(24c) Integrating Process Safety into Organizational Leadership

Article Many organizations have plateaued in achieving the desired process safety results and are faced with an exit of strategic leaders (all levels). Frontline leaders may have less experience at leading the organization and require an acceleration of learning, followed by a demonstration of understanding to ensure success in process safety. Leaders at times “think and say they are doing great, until a process safety event occurs”. Process safety competencies is one approach which goes beyond basic Process Safety Management (PSM) compliance to help ensure culture is consistent and process safety risks are reduced. The concept is built on a competency matrix which identifies the leader positions, skills, and knowledge, with proficiency demonstration. This model can be adopted and modified to fit any organizational structure who desires to make a step-change improvement. A barrier analysis to identify what might prevent the knowledge transfer and sustaining the program will be required to supplement your competency program launch.

Process safety competency is intended to avoid loss of containment of chemicals with potentially serious consequences.

Human factors, which have been studied for decades, also play a key role in the process of safety competency success within any organization. Understanding and using basic human factors concepts helps leaders understand why people do the things they do and help workers perform the task correctly. Simply put, Human factors consider the human elements of any task and are critical to the success of process safety performance. Every organization spends time on human elements following an incident during the investigation process. Process safety competencies integrate the desired outcomes and requirements at the forefront as process safety leaders demonstrate their responsibilities.

Actions and tools available to address human factor scenarios include critical task analysis, job-aids (checklists), managing competency in the organization, and eliminating the error-likely scenarios with the highest consequences.

Competency assessment can be accomplished through a variety of techniques including written exams, observations and testing, job shadowing, verbal questioning, and simulations.

A monitoring and management system to keep up with the ever-changing cycle of leader positions will be necessary to ensure process safety competency continues. Process safety event outcomes is one measure, but increased field presence, increased awareness with key leaders, and increased engagement in process safety work processes are all methods which can be monitored to help ensure the long-term process safety success of an organization.