Process Safety Management

Business Challenge

Most industrial licensing authorities and insurance companies require operating companies to carry out hazard studies and risk assessments during a facility design, as well as prior to construction and during operation. The authorities require that the hazard studies be recorded and acted-upon, and that they be subject to management audit and approval.

Prior to the construction and operation of a facility (design phase), most industrial licensing authorities and insurance companies require operating companies to carry out hazard studies and risk assessments. Authorities require hazard studies to be recorded, acted upon and subject to management audit and approval. 

Solution

What is Process Safety Management (PSM)?

PSM is a part of safety management, which focuses on the concerns of major hazards impacting safety, environmental damage and business losses. Oil & Gas companies are significant users of PSM methods, particularly where there are hazardous processes or large inventories of flammable or toxic materials. Regulators expect operators of volatile plants to implement measures to ensure that their plants are operated and maintained in a safe manner. PSM techniques are numerous - from process screening and concept selection, through hazard identification, consequence evaluation, risk assessment, ALARP study, pre start-up action response auditing, to inspection and auditing during operation.

 

What are the key benefits?
The major aim of PSM is to develop plant systems and procedures to prevent unwanted releases, which may ignite and cause toxic impacts, local fires, or explosions in plants - effecting nearby communities. In addition, PSM can also address issues related to the Operability, Productivity, Stability, and Quality output of processes, leading to the specification of safeguards against undesirable events.

 

Proper safety management results in reduced exposure to lawsuits, penalties, public liability claims, and hikes in insurance premiums. Other intangible benefits include retention of corporate image. The principles of PSM apply throughout the lifecycle of a plant or installation to ensure that the facilities can be managed safely and achieve acceptable levels of business risk overall.

 

Why Choose Bureau Veritas?

Bureau Veritas is a widely recognized world leader in many of the elements of PSM and with its growth over the last decade, now offers PSM technologies to cover the needs of typical oil and gas industry operations.

With over 8 technical centers and over 200 offices throughout the world, Bureau Veritas staff can deliver PSM to clients on a local basis, optimizing project offers.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

• How does PSM relate to techniques such as HAZOP studies and check-lists?

  HAZOP, consequence analysis, etc. all serve as components of PSM. The PSM adviser chooses techniques to incorporate, in a particular study, and meet the client safety management system and/ or to suit the legislative requirements.