Summary Bullets
Failure to go beyond the minimum requirements
Incomplete Process Hazards Analysis (PHA) documentation
Inadequate audits and investigation reports
Background
A corporate process safety audit found that the documentation for key process safety activities at a facility was extremely sparse. Previous internal audit reports consisted of 2-page memos. PHA reports of major process units contained 10 pages of worksheets and these contained many blanks. Incident investigation reports contained root cause analyses that were described in a brief paragraph.
What Happened
Further interviews revealed these documents were created as the result of activities intended mainly to get activity off the facility’s to-do list. The auditors pointed out such practices and the thin documentation did not reflect typical industry practices for those Process Safety Management System elements.
The Facility Manager and members of his management team reacted angrily. They stated forcefully that the facility had never suffered a process safety incident and that their documentation met the minimum regulatory. This, they said, was proof enough that no additional effort was required or needed.
What other symptoms of weak process safety culture do you believe existed at this facility?
The Facility Manager and members of his management team reacted angrily. They stated forcefully that the facility had never suffered a process safety incident and that their documentation met the minimum regulatory. This, they said, was proof enough that no additional effort was required or needed.
What other symptoms of weak process safety culture do you believe existed at this facility?
Safety Culture Focus
A lack of incidents is not a true indicator of a strong safety culture.
Performing only the minimum requirements does not support continuous improvement.
Safety should be effectively integrated into all activities.
Having a questioning environment is essential to a healthy safety culture.
Safety Culture Focus Note
**Only 37% of those surveyed indicated management involvement was a strength in their organization.**
Source File
E.15.pptx
(322.99 KB)