment, rigorous management of risks remains indispensable in order to repel threats to the success of mining.In this article, a new practical approach to risk management in mining projects is presented. This approach is based on a novel concept called “hazard concentration” and on the multi-criteria analysis method known as the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The aim of the study is to extend the use of this approach to goldmines throughout Quebec. The work is part of a larger research project of which the aim is to propose a method suitable for managing practically all risks inherent in mining projects.This study shows the importance of taking occupational health and safety (OHS) into account in all operational activities of the mine. All project risks identified by the team can be evaluated. An adaptable database cataloguing about 250 potential hazards in an underground goldmine was constructed. In spite of limitations, the results obtained in this study are potentially applicable throughout the Quebec mining sector.     

Qualitative Assessment for Inherently Safer Design (QAISD) at preliminary design stage

Conventional hazard evaluation techniques such as what-if checklist and hazard and operability (HAZOP) studies are often used to recognise potential hazards and recommend possible solutions. They are used to reduce any potential incidents in the process plant to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) level. Nevertheless, the suggested risk reduction alternatives merely focus on added passive and active safety systems rather than preventing or minimising the inherent hazards at source through application of inherently safer design (ISD) concept. One of the attributed reasons could be the shortage of techniques or tools to support implementation of the concept. Thus, this paper proposes a qualitative methodology that integrates ISD concept with hazard review technique to identify inherent hazards and generate ISD options at early stage of design as proactive measures to produce inherently safer plant. A modified theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) hazard review method is used in this work to identify inherent hazards, whereby an extended inherent safety heuristics tool is developed based on established ISD principles to create potential ISD options. The developed method namely Qualitative Assessment for Inherently Safer Design (QAISD) could be applied during preliminary design stage and the information required to apply the method would be based on common process and safety database of the studied process. However, user experiences and understanding of inherent safety concept are crucial for effective utilisation of the QAISD. This qualitative methodology is applied to a typical batch reactor of toluene nitration as a case study. The results show several ISD strategies that could be considered at early stage of design in order to prevent and minimise the potential of thermal runaway in the nitration process.     

The oil and gas industry,the competence assessment of Offshore Installation Managers (OIMs) and Control Room Operators (CROs) in emergency response,and the lack of effective assessment of underpinning technical knowledge and understanding

Within the UKCS offshore oil and gas industry there exist key personnel who perform critical roles in an emergency as part of the installation's emergency response team (ERT), two of these personnel are the Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) and the offshore Control Room Operator (CRO). The OIM is responsible for the safety and well-being of all persons onboard and within 500 m of the installation. Should an emergency situation arise, the OIM performs one of the most critical roles in emergency response - management of the response to the emergency to mitigate and make safe the installation to secure a place of safety for persons onboard or organise their safe evacuation. Such emergency response shall also include limiting the loss of hydrocarbons to the environment. The CRO monitors and interprets the output from an installation's Distributed Control System (DCS) and Fire and Gas Panel (FGP), responding to alarms and deviations from steady state. In many instances, an offshore CRO's actions in response to these deviations can determine whether or not the situation deteriorates into a disaster. Should an emergency occur, the CRO will act in accordance with an installation's emergency response procedures and OIM instructions.The persistence of incidents, a number leading to disasters, in the industry highlights the importance of both OIM and CRO competence in controlling emergencies. Both positions require an effective system to assess the competence of job holders. Research at the University of Aberdeen identified potential barriers that can prevent the effective competence assessment of an OIM in emergency response. An extension to this research analyses the two offshore industry standards for competence in emergency response: OPITO 7025 – OIM Controlling Emergencies and OPITO 9004 – Control Room Operator Emergency Response, and associated documentation, applying a critical hermeneutic approach, focusing on the assessment of underpinning knowledge and understanding within the roles. The key findings are that there currently exists no effective means to assess the underpinning technical knowledge and understanding of either OIMs or CROs in emergency response within the offshore industry. Knowledge and, in particular, understanding are poorly defined within the relevant OPITO standards. There exists no validation of evidence collated to support an individual's underpinning knowledge and understanding and no truly independent audit of collated evidence or the process of assessment.The research is important to Duty Holders (see also OSD Installation Operators under UK Offshore Safety Directive Regulations) and employers within the offshore oil and gas industry, organisations associated with the offshore industry, safety engineers and UK Government departments with regard to the effectiveness of competence assessment of appointed OIMs and CROs. It is also significant to risk engineers when considering the probable competence of key emergency response personnel in a given environment at a given point in time. The research is not just applicable to the UKCS offshore industry but also to the global offshore oil and gas industry.     

Offshore safety case approach and formal safety assessment of ships

PROBLEM: Tragic marine and offshore accidents have caused serious consequences including loss of lives, loss of property, and damage of the environment. METHOD: A proactive, risk-based "goal setting" regime is introduced to the marine and offshore industries to increase the level of safety. DISCUSSION: To maximize marine and offshore safety, risks need to be modeled and safety-based decisions need to be made in a logical and confident way. Risk modeling and decision-making tools need to be developed and applied in a practical environment. SUMMARY: This paper describes both the offshore safety case approach and formal safety assessment of ships in detail with particular reference to the design aspects. The current practices and the latest development in safety assessment in both the marine and offshore industries are described. The relationship between the offshore safety case approach and formal ship safety assessment is described and discussed. Three examples are used to demonstrate both the offshore safety case approach and formal ship safety assessment. The study of risk criteria in marine and offshore safety assessment is carried out. The recommendations on further work required are given. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: This paper gives safety engineers in the marine and offshore industries an overview of the offshore safety case approach and formal ship safety assessment. The significance of moving toward a risk-based "goal setting" regime is given.     

Damage to offshore oil and gas facilities following hurricanes Katrina and Rita: An overview

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the centre of the American petrochemical industry, shutting down eight refineries, hundreds of oil-drilling and production platforms, and many other industrial facilities. Furthermore, it triggered unprecedented numbers of hazardous-materials releases from industrial facilities and storage terminals onshore, as well as from oil and gas production facilities offshore in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). In this paper, we analyse the damage caused by the two hurricanes on the offshore oil and gas industry. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused the largest number of destroyed and damaged platforms and pipelines, and the highest number of mobile offshore drilling units set adrift in the history of GoM operations. Following the hurricanes, changes have been proposed to operating and emergency procedures, maintenance requirements, and design practices including mooring practices for mobile offshore drilling units.     

基于风险管理方法的危险源评价分级研究

以化工企业内涉及危险物质的装置、设施而构成的危险源为研究对象,在简要分析重大危险源评价分级的作用与方法的基础上,针对中小型化工企业,提出基于风险管理方法的危险源评价分级概念。通过计算危险源引发事故的概率和事故后果来确定危险源的风险值,并将其分为4个等级,指导企业制定合适的安全管理制度、使用恰当的安全技术措施,以最小化的代价确保危险源安全运行,从而提高中小型化工企业的危险源管理水平。     

Using risk tolerance criteria to determine safety integrity levels for safety instrumented functions

Standards and industry guidelines for Safety Instrumented Systems (SISs) describe the use of hazard and risk analysis to determine the risk reduction required, or Safety Integrity Levels (SILs), of Safety Instrumented Functions (SIFs) with reference to hazardous events and risk tolerance criteria for them. However, significant problems are encountered when putting this approach into practice. There is ambiguity in the meaning of the term hazardous event. Notably, even though it is a key concept in the process-sector-specific SIS standard, IEC 61511/ISA 84, it is not defined in the standard. Consequently, risk tolerance criteria for hazardous events are ill-defined and, therefore, they are not the most appropriate criteria to use. Most current approaches to SIL determination use them and therefore they are flawed fundamentally.An informed decision on the tolerability of risk for a facility cannot be made by determining only the tolerability of risk for individual hazardous events. Rather, the tolerability of the cumulative risk from all hazard scenarios and their hazardous events for a facility must be determined. Such facility risk tolerance criteria are the type used by regulators. This issue applies to all per event risk tolerance criteria. Furthermore, determining the tolerability of risk for a facility based only on the risks of single events, be they hazard scenarios or hazardous events, and comparing them to risk tolerance criteria for the events is not meaningful because there is no consideration of how many such events can actually occur and, therefore, no measure of the total risk. The risks from events should be summed for a facility and compared with overall facility risk tolerance criteria.This paper describes and illustrates SIL determination using a risk model implemented within the framework of Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA) that overcomes these problems. The approach allows the allocation of risk across companies, facilities, processes, process units, process modes, etc. to be managed easily.     

The use of current risk analysis tools evaluated towards preventing external domino accidents

Risk analysis is an essential tool for company safety policy. Risk analysis consists of identifying and evaluating all possible risks. The efficiency of risk analysis tools depends on the rigueur of identifying and evaluating all possible risks. The diversity in risk analysis procedures is such that there are many appropriate techniques for any circumstance and the choice has become more a matter of taste. In this paper, we examine the risk analysis tools used by 24 chemical plants in Belgium, mainly located in the port of Antwerp, the second largest chemical cluster in the world after Houston, TX, USA. The aim of this paper is to identify the current practice in the chemical industry subject to European Seveso legislation and to examine how the present methods can be integrated to improve safety policy, especially towards preventing major accidents. Moreover, conclusions on the prevention of catastrophic external domino accidents involving several companies are formulated. This paper also gives impulse to investigating cross-company management implementations concerning external domino accident prevention.     

Use of association rules to explore cause–effect relationships in occupational accidents in the Taiwan construction industry

Most models of the incidence of occupational accidents in the construction industry are composed of multiple factors. Although statistical techniques can be used to infer cause-and-effect relationships among these factors, the large number of factors involved and the complexity of the relationships among them make it difficult for managers to identify potential hazards in construction projects and thus develop effective safety procedures. This study addresses this problem by using the association-rule method of data mining in performing an analysis of 1347 accidents in the Taiwan construction industry during the period 2000–2007. The association-rule method enables potential cause-and-effect relationships to be identified among the many factors that play a role in occupational accidents in the construction industry. The study finds that such accidents tend to occur when certain combinations of hazards are present – especially working in high places without protective measures, loss of balance when in motion, failure to use protective equipment, insufficient experience, and injurious contact with unstable structures. These hazards are especially evident in small enterprises with less than 10 persons. The results can help management to formulate effective safety policies with regard to management shortcomings and staff training.     

Optimizing the design of storage facilities through the application of ISD and QRA

Four strategies can be used to achieve safety in chemical processes: inherent, passive, active and procedural. However, the strategy that offers the best results is the inherent safety approach, especially if it is applied during the initial stages of a project. Inherently Safer Design (ISD) permanently eliminates or reduces hazards, and thus avoids or diminishes the consequences of incidents. ISD can be applied using four strategies: substitution, minimization, moderation and simplification. In this paper, we propose a methodology that combines ISD strategies with Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) to optimize the design of storage installations. As 17% of major accidents in the chemical industry occur during the storage process and cause significant losses, it is essential to improve safety in such installations. The proposed method applies QRA to estimate the risk associated with a specific design. The design can then be compared to others to determine which is inherently safer. The risk analysis may incorporate complex phenomena such as the domino effect and possible impacts on vulnerable material and human elements. The methodology was applied to the San Juanico tragedy that occurred in Mexico in 1984.     

中国民航业安全风险监测与仿真研究

根据系统安全的思想,通过对航空安全历史数据的分析和专家经验,从人员、设备设施、环境和组织管理4个方面,提出中国民航机务、空管、飞行、机场4个分系统安全风险监测指标体系,共102个风险因素指标,并合成为27个行业安全风险监测指标。以民航历史数据为样本,建立资源优化神经网络(RON)模型,将安全风险监测指标与中国民航安全指数相联系,分析安全指数的关键影响因素,达到安全管理决策支持的目的。通过建立的风险监测指标体系和RON模型,可以实现民航整个行业、各分系统及单个指标的安全风险监测和预警。     

工矿企业实施设备、设施本质安全化探讨

分析了企业生产过程中,设备、设施本质安全化的状况,认为企业安全工作的根本出路在于设备、设施本质安全化.提出了通过加强企业领导安全意识,提高生产系统的安全投入,在建设项目的设施过程中力争提高设备设施的本质安全化水平,抓好新建、改建、扩建工程项目的"三同时"管理和安全评价,生产单位通过认真做好生产过程中的维护管理等途径提高设备、设施本质安全化.     

Incorporating inherent safety during the conceptual process design stage: A literature review

This paper reviews principal concepts, tools, and metrics for risk management and Inherently Safer Design (ISD) during the conceptual stage of process design. Even though there has been a profusion of papers regarding ISD, the targeted audience has typically been safety engineers, not process engineers. Thus, the goal of this paper is to enable process engineers to use all the available design degrees of freedom to mitigate risk early enough in the design process. Mainly, this paper analyzes ISD and inherent safety assessment tools (ISATs) from the perspective of inclusion in conceptual process design. The paper also highlights the need to consider safety as a major component of process sustainability. In this paper, 73 ISATs were selected, and these tools were categorized into three groups: hazard-based inherent safety assessment tools (H-ISATs) for 22 tools, risk-based inherent safety assessment tools (R-ISATs) for 33 tools, and cost-optimal inherent safety assessment tools (CO-ISATs) for 18 tools. This paper also introduces an integrated framework for coordinating the conventional process design workflow with safety analysis at various levels of detail.     

Promoting safety awareness in fishing communities through community arts: An action research project

Commercial fishing is a very dangerous industry. Traditionally safety education has focused on making individual fish harvesters aware of safety regulations and procedures. An alternative approach is to raise community awareness of safety issues and to consider both individual and collective strategies for improving safety in the industry. Such an approach would be based upon the local fishing communities’ cultural traditions. This paper presents details of the use of drama, music and associated arts-based activities designed to promote safety awareness in three fishing communities in Newfoundland. Local residents planned and performed all of the activities. Discussions were subsequently conducted with key community participants to clarify the process of implementing these projects. These participants were very enthusiastic about the projects and keen to develop other similar activities in their communities. It would seem that community arts is a very effective means of engaging communities in discussion about safety related issues.     

基于知识的工业项目安全设计研究

为了从源头上提高工业项目整个过程的安全绩效,基于安全知识设计的实践性、分散性和两重性等特点,对工业项目安全设计各阶段的知识流动进行阐述,提出安全设计策划、安全设计展开和安全设计评价各阶段的知识获取、存储、共享应用和创新,并应用知识管理的思想对基于安全知识的安全设计持续改进流程进行探讨。得出安全设计能有效管理并扩充安全知识数据库,供工业项目各参与方使用,并不断交流与深化改进工业项目的安全设计,使安全知识能在整个行业内广泛共享和再利用。     

基于AHP的大庆海外石油钻探项目风险评价指标体系研究

我国石油企业在承揽海外石油钻探项目的过程中,为确保工程能顺利进行,需要进行风险预警管理。基于150份完整有效的调查问卷数据,以大庆海外石油钻探项目风险管理为研究对象,采用文献查阅法、问卷调查法、德尔菲法专家法、AHP层次分析法等研究方法,对大庆海外石油钻探项目的风险预警管理进行了研究,构建了海外石油钻探项目的风险评价指标体系。研究表明:政治经济风险对海外石油钻探项目影响最大,社会文化风险影响最小;政治经济风险中,经济风险的影响远大于政治风险的影响;财务风险中,与获利相关的直接风险大于间接风险;地质条件工程与技术风险中,地质条件风险大于技术风险;社会文化风险中,与东道国语言差异造成的风险影响最大。最后,提出了相应地对策建议。     

水电站建设中作业安全风险控制方案研究

水电站建设工程涉及的人员多,设备设施多,作业点多,战线长,作业安全风险大,需要系统性的作业安全风险控制方案以解决安全问题.对作业要素安全风险、作业过程安全风险控制进行了研究,提出了系统化的作业安全风险控制方案,为水电站建设的安全管理提供技术支持.     

The oil and gas industry,the Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) and the management of emergencies - Changes necessary to achieve effective competence assessment of OIMs in controlling emergencies

Within the UK offshore oil and gas industry all installations require to be under the charge of a ‘competent’ installation manager in accordance with the Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (Management and Administration) Regulations (MAR) 1995. The Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) is responsible for the safety of all persons onboard and within 500 m of an installation. Should an incident arise, the OIM performs one of the most critical roles within the offshore industry - management of the response to the emergency to mitigate and make safe the installation to secure a place of safety for persons onboard or organise their safe evacuation. The emergency response also includes limiting the loss of hydrocarbons to the environment.Research at the University of Aberdeen has identified 8 potential barriers to the effective competence assessment of OIMs in controlling emergencies. These underlying barriers are a consequence of current UK legislation and industry practices in the assessment of OIM competence and result from:

• •multiple definitions of competence,
• •competence assessment predominantly by observation,
• •lack of specific and unambiguous competence requirements for trainers and assessors,
• •complexity in UK legislation and complicated interpretation of terms,
• •lack of statutory competence requirements for OIMs in controlling emergencies,
• •lack of ownership of OIM competence and competence assessment,
• •complex interactions across multiple UK Government departments, and
• •lack of regulation and independent audit of the competence assessment process of OIMs in controlling emergencies.

The potential barriers were identified by qualitative analysis of key documentation, including legislation, using a critical hermeneutic approach. Hermeneutics has historically been used to analyse texts within the domains of theology, business and law. It arguably, however, represents a powerful approach to the study of documents within the engineering domain and the offshore oil and gas industry.This paper discusses the identified potential barriers, research conclusions and recommendations and represents the culmination of three years of doctoral research investigating the competence assessment of OIMs in controlling emergencies within the offshore oil and gas industry. The research, in particular, is relevant to Duty Holders within the offshore industry, safety engineers and UK Government departments.