(22c) Indicators in Safety Management: A Cartography of Approaches and Applications

While all companies employ a single overall management system to control their enterprise, multiple sub-systems (EHS, Quality, Finance, etc) are imbedded within the overall business management system that control critical functions to ensure good overall performance.  One critical sub-system within the overall management system that the petrochemical oil and gas industry have diligently worked to develop and implement is a robust process safety management (PSM) system.  In the United States and in Europe, regulations were passed requiring companies that handle/process hazardous chemicals to implement process safety management systems.   While these requirements differ somewhat, the goal is the same: to reduce or eliminate catastrophic process safety incidents.   However, catastrophic accidents continue to occur at a rate that is not too different than before the implementation of these PSM-type regulations.  The failure of one or more these   management sub-systems was a contributing factor in all of these incidents.

Robust management systems with high integrity require a journey that never ends, and without proper maintenance, even the best management systems will exhibit wear and tear just like any mechanical system.   In order to avoid degradation of performance, it is essential to have a good management systems integrity program that includes a continuous commitment from leadership that will win the hearts and minds of the workforce and generate pride, commitment, and motivation across your workforce.  This paper outlines a framework that every good management systems integrity program has, which can be customized for your company.