Resources
Case Studies Papers Informational Sheets Resource Links Newsletter & Webinars
Case Studies
Read how RISK has helped resolve common process safety management issues.
Addressing Dead Legs and Corrosion Issues in PHAs
This systematic PHA approach helps identify dead-legs and corrosion issues in the process industry to prevent corrosion related incidents.
Dust Hazard Analysis & Screening Tool
RISK has developed scalable approaches to assist sites with meeting the challenges of performing a Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA). Those approaches include: a coarse screening tool to identify fundamental gaps, and a detailed DHA that is tailored to specific industries.
Refinery RMP
Our approach of using job aids and providing training on inventory calculations simplified the updating of RMPs to save time and costs for several clients.
Procedural PHAs
“Procedures are subject to a form of corrosion more rapid and thorough than that which affects the steelwork.” Trevor Kletz
Procedural PHAs strengthen your understanding of operational issues. They are an excellent tool to review unloading/loading operations or non-routine operations such as start-up, shutdown, purging and other maintenance related tasks. They are also valuable in examining procedures when writing or updating to verify if sufficient safeguards are in place during the operation in question.
Using PHA Templates for Consistency
Using PHA templates can provide a better insight into the possible hazards or releases with greater consistency as well as time savings. Additionally, because there may be multiple facilitators who lead the PHAs, developing a standard template leads to greater consistency from site to site ensuring that key scenarios are reviewed for each PHA along with more consistent risk ranking between teams.
Addressing Audit Findings Using an Audit Actions Conformance Plan
Audit findings can be overwhelming to address. We developed an action plan for developing thousands of audit findings from PSM compliance audits and corporate management systems audits that identified repetitive actions from the audits and streamlined the process into manageable tasks.
PHA Mentoring & Leadership Skills Training
Good quality PHA Facilitation requires both:
- knowledge of the mechanics of conducting a PHA and
- the leadership skills to manage a team.
Our clients sent staff to standard 2 – 5 day PHA training classes which focused mainly on PHA methodologies with limited time for hands-on practice and feedback to newly trained facilitators. The newly trained staff understood the basics of facilitation yet required additional skills to manage multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary teams. They also wanted additional assistance with understanding the keys to quality documentation.
We worked with several clients to provide next level PHA skills training; both through augmenting PHA skills learned in standard training classes and by offering personalized, onsite PHA training. In all cases it began with discussions to understand their specific needs so we could provide the best solution for their team.
Clients gained PHA team leaders with greater skill and thereby greater confidence in facilitating their site PHAs and managing their teams. Site PHAs ran smoother and improved in quality with a better understanding of how detailed documentation provides a clearer picture of hazards and safeguards.
RISK Inc Case Study – PHA Mentoring & Leadership Skills Training
Improve Efficiency and Lower Costs with Remote PSM Audit Approach
Typically, audits require 3 days or more on-site to review records, conduct interviews and tour the facility. Due to site closures to outside staff triggered by the COVID pandemic in 2020, facilities needed a way to meet their audit needs without an auditor physically being on-site.
RISK developed a remote approach to complete the audit tasks with only a short site visit needed once sites were open. The case study below outlines the remote approach and the key benefits:
- Lower cost – no travel time or travel costs meant $$$ savings
- More efficient time management meant a comprehensive audit with low impact on the site
Do you need support for your audits? Need a deeper gap assessment?
Contact us and lets talk.
Download PDF – Improved Audits
Combustible Dust and Concrete Silos
Do you have concrete silos with Combustible Dust Risks?
Are you having difficulty assessing the true risks in your DHA program?
This case study describes an assessment worksheet tool RISK developed for one of our clients to assist them in determining risks and applying appropriate safeguards.
Risk Ranking Matrix Guidance
A Risk Ranking Matrix is a key part of your process safety program. It is used when conducting risk assessments like PHAs and DHAs. The risks uncovered in the assessment are assigned a numeric value to allow you to understand if the risk is high or low so you can address the highest risks first.
Your matrix represents your company’s risk tolerance, unique to your site and company. There is not a universal matrix. A new facility setting up a PSM program or a newly merged company needs a risk matrix that reflects the new company. It is important to know what questions to ask so that your matrix fully reflects your company’s risk tolerance since that is what you will use when deciding how to invest to reduce your risk.
This case study describes how RISK helped three clients with their risk ranking needs.
Papers
RISK is active at industry meetings and has presented the following papers.
Identifying and Addressing Dead Legs and Corrosion Issues in a PHA
This paper describes a methodology for identifying and addressing dead-legs and related corrosion issues in a PHA that can be used to update corporate PHA procedures to be more robust in preventing corrosion related incidents.
Combustible Dust Management Screening Methodology & Tool Development
This paper outlines a coarse screening approach that can be used as a first pass to evaluate a specific site’s processes for managing Dust Hazards, and is useful to identify areas of highest priority for managing combustible dust hazards.
You Have Your PHA Report – What Now?
This paper provides guidance for the review of a Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) draft report. The draft phase of a PHA is the final chance for site personnel to make updates and corrections before the PHA becomes a permanent part of a facility’s Process Safety Management (PSM) records. There are several things that can and should be checked before the final report is issued.
Don’t Put Your Report on a Shelf!
This paper identifies ways to use the information from your PHA report to improve your PSM program. The Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) report is a gold mine of information. It can be used to enhance areas in a plant, such as training programs and procedures. When utilized fully, it can help identify critical areas for mechanical integrity programs, assist with updating Process Safety Information (PSI), and provide information for Management of Change and emergency response plans.
The Benefits of Procedural PHAs
Procedural PHAs are a valuable tool for examining operating procedures and can be completed either while writing or updating a procedure. Historically, 70% of major accidents have occurred during non-routine operations. Additionally, in the past ten years over 40% of the incidents reviewed by the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) occurred during non-routine operations. Using a Procedural PHA to review the appropriate course of action for those operations can help identify potential hazards and suitable safeguards, thus preventing or lessening incidents.
In this paper we teach how and why to use Procedural PHAs. Procedure heavy processes like loading/unloading, start-up/shutdown, complex valve configurations, by-pass of independent functions and batch processes benefit from using this approach.
We share how Procedural PHAs are an excellent tool for non-standard operations and show ways this approach can help you identify improvements for your procedural heavy processes to provide a more in-depth look at what could go wrong.
Informational Sheets
Key information on topics of interest in PSM and RMP.
ISA84 and OSHA PSM
What is OSHA’s expectation for sites utilizing Safety Instruments Systems (SIS) for health and safety protection?
Procedural PHA Information Sheet
Procedural PHAs are a useful and necessary tool for a comprehensive review of hazards. The informational sheet provides approaches, benefits and related regulatory requirements.
Dust Hazard Information Sheet
Combustible dusts pose a significant safety hazard in many industries. This informational sheet provides approaches, key references, and regulatory requirements for DHA’s.
Resource Links
USA PSM / RMP Links:
- OSHA PSM
- OSHA Publication 3132 “Process Safety Management”
- OSHA Publication 3133 “Guidelines for Compliance with Process Safety Management”
- Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS)
- US Chemical Safety Board (CSB)
- Mary Kay O’Conner Process Safety Center
- Responsible Care
- EPA Guidance Shortcut
- EPA List of Chemicals Regulated under RMP
- AIHA (American Industrial Hygiene Association) – Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPG) Levels
- CUPA Contact Directory