Follow-Up: Is The State Of Process Safety Getting Any Better After 10 Years Of Regulation?


		AcuSafe -> June 2000 Newsletter
		Follow-Up: Is The State Of Process Safety Getting Any Better After 10 Years Of Regulation?

Headlined "Is The State Of Process Safety Getting Any Better After 10 Years Of Regulation?" AcuSafe's Editor shared some of his thoughts last month on the state of Process Safety. Several replies were received - and we have quotes from several of the replies that got our thought processes going - and we hope they do the same for you.

Older is not Better
"The older we get, the faster we try to do, and the more new things we try to do, the more likely it is to have things go wrong. I think this applies to us as individuals, and to technologies and equipment. These plants are our age for God's sake, and that is OLD. We are slowing down and shrugging off demands."

Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it
"Another one I would add is, an increasing loss of experience and 'institutional memory.' Many of those hired during the 1960-era boom time who helped build much of the petroleum and chemical industry today are retiring, leaving a workforce that, while perhaps more technologically sophisticated in many respects, does not have the benefit of experience to help ensure that past mistakes are not repeated. This leaves a smaller, younger, and less experienced workforce to make operating decisions today in a climate of increasing business pressures of efficiency and cost."

Middle Management Thing
"PSM is practiced as a middle management thing that creates desk jobs to generate lists and documentation."

Apples vs. Apples?
"In order [to] properly evaluate the change in the number of process related incidents, one needs a comparable database. It isn't clear that this data exists. There may be a higher percentage of incidents being reported than previously. Because of the emphasis on process safety, industry efforts for open communication (for example CMA Responsible Care initiatives) and the legal reporting requirements This could result in more reported incidents, even if the actual number was decreasing. We need to ensure that we use 'Apples vs. Apples' to provide an honest evaluation of progress (or lack of progress)."

More emphasis on Human Factors
"An emphasis on Human Factors is also needed as there are many things that we still don't understand about why people remain the #1 risk factor in any process operation (although behavior-based safety is helping us address the issue from a personnel safety standpoint)."

A Broader Social Issue Because Of Education?
"Another possible point to consider involves education. Statistically, the US high school graduate ranks near the bottom of the barrel when compared to students from other countries; not just industrialized countries, but ALL countries. Graduates looking for a lucrative career tend to shy away from a skilled labor position such as chemical plant operator, maybe because their math and chemistry skills are lacking. It is more and more difficult to find good help! Higher education is also lacking. Colleges and universities are focused on academics and not necessarily producing a B.S. Chemical Engineer with the skills needed to succeed in a chemical plant (problem analysis, practical solutions, training operators, etc.)."

Is VPP the true answer?
"It would be interesting to see if OSHA VPP sites have any decreased incidence rate, and if the decrease is attributable to the effort of becoming a VPP site with its focus on worker involvement and true systems development."

Safety Systems Belong In Headquarters
"In my organization, a Vice President once said with true conviction that operating plants couldn't have safety systems - just procedures. Only headquarters staff could truly have a system. He was (fortunately) replaced and the true meaning of safety systems with measures, accountability, and improvement has indeed led to a statistically significant reduction in hazard losses for our company."