Process safety management success

Inadequate process safety management practices are often cited as the cause of reactive incidents, as discussed in Section 3.0 (Table 4). Incident data underscore the critical importance of successfully implementing the following key elements throughout the life cycle48 of a manufacturing process ... 

Chapter 3—Process Safety Management Metrics commonly used in process safety management systems including leading, lagging, and near miss and activity and outcome, external and internal metrics as well as characteristics of successful metrics... 

Percentage of individuals who successfully completed a process safety management (PSM) training session on the first try X ... 

To establish an effective OCM process, it is essential to start with top decision-makers, whose visible enthusiasm is required if a true commitment to safety is to be accepted and upheld by their employees. When the highest echelons of the corporate structure take an active role in seeing that OCM goals are accomplished, a successful process safety management (PSM) program can be improved by adding this important component. 

To provide the views of others with impressive reputations who have been successful in making safety audits, two colleagues were asked to write to me on the subject. Mr. Thomas W. Lawrence, Jr., CSP, PE, formerly at Monsanto, is now a Principal at Risk, Reliability Safety Engineering in League City, Texas. That firm does many safety audits to assist clients in assuring compliance with OSHA s Final Rule for Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals. This is what Mr. Lawrence wrote ... 

Other companies have included additional elements into their core management system. Examples include behavioral-based safety, communication, contractor safety, and process safety management. You can add any elements to your management that will help you measure your success. 

Process safety is a dynamic field. Enhancing process safety knowledge is one of the twelve key elements recognized hy CCPS for successfully managing process safety. 

Advertising successes of the process safety improvement effort demonstrates that improvement is possible. Well-crafted stories also explain the benefits that accrue to everyone in the organization. Of particular interest are stories where a process safety weakness was observed, possibly during a process safety audit, and an improvement effort corrected the identified weakness before it could manifest into an accident. Metrics can validate such improvements. Another example is improved reliability from timely maintenance of safety devices as demonstrated by metrics that educate personnel not only about the hazards, but also about the importance of reliable safety systems in managing those hazards. 

---