(133b) Improving Process Safety Culture at a Major Natural Gas Pipeline Company

This presentation highlights the successful implementation of a Process Safety Management (PSM) system improvement initiative at the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP). TANAP is part of the Southern Gas Corridor which is extending from Caspian Sea to Italy. TANAP transports Natural Gas from the Shah Deniz gas field of Azerbaijan, and possibly from other neighboring countries to Turkey and through TAP Pipeline to Europe. TANAP recognizes the utmost importance of maintaining a robust PSM framework to ensure safe and reliable operations.

The PSM program improvement initiative aimed to enhance various aspects of the PSM system through rigorous assessment and analysis for potential areas for improvement. These areas spanned a wide range of elements, including management of change, process safety culture, measurement and metrics enhancements, process knowledge management and process safety competence assessments.

This paper will focus on the activities conducted to improve Process Safety Culture in the Company. Key to the success of this endeavor was the strong support and commitment from the TANAP executive management. Their active involvement, leadership, and allocation of necessary resources have fostered a culture of safety, facilitating the integration of enhanced PSM practices into the organization. This collaborative approach has resulted in notable advancements in the process safety performance, operational efficiency, and risk reduction within TANAP.

This presentation presents a comprehensive overview of the efforts taken by TANAP in improving the PSM system. It highlights the importance of a strong management commitment to process safety and provides valuable insights into the strategies, challenges, and outcomes of improving process safety culture in an organization. The lessons learned and best practices derived from this initiative can serve as a reference for other organizations seeking to enhance their process safety culture.