10 Steps to Process Safety Excellence in Oil and Gas – Part 2
Add bookmarkProcess safety management (PSM) is a key concern for companies operating in the oil and gas industry, with new strategies and ways of dealing with challenges offering potential rewards in many areas.
As well as posing an immediate human and environmental risk, safety incidents can have wider repercussions relating to finance, brand reputation, regulations and the sector as a whole.
These are 10 steps companies can take to improve their safety management and minimise risk:
3. Remember Two Key Questions
According to the EI, there are two key questions organisations must always consider when trying to improve PSM:
- How will we assure the integrity of the operation?
- How will we know we are doing it?
The institute warned that starting to answer these questions with the words 'I think' is a telltale sign of uncertainty. To help in this area, the EI offers two resources - a PSM framework covering good industry practice and a survey that allows companies to assess their safety arrangements and performance against the sector as a whole.
4. Consider The Human Factor
Companies can spend time, money and effort assessing the reliability of their technology and processes, but this could all be pointless if insufficient attention is paid to the people that keep a company running.
People management is key, as human error becomes much more likely if staff are stressed, tired, or given responsibilities that do not suit their skill set.
