(61e) Deploy Six Sigma Methodology to Improve Process Safety

Unlike other areas of business, in the field of Process Safety by sharing knowledge everyone gains and no one loses. Knowledge on Process Safety is abundantly available in the net and for free. In spite of adequate knowledge available on the subject, the chemical process industry continues to suffer from frequent high profile incidences such as BP Texas refinery, Buncefield oil storage explosion in UK, etc.

CCPS has recently published a comprehensive book on the subject: ?Guidelines for Risk based Process Safety? that recommends risk based strategy for Process Safety management. The book identifies several management challenges in implementing such risk based strategy.

It is observed that weak safety management systems are the major obstacle in achieving excellence in Process Safety. Companies the world over have leapfrogged their financial performance by applying proven business process improvement methodologies such as TQM and Six Sigma. The same methodologies can be effectively deployed to improve Process Safety management systems as well.

A modified Six Sigma methodology is proposed for improving the Process Safety management systems. Application of this methodology is explained using ?Operational Readiness Check? ? one of the 20 risk based Process Safety elements