(70p) Common Capital Project Flaws that Cause Failure of Process Safety Objectives

Decisions made during a capital project can set the tone for facility operations many years after the project is complete. Good decisions will provide inherently safer design and operational ease. Poor decisions can lead to cumbersome administrative processes or need for immediate modification. Unfortunately capital project execution processes rarely address lifecycle safety concerns effectively and fail achieve Process Safety goals often leading to an increase in project costs and potential project delays.

The cornerstones of capital projects are scope, schedule, budget and people. This paper will explore the flaws in the classical project execution approach that lead to failure of Process safety objectives, and draw on lessons learned to advocate change. We will discuss how operating companies can improve project definition in request for quotation packages to include concrete safety lifecycle scope and deliverables.  Opportunities to enhance project execution planning and owner/contractor scope split will be identified. Proper budgeting and scheduling consideration will be discussed. Recommendations for project staffing will be provided. Finally the paper will present core objectives for evolving capital project approach to more effectively implement Process Safety interests.