Hazard analysis audits

The safety status of the process should be periodically reviewed against the guiding principles for the original design. Monitoring of add-ons can detect potentially dangerous modifications. Process hazards analysis or process safety audits are useful tools for this review. Documentation of inherently safer principles is critical to ensure that future changes don t nullify the positive features of the initial installation. 

Trade secrets may be used in developing the information for the process hazard analysis emergency planning and responses, and compliance audits. Materials that are developed involving trade secrets may be treated as proprietary and may require signed statements for tl protection. 

The human factors audit was part of a hazard analysis which was used to recommend the degree of automation required in blowdown situations. The results of the human factors audit were mainly in terms of major errors which could affect blowdown success likelihood, and causal factors such as procedures, training, control room design, team communications, and aspects of hardware equipment. The major emphasis of the study was on improving the human interaction with the blowdown system, whether manual or automatic. Two specific platform scenarios were investigated. One was a significant gas release in the molecular sieve module (MSM) on a relatively new platform, and the other a release in the separator module (SM) on an older generation platform. 

Look around the bookshelves. There are many good recent books and articles on Chemical Process Safety theory and procedures. These texts offer sound advice on identifying chemical process hazard analysis, training, audits, and guidelines books addressing the elements of OSHA s Process Safety Management Law. However, only a few people such as Trevor A. Kletz offer many authentic case histories that provide opportunities to learn fundamentals in process safety. 

Quality control in the upstream supply chain is part of our supplier approval system and regular supplier auditing. The applied control systems are based, as within our own factory premises on the HACCP systems (Hazard Analysis on Critical Control Points). These quality control systems have been elaborated for each individual raw material. It is our objective to source our raw materials as far as possible from approved suppliers these are suppliers who are able to guarantee the qualities we require. 

The DuPont hazards analysis roadmap was consulted to determine the level of safety audit needed for the AIMS. A Research Safety Review (RSR) was determined to be sufficient because the system was not designed for unattended... 

DOE 0 420.1 Facility Safety Requires fire hazard analysis and natural phenomena analysis for all facilities. For Hazard Category 2 or 3 nuclear facilities only, requires a criticality safety evaluation. Criticality Safety Analysis Fire Hazard Analysis Effects of natural phenomena hazards on facility systems, structures, or components (SSCs) included as part of safety analysis documented in the Safety Analysis Report (SAR), Basis for Interim Operation (BIO), or Auditable Safety Analysis (ASA). 

Lastly, in the nineteen nineties, OSHA s Process Safety Standard was introduced as 29 CFR 1910.119, requiring hazard analysis and process safety assessment of selected hazardous substances. For example, use of methanol in dye and pigment syntheses now requires an extensive process safety analysis and audit. 

Create a periodic audit system on the safety of operations and the state of the plant. Audit scope might be defined by such information as the hazard analysis, identified leading indicators of risk, and past incident/accident investigations. 

Perform safety audits, performance assessments, and inspections using the hazard analysis results as the preconditions for operations and maintenance. Collect data to ensure safety policies and procedures are being followed and that education and training about safety is effective. Establish feedback channels for leading indicators of increasing risk. 

Setting up a safety information system for a single project or product may be easier. The effort starts in the development process and then is passed on for use in operations. The information accumulated during the safety-driven design process provides the baseline for operations, as described in chapter 12. For example, the identification of critical items in the hazard analysis can be used as input to the maintenance process for prioritization. Another example is the use of the assumptions underlying the hazard analysis to guide the audit and performance assessment process. But first the information needs to be recorded and easily located and used by operations personnel. 

Management s first priority must always be to make sure that they are in compliance with the law. In some ways, this type of audit is the easiest to carry out because the audit questions are predefined. All that the auditor need to do is take a regulatory statement or sentence, and invert it to create the audit question. For example, the OSHA PSM standard to do with hazards analysis contains the following requirement ... 

All findings must have enough detail to implement and verify closure. Findings that are vague or that cannot ever be addressed should not be issued. As with hazards analysis a clear distinction between findings and recommendations is required. An audit team issues findings it does not make recommendations. 

Having collected the information—say for an audit or a hazards analysis—the report writer must write the draft report as quickly as possible. No matter how effective and thorough the auditor s note taking may have been, there will always be some observations and facts that were not fully recorded in the auditor s notes, or that are not easily understood a few days after the audit has concluded. In order to capture these thoughts, and to clear up any potential ambiguities, the auditor must write the draft report right away. 

The MORT chart contains detailed information to aid in evaluating the hazard analysis process (HAP) and the design effort. In practice, however, the MORT tools and techniques that are most frequently used are in the areas of accident investigation, auditing, appraisal, and p>erformance monitoring. 

An audit check performed prior to equipment operation to ensure that adequate Process Safety Management (PSM) activities have been performed. The check should verify that (1) construction and equipment are satisfactory, (2) procedures are available and adequate, (3) a Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) has been undertaken and recommendations resolved, and (4) the employees are trained. It is part of the requirements of the PSM program outlined in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation 29 CFR 1910.119. 

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